LA VANGUARDIA, SU HISTORIA

SUBSCRIBE:    / @barcelonamemory   BECOME A MEMBER:    / @barcelonamemory   WEB: http://barcelonamemory.com/ INSTAGRAM:   / barcelonamemory   FACEBOOK:   / barcelonamemory   CONTACT: [email protected] TIP FOR DONATIONS: https://es.tipeee.com/barcelona-memory It all began during the Third Carlist War, when brothers Carlos and Bartolomé Godó, textile entrepreneurs from Igualada, decided to expand their horizons in Bilbao with a jute factory. The adventure was short-lived: in 1873, with the First Republic and the Carlists firing wildly, they sold the factory and settled in Barcelona. There, they founded "Godó Hermanos y Cía" with Pere Milà i Pi, dedicating themselves to the manufacture of sacks in Sant Martí de Provençals. The business prospered, and they soon entered the political arena. With the annexation of municipalities like Gràcia and Sant Martí, industrialists began to pay more taxes, something the Godós did not tolerate. To defend their interests, they founded La Vanguardia, a political newspaper that included advertisements and news, on February 1, 1881. They supported Sagasta's Liberal Party, and the newspaper soon began to grow. The real boost came with Ramón Godó Lallana, Carlos's son, who in 1888 transformed it into an open and modern daily, inspired by The Times. The editorial staff moved several times, and in 1903, it opened a new office on Pelayo Street. It incorporated telegraph and linotype services, and in 1906, it adopted a joint management structure with Miquel dels Sants Oliver, Ezequiel Boixet, and Alfred Opisso. Competition was fierce, but in 1916, Alfonso XIII ennobled Ramón with the title of Count of Godó, and La Vanguardia was already the most widely read newspaper in Catalonia. His son, Carlos Godó Valls, appointed Gaziel sole editor in 1933, modernizing the design and content to reach 250,000 daily copies. In 1936, with the outbreak of war, Carlos Godó went into exile in Rome, and the newspaper came under the control of the Generalitat (Catalan government), led by María Luz Morales and later by other Republican journalists. After the arrival of Franco's troops in 1939, it returned to the family under strict censorship. Manuel Aznar Zubigaray and, above all, Luis de Galinsoga marked the Franco era. The scandal erupted in 1959 when Galinsoga insulted Catalans at mass, precipitating his dismissal. In 1961, the newspaper debuted a color front page, and in 1965, Carlos Godó created the Godó Journalism Prize. Once in power, the newspaper renewed its printing presses, modernized its design with Milton Glaser in 1989, and expanded its business. Javier Godó Muntañola, the third Count of Godó, strengthened the group with investments in Antena 3 Radio and Television, although he lost the battle to PRISA in 1992. Since 1998, the Godó Group has operated as a holding company, with La Vanguardia, Mundo Deportivo, RAC1, and RAC105, as well as 8TV and production companies such as Veranda TV. Carlos Godó Valls, Javier's son, is currently its CEO. More than a newspaper, La Vanguardia has become a true media dynasty.