Joan Pich i Pon was mayor of Barcelona and a master of mistakesHe refined this art so much that his failures made headlines at the time and he was called Piquiponadas, which amused his contemporaries. He was born into a poor family in 1878 and had to help his family from a young age by doing small jobs as an electrician. This prevented him from attending school. He left home at the age of 12 and neither learned to read nor write. That never stopped him from having good instincts, he was a self-made man with a brilliant brain for investments and greed. In the end he would realize himself: “I can’t write, but I can make money.”
From a simple electrician, he became a renowned magnate in the electricity industry and the owner of several newspapers. Until the political virus bit him. Without any loyalty, he developed from a monarchist to a republican. This weathervane inclination allowed him to assume different positions. From city councilor to provincial representative, to undersecretary of the Navy or to president of the Chamber of Municipal Property. Everything was achieved through the recommendation of a friend, not through the ballot box.
The big question would be how he managed to hold all those positions and emerge victorious. The reality is that his secretary read him every report and prepared his speeches and pich i pon I have memorized them. When the moment of truth came, he pretended to read in front of the public so that no one would suspect that the newspaper in front of him seemed like gibberish.
He had a relationship with Lerroux’s Radical Republican Party. During the Black Biennium it became the person who held the most positions in Catalonia. And their goal was primarily to cater to business interests and real estate speculators. He was appointed mayor in 1935 and remained in office for ten months. In fact, when he took office, he told everyone: “The ideal would be to follow the three Emes policies: administration, administration and administration.” And when it came time to assume his new duties, he said: “So, let’s get started with the A in Acienda.”
Among the great sayings that have been preserved for posterity, the anecdote about a visit by King Alfonso XIII stands out. in Barcelona. As they viewed the city from Mount Tibidabo, he said: “Your Majesty, look at the big udder at your feet.” In this case that meant the big city. Other examples of this type include that after seeing a company’s prices, he exclaimed that they charged “an arm and a leg” when in reality he should have said “an arm and a leg.”
And there are examples of statements of tone: “On the Rambla de Catalunya they opened a restaurant with genital lighting,” instead of ceiling lighting. There were also cases such as a meeting in which he stated: “For me, the greatest tyrant in history was not Nero or Caligula, but the tyrant of Bergerac.” And when he met one of his relatives, who was a well-known lover of philately, introducing himself to the society, he hinted: “And here is my nephew, who is syphilitic.” The Mirador magazine even rewarded anyone who sent in one of his piquiponadas for publication with three pesetas. Which led to a flood of phrases between real and invented by readers.
During his tenure, he said he wanted to make Barcelona great. He was responsible for the development of various train stations and the lighting of the city, which, as he always said, wanted to be like a little Paris. And he was royal curator alongside Francesc Cambó at the 1929 International Exhibition.
Piquiponadas
He would leave some of his legacy behind The most legendary failuresamong which stand out:
– Referring to Barcelona’s neutrality during the First World War, he remarked: “Neither allies nor Germanophiles, for in this common enterprise we are all hermaphrodites.”
– “I am a supporter of homosexuality, which means that men and women can love each other and rely on each other whenever they see fit.”
– “Exquisite Centurion Eggs” instead of Sturgeon.
-He was an advocate that Europeans should devote themselves to life in their own country: “the French in France, the English in England, the Murcians in Murcia and the Belgians in Belgrade.”
– “I like the bullfighters that are in the candlestick” instead of the candlestick.
– “He supports the electoral circumcision (constituency) of his people”
-“I watch programs from other countries with the devilish antenna” (for satellite dish)
-After listening to the Marseillaise, he said: “My heart brims.”
– As president of the Parks and Gardens Commission, he visited the Ciutadella Park and the person in charge suggested that he buy gondolas, to which he replied: “Yes, but not one, but two: a male and a female.” Let them breed, let them breed!
-After attending a funeral, he stated: “Me and another councilor were physically present there.”
– Referring to a mistake made by politician Bosch Labrús in a speech: “It was a simple slip of the tongue.”
-And at a civil funeral as a layman, he remarked: “The day will come when burials will be carried out without priests and without the deceased.”
Black market
In its final phase Black market scandal It came to light in October 1935. There have been reports of a roulette cheating system being installed in various casinos in Spanish casinos. At the push of a button, the ball would fall where the casino chose, so the bank always won.
The deception was uncovered by a complaint from businessman Daniel Strauss. According to him, various members of the Radical Party had shown particular interest in the black market project and would use their influence to make it possible. Strauss pointed to Alejandro Lerroux, leader of the Radical Party, who would receive 25% of the profits; Among others, Aurelio Lerroux, nephew of Alejandro Lerroux, 5% and Juan Pich y Pon, 10%. Pich and Pon would send him 100,000 pesetas and another 50,000 pesetas to the Director General of Security, José Valdivia y Garci-Borrón.
Pich i Pon was forced to resign in 1935, and the civil war was just beginning. In 1936 he went into exile in Paris, where he died on May 21, 1937. He is buried in the Montjuïc Cemetery in Barcelona. The old house is located at number 9 of the central Plaza de Catalunya.
