▁for ▁which ▁he ▁started ▁a ▁related ▁business ▁in ▁the ▁ 1 8 9 0 s . ▁In ▁Spain ▁he ▁is ▁also ▁known ▁as ▁a ▁Car list ▁political ▁activ ist ▁and ▁soldier . ▁ ▁Family ▁and ▁youth ▁ ▁The ▁Dí ez ▁de ▁la ▁Cort ina ▁family ▁origin ated ▁from ▁Cant ab ria ▁and ▁were ▁related ▁to ▁Li éb ana ; ▁the ▁first ▁representative ▁is ▁noted ▁in ▁the ▁ 1 6 th ▁century . ▁Form ing ▁part ▁of ▁hid al gu ia , ▁none ▁of ▁the ▁family ▁members ▁grew ▁into ▁a ▁public ▁figure ▁until ▁in ▁the ▁mid - 1 8 th ▁century ▁one ▁of ▁its ▁branches ▁moved ▁to ▁the ▁And alus ian ▁March ena ; ▁they ▁settled ▁as ▁arr end at arios ▁in ▁est ates ▁of ▁Du que ▁de ▁Os una . ▁The ▁great - grand father ▁of ▁Rafael , ▁José ▁Antonio ▁Dí ez ▁de ▁la ▁Cort ina ▁G uti ér rez , ▁was ▁born ▁in ▁the ▁Cant ab rian ▁P otes ▁and ▁upon ▁his ▁arrival ▁in ▁March ena ▁he ▁built ▁a ▁house , ▁which ▁was ▁later ▁to ▁become ▁a ▁family ▁hub . ▁Rafael ' s ▁grand father , ▁Juan ▁Dí ez ▁de ▁la ▁Cort ina ▁L ay na ▁P ern ia ▁( born ▁ 1 7 8 2 ), ▁as ▁the ▁oldest ▁surv iving ▁son ▁became ▁the ▁family ▁he ir ; ▁in ▁the ▁ 1 8 3 0 s ▁he ▁was ▁already ▁one ▁of ▁the ▁top ▁local ▁tax pay ers . ▁In ▁the ▁ 1 8 4 0 s ▁he ▁formed ▁part ▁of ▁the