Eight Moroccan Rifles From Franco Family Collection Set for Auction in Spain
Eight old Moroccan rifles are among the items that the heirs of Spanish dictator Francisco Franco are preparing to sell at auction. Their starting price: 2,500 euros. The discovery could be linked to Franco’s military past in Morocco, particularly during the Rif War.
Who would have imagined finding eight Moroccan weapons in the Franco family’s collection? These old espingardas are among the 689 lots offered for sale on October 27 in Madrid. Kept until recently at the Pazo de Meirás, the dictator’s former residence in Galicia, they will be auctioned by Magna Art Auctions, according to the catalogue unveiled by Europa Press.
Their presence is all the more intriguing because Francisco Franco spent a significant part of his military career in Morocco. Arriving in 1912, he took part in the Spanish colonial army’s campaigns in the Rif before commanding the Spanish Legion against Abdelkrim El Khattabi’s fighters. His military operations earned him promotion to general in 1926, at just 33 years old.
José Miguel Carrillo de Albornoz, director of the auction house, offers an explanation. “This is a collection of espingardas that are clearly Moroccan, probably dating from the time Franco was in Africa,” he said in an interview with OKDiario.
An auction that sparks controversy in Spain
The Moroccan rifles are not the only mementos being offered to collectors. Franco’s descendants are also selling paintings, furniture, porcelain and several portraits of the dictator. A photograph autographed by Juan Carlos I in 1970 is also included in the catalogue. Starting prices range from 20 to 5,000 euros.
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The sale comes after the Pazo de Meirás was returned to the Spanish state. The Commission for the Recovery of Historical Memory of A Coruña is asking authorities to inspect the items being offered, fearing that some may belong to the public heritage. The auction house, for its part, says the objects were removed with all legal guarantees and under the supervision of the competent authorities.
The items are already on public display at Magna Art Auctions’ premises on Calle Núñez de Balboa in Madrid. The sale will begin on Tuesday, October 27, at 5 p.m., both in person and online. The eight Moroccan rifles will be offered as a single lot, starting at 2,500 euros.
