Marian Vayreda i Vila

Marian Francesc Bartomeu Vayreda i Vila was descendant to noble Catalan families. His paternal ancestors were related to the Alt Garrotxa town of Olot. During the legitimist siege in course of the First Carlist War the family house was set ablaze, which forced Marian's grandfather Francesc to move to Girona. It is there that his son and Marian's father, Francesc Vayreda i Busquets (1814–1870), fell in love with Maria Rosa Vila i Galí (1817–?). She was descendant to a far more prestigious local Vila Cavaller family, holding a number of estates and owning Cavaller de Vidrà, an iconic Catalan mansion.

The couple married in 1840 and in 1844 they settled in the reconstructed family house in Olot. Francesc's maternal uncle was municipal military commander and Francesc possibly took part in activities against the local trabucaires. He inherited estates co-possessed with his relatives and is referred to as "propietario rentista". As the two families maintained good relations, Francesc temporarily administered Porqueres holdings of his junior Vila nephews and the Vila family periodically managed the Vayreda estates. Francesc and Maria Rosa had 6 children, three of them becoming recognized figures. Apart from Marian, Joaquím (1843–1894) made his name as a painter and Estanislau (1848–1901) as a botanic.

As a child Marían spent much of his time at the Cavaller de Vidrà estate, later frequenting the Olot Padres Escolapios college; following bachillerato he intended to study law in Barcelona. The advent of Glorious Revolution of 1868 changed these plans and Marían settled for studying art in l'Escola de Dibuix d'Olot. Around 1870 he joined the Carlist conspiracy and at the outbreak of the Third Carlist War he entered the legitimist troops. His exact war record is not clear. Most sources agree he remained on the Catalan Front; some claim he formed part of General Staff of Francesc Savalls, not unlikely as his headquarters was in Cavaller de Vidrà. Other sources note that Vayreda took part in combat, especially in the battles of d’Argelaguer and Prats de Lluçanés, and was wounded in action. Shortly before defeat and disguised as a peasant he made it to France.

After a brief period in Séte Vayreda studied painting in Paris, for 2 years frequenting the classes of Jean-Léon Gérôme. Following the amnesty he returned to Spain and went on with art studies in l'Escola de Belles Arts in Barcelona. In 1878 he settled back in Olot, co-founding El Arte Cristiano, a commercially successful workshop producing religious imagery. In 1883 Vayreda married a geronina, Pilar Aulet Soler (1871–1928). The couple remained in the multi-family house in Olot; in his mature years Vayreda was referred to as patricio, gran señor, a formal and serious man. Marian and Pilar had 7 children. The best known of them, Joaquím, was a Traditionalist writer, journalist and local councilor though he made his name mostly as an art critic; also other children were active in Traditionalism. His grandson tried his hand in painting. Montserrat Vayreda was granddaughter of his brother.