Comillas Museum: the pride of more than one hundred years of history

Dozens of objects from the university have seen the light of day and are now on display at the Comillas Pontifical University Museum, which was inaugurated by the Mayor of Madrid and Comillas alumni, José Luis Martínez-Almeida. After unveiling a commemorative plaque, the Mayor of Madrid, accompanied by the Rector, Vice-Rectors and Heads of Service, took special interest in the documents and photographs on display, which show some of the people who have made history at the University.

"This space reminds us that there is a great work at Comillas Pontifical University, based on a mission that allows all of us who have passed through its classrooms to project ourselves into the future, always seeking the value of excellence and putting people at the centre. The memory of this university is inextricably linked to the city of Madrid. And undoubtedly, my life trajectory could not be understood without the training I received, not only from the point of view of legal knowledge but also of human values". The rector of the university, Enrique Sanz, SJ, noted: "This museum is the place of remembrance and inspiration of our history, and we want it to be a living part of the university."

There are many objects with historical relevance that the university kept and that were asking to be exhibited because they are the dormant voice of the history and values of the institution. Showing them to the university community also means "a tribute to the men and women who have brought us this far since the foundation of the university on 16 December 1892 in the Cantabrian town of Comillas, where it was born as a pontifical seminary thanks to the vision of the Jesuit Tomás Gómez Carral", said the Vice-Rector for Institutional Relations and General Secretary. It was Carral who convinced the first Marquis of Comillas, Antonio López, to finance the work, which would be continued by his son Claudio López Bru, second Marquis of Comillas.

The Comillas Museum also talks about the foundation in 1908 of the Catholic Institute of Arts and Industries (ICAI), a school for the training of workers that was financed by the Marquise of Comillas, Nicolasa Gallo-Alcántara, and of the Catholic Institute of Law and Business Administration (ICADE) in the 1950s, following in the wake of other business schools created by the Jesuits. Finally, in 1969, Pope Paul VI authorised the transfer of the university to Madrid and, in 1978, ICAI and ICADE became part of Comillas Pontifical University.

The entire university community is invited to come and learn about the history of Comillas. To this end, the museum will be open to the public every Wednesday from 12:30 to 13:30. For institutional visits, it is possible to make an appointment at museo@comillas.edu.