San Miguel Historical Cemetery
FAMILIA LARIOS
THE LARIOS FAMILY
The first member of the family that came to Málaga, Pablo Larios, came from Laguna de Cameros (La Rioja) and was a livestock trader. The region’s economic fall drove him to settle in Málaga at the beginning of the 19th century together with his four sons that came from his two marriages: Manuel Domingo, Martín, Pablo and Juan. Martín Larios and Herreros, who had initially settled in Cádiz and Gibraltar, then permanently moved to Málaga and started the Larios Hermanos firm that, in its second generation, would change its name to Martín Larios e Hijos.
Applying his previous experience in wool trading, the first textile company, namely La Industria Malagueña, was started in 1847 with technology, machinery, work organisation and expert workforce imported from England. Following suit, came La Aurora, managed by Carlos Larios. They used to transform, mainly cotton, using what would have been state-of-the-art machinery at the time. These factories provided jobs for approximately 3000 people.
Martín also introduced sugar cane to the sector. His strategy consisted in buying sugarcane mills and modernising them with steam machinery. While doing so, he used to buy cultivating land in mass and supply primary materials to his factories. His sons, Martín and Manuel Domingo, took over the reins and continued growing the company, opening or buying factories from Sabinillas to Motril.
The Larios family were also advocates for the Málaga-Córdoba railway line and the Banco de Málaga, which produced their own currency. Purchasing the Jiménez and Lamothe wine cellar, they entered the wine and spirits market, which soon became their own brand.
Martín Larios Herreros was ennobled as Marqués de Larios. His son, Manuel Domingo, the second Marqués de Larios, was an advocate for the street named after him. The newest urban advancements were introduced to the new street and soon enough it became the city's hotspot, taking over from La Alameda.
The wealth that the family generated was immense, their social importance and influence on politics alike. This status was reflected in the San Miguel cemetery, where the family mausoleum, located on the main street, occupies various graveyard plots. It worked as a real temple with a Greek cross plan and an impressive spire, crowned by a cross, making it the highest point in the whole cemetery. It was erected in 1877 in a neo-gothic style by the master builder Federico Pérez Giménez who built it entirely from limestone. Its interior is specifically designed to host private masses. Apart from Martín Larios Herreros, who is buried in the chapel of Hermanitas de los Pobres asylum that he founded, the rest of the family members were laid to rest there.
Texts: Francisco J. Rodriguez Marin · English Translation: Francisco Pineda Castillo and Sonny Arthur Tuke · English Narration: Sonny Arthur Tuke · Production: Photo Video Digital