Mª Concepción García Gainza was the first Spanish professor of Art History. PHOTO: Manuel Castells

"I have tried to repay, albeit modestly, how much I have received from this rich and diverse land where I was born, and I have done so by researching its heritage, disseminating its knowledge and making society aware of its value and the need for its conservation". This was stated by Professor Mª Concepción García Gainza, during the tribute that the University of Navarra organized in her honor.

The event was attended by Juan Ramón Corpas, Minister of Culture and Tourism, who read the speech on behalf of the acting president of the Government of Navarre, Miguel Sanz: "Although art is a universal heritage," he said, "it is also a local heritage, since it defines the identity, concerns and concerns of each people in each era. In this sense, Navarre owes much to Doña Concha".

The President, Ángel J. Gómez-Montoro, expressed the recognition and gratitude of the university corporation to this professor, "of whose extensive, intense, brilliant and fruitful teaching, the University feels very honored and proud". He also highlighted her character as "a pioneering woman in Spain, in the world of Art History, a field reserved for men until well into the seventies of the last century".

For his part, Santiago Aurell, Dean of the School of Philosophy and Letters, spoke of "his ability to deepen the relationship between the University and the civil society of Navarre", while Ricardo Fernández Gracia, director of the department of Art History, pointed out that "this department is, in its current reality, a product of his teaching, of his human and scientific reality".

'PVLCHRVM. Scripta Varia in honorem Mª Concepción García Gainza'.

Ricardo Fernández, Ángel J. Gómez Montoro, Mª Concepción García Gainza, Juan Ramón Corpas and Santiago Aurell.

Photo: Manuel Castells

During the tribute, she was presented with submission of the work PVLCHRVM. Scripta Varia in honorem Mª Concepción García Gainza, a volume coordinated by Ricardo Fernández Gracia, in which 97 authors from 24 universities, 5 museums and 8 cultural and academic institutions participated.

Mª Concepción García Gainza was the first Spanish professor of Art History and is currently professor emeritus of department of Art History at the University of Navarra, where she started teaching in 1962. She has published several monographs and a large issue number of articles in specialized journals on Spanish Renaissance and Baroque art, and has participated as speaker in national and international congresses. His programs of study focuses on the history of Italian and Spanish sculpture of the 16th, 17th and 18th centuries.

She has also been director and co-author of the Monumental Catalog of Navarra, consisting of 9 volumes (Pamplona 1980-1997), which includes the artistic heritage of Navarra in its entirety; and promoted the Chair de Patrimonio y Arte Navarro, which she now presides.

In 2000, she was awarded the award Príncipe de Viana de la Cultura by Prince Felipe de Borbón. She was also the first woman to obtain this award. She has also been a promoter and founding member of the Ateneo Navarro; corresponding academic of the Real Academia de Bellas Artes de San Fernando in Madrid and of the Academia de Santa Isabel de Hungría in Seville; and member of the committee advisor of several specialized magazines, such as file Español de Arte (CSIC), Artigrama (University of Zaragoza), and laboratory de Arte (University of Seville).

The event was attended by Victor Nieto, member of the Academy of San Fernando and Full Professor of the UNED; Isabel Álvaro Zamora, from the Spanish Art History committee (CEHA); as well as professors from the universities of the Basque Country, Burgos, Complutense de Madrid, Zaragoza, UPNA and UNED. In addition, endorsements to the tribute have been received from the Prince of Asturias and Viana; from the Academies of San Fernando and History; from the CEHA; from Alberto Catalán, president of the Parliament; from Enrique Maya, mayor of Pamplona; from other politicians such as Román Felones and Yolanda Barcina; and from numerous Spanish and foreign universities, among others.