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The Guardian - UK
The Guardian - UK
World
Sam Jones in Madrid

Spanish artwork seized by Franco regime returned to rightful owners

Left, José García-Velasco García, the president of the Francisco Giner de los Ríos Foundation, with the painting of Don Francisco Giner de los Ríos and Ernest Urtasun, Spain’s minister of culture.
José García-Velasco García (left), the president of the Francisco Giner de los Ríos Foundation, with the painting of Don Francisco Giner de los Ríos, and Ernest Urtasun, Spain’s minister for culture. Photograph: Ministry of Culture Spain

Spain’s culture ministry has begun to fulfil its promise to return more than 5,000 works of art that were taken by the Franco regime after restoring a painting seized by the dictatorship 84 years ago to its rightful owners.

In June, the ministry published an online list of more than 5,126 items plundered by the regime – including paintings, sculptures, jewellery, furniture and religious ornaments – to help people reclaim their family property almost a century after it was taken for safekeeping after the outbreak of the civil war.

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