Franco family auctions 689 items from Pazo de Meirás

The Franco family is auctioning 689 items removed from the Pazo de Meirás, the former summer residence of dictator Francisco Franco, in a sale organized by Magna Art Auctions in Madrid on October 27. The lots range from everyday household goods to historical memorabilia, with starting prices between 20 and 5,000 euros Source: La Vanguardia.

The auction

The auction includes furniture, porcelain, tableware, and decorative objects, as well as several portraits of Franco and a silver-framed photograph of King Juan Carlos I with a handwritten dedication to Franco Source: ABC. The most expensive lot is a painting attributed to the circle of Luis Tristán, starting at 5,000 euros Source: infobae. Other notable items include a pair of 18th-century consoles, a Louis XVI bureau, and eight Moroccan rifles Source: La Vanguardia.

Controversy

The sale has drawn criticism from the Association for the Recovery of Historical Memory (ARMH), which requested its suspension, arguing it amounts to a disposal of public assets Source: El Confidencial. The Spanish Ministry of Culture stated that the items being sold are those the State did not claim, and declined to comment on whether it would exercise its right of first refusal Source: infobae.

Context

The auction follows a Supreme Court ruling that the Pazo de Meirás was never legally owned by the Franco family, as it was a gift to Franco as head of state. In November 2024, a Madrid court recognized 559 items as public property; the remaining items are now being sold Source: El Confidencial.