Ignacio Carrau
Ignacio Carrau Leonarte (3 February 1923 – 12 December 2015) was a Spanish politician and lawyer. He served as Deputation President of the Province of Valencia between 1975 and 1979.
Early life
[edit]Carrau was born on 3 February 1923 in Valencia.[1] He came from a family of lawyers. His grandfather set up a law firm, where later his father and eventually he himself worked. His brother was killed during the Spanish Civil War.[2] His grandfather served as Deputation President of Valencia as Ignacio would later do.[3]
Carrau studied law at the University of Valencia and obtained a doctorate there as well.[3]
Political career
[edit]Carrau was elected as provincial deputy in 1974 as representative of the College of Lawyers (Spanish:Colegio de Abogados). The next year Deputation President Salvador Escandell became civil governor of Las Palmas and the Presidency was left vacant with a large number of volunteer candidates, Carrau not being one of them. While fishing on holiday in Bronchales, Carrau was picked up by a Deputation car, brought to civil governor Enrique Oltra Moltó, and was greeted as new President of the Deputation. He took office on 31 July 1975.[2]
Carrau opposed the Spanish Constitution of 1978 because he felt it gave in too much to separatist movements. While in office he was a participant in the Battle of Valencia.[2] In 1978 he also was one of the proposers of the Real Academia de Cultura Valenciana and a founder of the Unió Regional Valenciana.[3]
Discontent with the situation of Spanish politics after the democratic transition he returned to his work as a lawyer.[2] He left after the municipal elections of 1979.[3]
Personal life
[edit]A devout Catholic, Carrau was named Commander in the Order of St. Gregory the Great by Pope John Paul II in 2003. Valencia Archbishop Agustín García-Gasco Vicente had petitioned the Pope for the award.[2][4]
Carrau was married and had six children. He died on 12 December 2015, aged 92.[4]
References
[edit]- ^ "Carrau Leonarte, Ignacio" (in Spanish). Congress of Deputies of Spain. Retrieved 2 January 2016.
- ^ a b c d e Paco Cerdà (30 October 2011). "´Hay una cosa de la que nunca renegaré: mi lealtad a Franco´" (in Spanish). Levante-EMV. Retrieved 1 January 2016.
- ^ a b c d "Fallece Ignacio Carrau Leonarte". Las Provincias (in Spanish). 13 December 2015. Retrieved 2 January 2016.
- ^ a b "Fallece el expresidente de la Diputación de Valencia Ignacio Carrau Leonarte" (in Spanish). Europa press. 13 December 2015. Retrieved 2 January 2016.
