The "rich Catalan" who triumphed in Castile

On the same day that twelve men founded Barça near the Rambla de Barcelona, ​​​​next to the Rambla de Sabadell, a man destined to stand out in his own right within Catalan literature was born. Indeed, on November 29, 1899, synchronously with the Barça club, Joan Oliver Sallarès, better known as Pere Quart, was born. The Vallesan belonged to a bourgeois family through and through: on his mother's side, he was descended from Joan Sallarès i Pla (1845-1901), a textile manufacturer from Sabadell, and on his father's side, from Pere Turull i Sallent, who is the figure we will discuss today.

When Pere Turull was born, his family was already involved in cloth manufacturing, a business that later evolved into financial and real estate activities. Our protagonist's great contribution was the introduction of steam engines to mechanize production, which was basically wool, with spinning and the manufacture of finished fabrics. The steamship he installed in the center of Sabadell (1849) was known as Cal Lau and powered not only his company but also other factories in the area. But if anything marked his life, it was his exploration of foreign markets to buy wool at its source. This meant he made frequent trips to Castile, where he established very interesting relationships for his business and where he was highly respected. Becoming the main supplier of wool to Sabadell's manufacturers decisively boosted his role as a banker, because he not only supplied them with raw materials but also financed their operations. Over time, he expanded his trade network and even imported excellent quality wool from the Kingdom of Saxony. Having discovered the attractions of trade—which led him to gradually abandon manufacturing—he expanded his horizons to also import flour, dyes, and machinery for the textile industry. To this end, he sought suppliers in France and Belgium, specifically in the cities of Rouen, Louviers, Liège, Verviers, Lille, Valenciennes, and Elbeuf. He also traded directly with the New World thanks to the acquisition of a brig that allowed him to operate this transoceanic route (especially in Argentina, Peru, and Chile).

As was common at the time, his business activity was inextricably linked to his political role: as a member of the Moderate Party, he served five times as mayor of Sabadell (his father had already served), as well as being a deputy in the Cortes of Madrid on two occasions. He was also an officer in the National Militia, an armed civilian force formed following the approval of the Cadiz Constitution (1812), where he took part in the 1930s during the First Carlist War. Regarding his involvement in civilian life, he was one of the founders of the Sabadell Savings Bank (1859) and the Sabadellés Circle (1856), and also founded the Sabadell Industrial Institute (1863). The latter entity did not have a very long life, but the bank continued until 2010, when it lost its legal status as a result of the financial crisis that had erupted a couple of years earlier. He was also involved in the construction of the original Sabadell Principal Theatre (1839) and the Casa de Beneficència (1854).

That Turull was the reference for Castilians in Catalonia is proven by the fact that when Queen Isabel II visited Sabadell (September 1860) she slept in the house of the Catalan businessman, who was also the main figure in the capital of Vallesana. Incidentally, this house is today the Sabadell Art Museum. In Madrid they called him the rich Catalan, for being the main buyer of merino wool, from the sheep native to Castile. At the end of his life, he concentrated his interests in the real estate sector, becoming the largest landowner in the region, second only to the great fortunes of Barcelona.

However, his love of thrift and avoiding ostentation was very deep, to the point that his son complained bitterly (letters remain to prove this) that, despite having a great fortune, at home they only ate chickpeas. Aside from the legacy already mentioned, the Turull surname also has several public streets dedicated to it: a street in Sabadell and a promenade in Barcelona that, in this case, honors his son.