Voces del Prado

A fundamental axis of Spanish culture

Carlos Zurita Delgado. Duke of Soria, Chairman of the Friends of the Museo del Prado Foundation, 1988-What's on

For me, as I think for any Spanish person, the Museum signifies numerous things.
I seem to remember that Hazaña said that: “the Museo del Prado is more important than the Monarchy and the Republic put together” and I consider it to be fundamental to our history.
I remember I first visited when I was about 12 or 13. We lived in Andalusia in those days and we came on a trip to Madrid and my parents took me to the Museum.
I remember the first thing the guide asked was: “are the children allowed to see the Majas?” and my father said “of course”. He turned to him and said “the nude one as well?”. In other words, it was a very different museum. It was a very odd museum but for me, visiting a museum of that importance for the first time, I thought it amazing, despite all its limitations. Simply amazing, as did my brother who was two years younger than me. I will always be grateful to my parents who instilled us with a respect for art and also encouraged us to enjoy reading, which I think is fairly closely related and is essential.
Today the Museum is quite different. And that difference reflects all of us. I see it as a fundamental axis of our culture, of our identity as a people and of our respect for art.