Overview
- The Xunta formally received the sculpture at the Museo Gaiás on Tuesday, with president Alfonso Rueda, culture officials and Asorey family members attending the reception.
- The regional government acquired 'Santa' from assets tied to the Casa de Galicia de Montevideo during that institution’s concursal liquidation in 2022–2023, reporting a purchase price of about €6,000 as part of a larger lot.
- Officials say the work was moved because changes to Museo Zorrilla’s exhibition narrative and collection management meant Uruguay could not guarantee the sculpture’s ideal contextualization and study.
- Curators and cultural authorities call 'Santa' a key piece in Francisco Asorey’s career and a potent symbol of Galician emigration, and its return coincides with the centenary of the sculpture’s first public presentation.
- The sculpture has been incorporated into Galicia’s public patrimony at the Cidade da Cultura and will be available for display in future exhibitions, a shift the Xunta frames as strengthening cultural visibility and tourism for the region.