Mateu Morral
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Mateu Morral (Mateo in Spanish; 1880, Sabadell—June 2, 1906, Torrejón de Ardoz - part of Madrid) was a Catalan Anarchist, remembered for his assassination attempt on the lives of Alfonso XIII of Spain and his wife Victoria Eugenia (on May 31, 1906, the day the two were married).
The son of a Barcelona textile merchand, Morral learned several languages, and travelled to Germany - where he was adhered to Anarchist beliefs. Back in Spain, he decided to quit the family business, and instead started working as a librarian for Francesc Ferrer i Guàrdia.
In 1906 he went to Madrid and started plotting the regicide, using a bomb that was concealed in a bouquet and thrown towards the procession from a balcony on Calle Mayor. The monarchs escaped the attempt with just spots of blood on the queen's dress, but several bystanders and horses died.
After the attempt, Morral tried to get lost in the Madrileño crowd (helped by journalist José Nakens), but he was recognized by several persons. Hunted down by the authorities, he appeared to be surrendering peacefully. However, he managed to shoot and kill the guard who was taking him to Torrejón de Ardoz prison, and to commit suicide the moment after. For a while, the two bodies were exposed in the town hall.
Francesc Ferrer i Guàrdia and Nakens were tried for conspiracy and released a year after the events.
During the Spanish Civil War, Calle Mayor was renamed Calle Mateo Morral by the Republican Madrid council.
[edit] External links
- Mateo Morral Daily Bleed Calendar May 31
