In Madrid have fetched much higher prices than expected at auction. At Tuesday’s sale, a photographic portrait of Pazo de Meirás Francisco Franco went under the hammer for €2,250; a tapestry bearing the coat of arms of the Francoist regime reached €9,000. A portrait dedicated to his daughter Francisco Franco Carmen Franco multiplied its asking price several times over. The auction is being held over two days at Carmen Franco in Madrid; the first session lasted more than six hours, running into the night. The auction was due to resume on Wednesday. Magna Art Auctions in Madrid; the first session lasted more than six hours, running into the night. The auction was due to resume on Wednesday.
The items on offer come from the Pazo de Meirás in Sada (A Coruña), the dictator’s former summer residence. They were removed from the estate this year. According to the organisers and consistent media reports, the removal took place under the supervision of the Abogacía del Estado. In this context, government representatives did not claim blanket state ownership of the movable items now on offer; this meant the heirs could legally sell them. The catalogue listed just under 700 lots.
The sale is politically controversial and contentious in terms of historical memory. Organisations such as the Comisión pola Recuperación da Memoria Histórica in A Coruña warned beforehand that some of the items might have their own cultural heritage protection status. Critics argue that commercialisation obscures the symbolic significance of the regime’s relics, while demand from collectors and buyers with nostalgic views drives prices up. The auction organisers, by contrast, stressed that the sale had been conducted properly and complied with the rules in force.
The Pazo de Meirás has been the subject of legal disputes between the state, regional authorities and the dictator’s family for years. While the estate itself is now treated as public property, the status of individual movable items remained disputed and is being assessed on a case-by-case basis. The prices achieved will provide short-term income for the heirs. Politically, they could fuel debate about clearer legislation governing movable property from historically significant sites. It also remains unclear whether a complete, publicly accessible list of all items sold will be published, along with definitive confirmation that no items classified as cultural heritage were involved.
Further sales were expected on Wednesday evening; the final results of the second day of the auction were not yet available.
Editor: Celestina Fuentes (Article created with AI assistance).