, 1861 - 1925) was one of the first writers, intellectuals and anarchist activists of the late nineteenth and early twentieth century in Spain

Spain

Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...

. Was characterized as an erudite in various subjects and versed in languages, mastering French, English and Italian. Federica Montseny

Federica Montseny

Federica Montseny i Mañé was a Spanish anarchist, intellectual and Minister of Health during the social revolution that occurred in Spain parallel to the Civil War...

 said: He is considered the deepest, most penetrating and most lucid of the Spanish anarchist thinkers.

Biography

Ricardo Mella was born in Gamboa, Vigo

Vigo

Vigo is a city and municipality in north-west Spain, in Galicia, situated on the ria of the same name on the Atlantic Ocean.-Population:...

, in the province of Pontevedra (Galicia

Galicia

-Geographic regions:* Galicia , an autonomous community in northwestern Spain** Gallaecia, a province of the Roman Empire** Kingdom of Galicia, a medieval kingdom**Nueva Galicia :*** Nueva Galicia, a region of New Spain, now in Mexico...

), where he went to primary school. He was the son of Dolores Cea Fernández and José Mella Buján, a hat crafter

Hat

A hat is a head covering. It can be worn for protection against the elements, for ceremonial or religious reasons, for safety, or as a fashion accessory. In the past, hats were an indicator of social status...

 and a supporter of federal republicanism

Federal republicanism

Federal republicanism is an ideology, prevalent mainly in the 19th century Spain, which incorporates republicanism and advocates local associations of citizens and promotes citizen participation in public affairs...

 which influenced his eldest son, Ricardo, on respect for the republican and democratic ideals

Second Spanish Republic

The Second Spanish Republic was the government of Spain between April 14 1931, and its destruction by a military rebellion, led by General Francisco Franco....

 and admiration for Francisco Pi y Margall

Francisco Pi y Margall

Francisco Pi y Margall was a liberal Spanish statesman and romanticist writer. He was briefly president of the short-lived First Spanish Republic in 1873.-Early life:...

. When he was 16, he joined the Federal Democratic Republican Party of Spain, becoming its secretary, and emphasized in its advocacy of federalist republican status and the political and administrative autonomy of Galicia.

When he was young, he worked in a maritime agency in his native Vigo. By this time Vigo was experiencing a considerable transformation and expansion as a port city and commercial centre, but the poor living conditions in Galicia still required workers to emigrate. During this time, he began his journalistic career working with the bi-weekly newspaper La Verdad, a representative of republicanism, and supporter of the claims of the Galician proletariat, denouncing the exploitation of workers in Galicia.

See also

• Urania Mella Serrano
  Urania Mella Serrano
  Urania Mella Serrano, was a Galician politician, and forerunner of the women's associationism. His father was the anarchist intellectual Ricardo Mella Cea, and his mother, Esperanza Serrano, was the daughter of Juan Serrano Oteiza, a well-known anarchist from Madrid and founder of the magazine...