Voces del Prado

Carlos Zurita, Duke of Soria

Nuria de Miguel Poch, General Secretary of the Friends of the Museo del Prado Foundation, 1989-What's on

When I arrived at the Museum, in 1989, the newly appointed president was Carlos Zurita, Duke of Soria. I considered him my president since then and I hope he remains so for many years. He was great for both the Foundation and the Museum. He is such an educated man, fully involved, not an honorary president but an executive president who takes care of the Foundation and its difficulties every day of the year. Nobody represents the Foundation the way he does, he thanks each and every professor who comes to give a lecture, he is aware of who comes on board, who leaves... He is very close to the staff, also with the Trust of the Foundation. I think he's an important character for the Museum
Trust. Carlos Zurita, Duke of Soria, didn't stop until he made it to the Trust of the Prado Museum, as the President of the Friends of the Prado Museum Foundation, because that was his role and he wanted us to be represented there.
There was some waiting involved, the bylaws had to be changed, I'm not sure what happened, but he didn't join the Trust until he did it as our president. That way all presidents of the Friends of the Prado Museum would sit on the Trust of the Prado Museum. The thing is, we haven't changed our president, he's always been the one, but it's established that the president is on the Museum Trust thanks to him. I have so much to be grateful for, I've learned so much from his disposition. I think he's an extremely educated and conciliating man who has done a lot to bring the two institutions together. I am personally very grateful, and I think the Museum and the Foundation have a lot to be thankful about.