The Rivera Trujillo brothers

Although the 19th century had not yet ended when the philosopher and writer Miguel de Unamuno introduced the term "intrahistory," it is still a concept that often appears as a secondary aspect in the field of historical research. I find it essential to deeply and rigorously understand the history of any town or city. In the intrahistory of Marbella during the second half of the 20th century, we encounter the life adventures of the Rivera Trujillo brothers (Arturo, José, and Juan). Their paths, now forgotten, made them very popular figures in the city as it began its transition from a small town to an international tourist powerhouse; a journey that, moreover, would sideline more than one identity marker, while also fostering a shadow of frivolity that, far from being dispelled, has long since become naturalized. Arturo Rivera Trujillo professionally dedicated himself to the stationery and bookstore world, with a shop open in Plaza de la Victoria. He founded the first (traditional) printing press in Marbella in the 1950s, named "Imprenta Nuestra Señora de los Ángeles," and specialized in selling everything related to the setup of Christmas Nativity scenes. In September 1956, he wrote to the City Council's Government Committee asking that his "industry" be considered on equal terms with other "commercial houses" when purchasing supplies in the areas of stationery and printing. José Rivera Trujillo was a school teacher with a long career, whose teaching and pedagogical skills were not limited to the conventional content of the time. For years, he taught at the first school group created in Marbella: Grupo Nuestra Señora del Carmen (popularly known as El Castillo, as it was built inside the fortress, where the city's cemetery was previously located). He was a polyglot teacher: he spoke and taught English and French and was also interested in what was intended to be a universal language: Esperanto. He also had a great interest in music, being a piano player. He lived in a privileged location in the Old Town of Marbella: the Mayorazgo de Altamirano house or Cano Saldaña house, located in Plaza de Altamirano. The third of the brothers, Juan Rivera (sometimes affectionately called Juanito), stood out in the world of artisanal shoemaking, with famous moccasins that had national and international impact. The shop-workshop was located in Plaza de África and was originally opened by Juan's uncle, Bernabé Sánchez Luque, who taught him the trade he had learned from a popular shoemaker known as "Cojo Pérez." Juan Rivera brought his personal capacity and achieved excellence with his moccasins, something that did not go unnoticed by the tourists and celebrities who were beginning to appear in the city. He relied on the advertising claim that these were "moccasins for life." People who ended up owning artisanal shoes from Juan Rivera ranged from Prince Juan Carlos de Borbón to Onassis, Empress Soraya, or Gregory Peck. In August 1961, the Madrid press (specifically the Diario Pueblo) noticed Rivera's moccasins and published a report generously accompanied by photographs, stating that he was the "artisan who made the best moccasins." But in his workshop, he was not alone because José Valderrama, Bartolomé Maldonado, and José Sánchez Caravantes lent their good craft. Precisely with one of these officers who trained in Juan Rivera's workshop, Pepe Valderrama, the Cadiz native Manuel Vera was introduced in Marbella, whose artisanal moccasin workshop is maintained in the Torre de Marbella, very close to the El Fuerte hotel. In that report from Pueblo, Juan Rivera claimed to have made around twenty-five thousand pairs. Among the artisan Rivera's children is the historian, professor of History, María Teresa Rivera Valderrama, an excellent teacher who made many of us love this discipline. She is the author of an interesting book containing the research she conducted on "The Roman amphorae in Marbella." The Rivera Trujillo brothers did not go unnoticed in the Marbella of their time; this is a humble attempt to rescue their figures.