Fray Francisco Coello de Portugal (Jaén, 1926), Fray Curro for those close to him, died in Madrid on the 16th, at the age of 87. Author of the Dominican convent in Barañáin and of the high school de la presentation in Villava, also for the Dominicans, with him disappears one of the most brilliant architects that in the 50's were formed in Spain. Priest and Dominican, he was the author of a very long and little known career in the field of religious architecture and the Education, with almost four hundred works spread all over the world. Among them are, in addition to those already mentioned, his first work, the Sanctuary of the Virgen del Camino in León (1957-61); the schools of Nuestra Señora de la Paz and Sagrados Corazones in Torrelavega (1964-65); the San Martín de Porres theologate in Armilla (Granada, 1962); the convent of Santa Catalina de Siena in Alcobendas (1966); or the convent of Santo Domingo el Real (1965), at 141 Claudio Coello Street in Madrid, where he lived and kept his studio open and in full activity. He also died there.

This tremendous activity and his frank kindness have been two of the most marked traits of his personality. When so many global-architects abound in our times, it is important to discover figures like Coello, who has developed a fruitful work as an architect and has been able to combine it with the demanding work derived from his status as a Dominican, which, although it has kept him away from the spotlight of specialized criticism, has not kept him from the unanimous praise of his many clients, captivated by his smile and his tireless vocation of service that has led him to move all over Spain and travel all over the world.

It is difficult to find a Spanish province without one of his works. But he has also built in France, England, Portugal, Italy, Greece...Also in America -Costa Rica, Curaçao, Colombia, Puerto Rico, Guatemala, Dominican Republic, Nicaragua, Venezuela or Mexico-; Asia -Taiwan or Korea-; or Africa -Angola, Mozambique, South Africa and Ivory Coast-. A resume, in short, more typical of a global-architect of the world's star system than of a little-known architect from the capital.

His death, surrounded by the affection of his brothers, his many nephews and nieces, and his colleagues in the Order of Preachers, only two months after that of Javier Carvajal -another classmate from the class of 1953, probably the most brilliant of his generation, and one of his great friends-, leaves us an exemplary bequest of service to God, to architecture and to society.