{"id":346940,"date":"2025-10-24T18:00:54","date_gmt":"2025-10-24T22:00:54","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.decorilla.com\/online-decorating\/?p=346940"},"modified":"2025-10-29T13:18:54","modified_gmt":"2025-10-29T17:18:54","slug":"hortensia-herrero-foundation","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.decorilla.com\/online-decorating\/hortensia-herrero-foundation\/","title":{"rendered":"Hortensia Herrero Foundation at the Forefront of Valencia’s Cultural Renaissance"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
\"Hortensia
Hortensia Herrero Art Center exhibition; image courtesy: CAHH<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

In the heart of Valencia, where medieval artisans once shaped the city’s cultural identity, a remarkable transformation is underway. The Hortensia Herrero Foundation, established in 2012, has been breathing new life into centuries-old monuments while positioning Valencia as a contemporary art destination worthy of international acclaim.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A Personal Mission Made Public<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n
\"Hortensia
Hortensia Herrero; image courtesy: CAHH<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

The story begins with Hortensia Herrero herself, vice president and partial owner of one of Spain’s largest grocery chains. Her collector’s passion has evolved into something far more ambitious: a comprehensive vision for cultural revival that touches every corner of Valencian society, from children with special needs practicing ballet to tourists discovering world-class contemporary art in a meticulously restored 17th-century palace.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Artist:
Hortensia Herrero Art Center installation Tunnel for Unfolding Time<\/em> by Olafur Eliasson, photo courtesy of Decorilla<\/a><\/strong><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

What distinguishes the Hortensia Herrero Foundation<\/a> from many cultural institutions is its deeply personal nature. As the Foundation’s sole patron, Herrero channels her philanthropic vision through three carefully chosen pillars: the restoration of artistic and cultural heritage, dance, and contemporary art. This trinity reflects not just strategic planning but a genuine passion for sharing transformative cultural experiences with society.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Hortensia
Hortensia Herrero Art Center installations; Das schwarzbraune Lied<\/em> (left) and B\u00fcndel<\/em> (right) by Georg Baselitz, photo courtesy of Decorilla<\/a><\/strong><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

“The ultimate goal is always to bring art and culture closer to the public and to help make Valencia a cultural benchmark,” the Foundation states, but this modest declaration understates the scope of what has been achieved in just over a decade. It also represents a model Herrero encountered during her 2013 visit to Dallas for the opening of “Sorolla and America.” There, she witnessed firsthand the transformative power of giving back to society what it has given you.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Crown Jewel: A Palace of Paradoxes<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n
\"Palacio
Palacio Valeriola; image courtesy: Fundaci\u00f3n Hortensia Herrero<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

The Hortensia Herrero Art Centre (CAHH)<\/a>, which opened in 2023, exemplifies the Foundation’s ability to weave together past and present in ways that feel surprising yet inevitable. The \u20ac40 million transformation of the ruined Palacio Valeriola into a 3,500-square-meter contemporary art space took over five years to complete. Still, the true marvel lies in what was discovered along the way.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Palacio
Palacio Valeriola restoration phases; image courtesy: Fundaci\u00f3n Hortensia Herrero<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

As ERRE Arquitectura, the Valencia-based studio led by Herrero’s daughter Amparo Roig and Jos\u00e9 Mart\u00ed, began their work, they unearthed layer upon layer of history: remnants of a Roman circus complete with the skull of a sacrificed horse, an 11th-century Islamic patio with an eight-pointed fountain, a medieval oven containing fish bones and eggshells, and traces of the former Jewish quarter. Rather than treating these treasures as obstacles or isolating them in separate displays, they created a fluid dialogue between epochs.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Palacio
Palacio Valeriola restoration; image courtesy: CAHH<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

This archaeological re-inscription became the foundation for a contemporary art center. Inside it, Mat Collishaw’s LED installation plays off the actual Roman circus remains, depicting galloping horses. Jaume Plensa’s steel alphabets create a second skin that celebrates linguistic diversity on ancient walls. Alongside, Tom\u00e1s Saraceno’s colored glass clouds cast a rainbow of light onto centuries-old brick.<\/p>\n\n\n

\n \n