"L'Esquella de la Torratxa", meaning "the cowbell of the turret", was first published on 5 May 1872. It began during an officially-decreed suspension of the publication of "La Campana de Gràcia", a more overtly political magazine. It would, however, become very critical of Barcelona mayor Francisco Ríos Taulet and his promotion of the 1888 Barcelona Universal Exposition which was seen by many as a wasteful extravagancy.