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Antonio Gala Córdoba foundation: a whitewashed 17th-century convent cloister with an orange tree, stone arcades and a quiet garden path in soft morning light

Antonio Gala Chose Córdoba, and the City Kept Him

Born in Ciudad Real, Antonio Gala grew up in Córdoba and made it his home. Follow his plays, his foundation for young creators and the exhibition you can visit.

Portrait of Sophie Marchand
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Art history background with eight years writing interpretive content on Córdoba's Caliphal heritage.

Published
Modern Córdoba1808–today
The ashes of Antonio Gala lie in the garden of the foundation he built in a former convent in Córdoba, which is where he said he wanted to stay.[1][2] He was not born here but in Brazatortas, in Ciudad Real, and grew up in the city he championed all his life.[3] For a visitor, the way in to his Córdoba is not a monument but a permanent exhibition in that convent's chapter house.
Modern Córdoba1808–today
First stone of foundation
1998
Laid in the former Corpus Christi convent[13]
Calderón de la Barca prize
1963
His debut play premiered the same year[8]
Age at death in 2023
92 years
He died in Córdoba, where his ashes remain[22]

In this article

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A boy from Ciudad Real, brought up on Calle Nueva

Gala was born in 1930 in Brazatortas and raised in Córdoba, which is why the city calls him an adopted son and never a native one.[3] He studied with the Marist brothers of Córdoba before taking degrees at the universities of Seville and Madrid.[4]
His childhood address, he recalled, was Calle Nueva, where all of Córdoba seemed to pass by.[5] Later he credited the city's greatest building with shaping his life: it would have been very different, he said, if Córdoba did not keep its Mezquita as if in a jewel case.[6]
Interior of the Mezquita-Catedral de Córdoba with its iconic red-and-white arches and forest of columns

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The city returned the compliment. On 6 March 2008 he entered the Real Academia de Córdoba as an honorary member,[31] by which time he had been championing Córdoba in print for decades and his foundation had been open for six years. Prizes made him a national name, but the honours closest to his own account of himself were the local ones: the street he grew up on, the monument he thanked and the house he built for others.

Plays, prizes and a poet who sold

Gala started as a poet: Enemigo íntimo won an accésit of the Premio Adonáis in 1959,[7] two years after the Córdoba poets of Cántico closed their magazine.[42] The theatre made him a public figure. His first play, Los verdes campos del Edén, won the Premio Nacional Calderón de la Barca and premiered in 1963.[8]
Fiction came late and sold widely. His first novel, El manuscrito carmesí (1990), won the Premio Planeta,[9] and La pasión turca followed in 1993;[40] together they are his best-known books, with a readership far beyond Spain.[10] Vicente Aranda adapted La pasión turca for the cinema.[11]

500,000

Copies of Poemas de amor reportedly sold, the figure behind his title as best-selling living poet.[12]
The commercial surprise was his verse. Poemas de amor reportedly sold in the hundreds of thousands, enough to make him the best-selling living poet of his day.[12]
Córdoba kept returning in his prose. Beyond the plays and novels he wrote essays on Córdoba, Lorca, the theatre and Granada, and one on himself, Ahora hablaré de mí (2000).[32] His last book of poems, Desde el Sur te lo digo, appeared in 2019, when he was well into his eighties.[33] A career that runs from a 1959 poetry accésit to a 2019 collection is unusually long, and it explains why the city's tributes at his death spoke of a whole life's work and not of one famous title.

A convent turned into a gift of time

Gala laid the first stone of his foundation on 6 January 1998 in the former Corpus Christi convent, and the Fundación Antonio Gala para Jóvenes Creadores began its activities in 2002.[13][14] He gave the inaugural speech himself that year.[15] The restorations carried out by the foundation recovered one of the city's most beautiful convents.[16]
The original aim, with the help of Cajasur, was a residence for twenty-five Córdoba artists.[34] That scale shows how modest the plan was at the start: a local residence in a restored convent, not an international institution. After his death a family spokesperson could describe a house that welcomed young creators from all over the world.[24]

No teachers, only time

The foundation has no teachers. Residents receive masterclasses and visits from established creators who advise them.[17] Gala's own gift was practical: board, lodging and money to live on, which in effect gave young artists time to create.[18] Time is the scarce thing in an artist's twenties, and he paid for it. The arrangement turns the usual patronage story around: a literary prize rewards finished work, while this house pays for the stage before the work exists.

A motto from the Song of Songs

The house motto is a verse from the Song of Songs, Pone me ut signaculum super cor tuum, "Place me as a seal upon your heart".[19] In 2019 the foundation was directed by his nephew, José María Gala.[20] Entry is by application, and the current terms are on the foundation's website, fundacionantoniogala.org, not in an old listing.

The last years, the ashes and the legacy

Gala spent his last years living in the foundation's headquarters, the old Corpus Christi convent.[21] He died in Córdoba in 2023, aged 92.[22] His ashes were laid in the garden of the foundation,[1] as he had asked years earlier: they would fertilise its gardens, and he would stay in Córdoba.[2]
The wake was held in the foundation's auditorium, in the building where he had lived.[35] Córdoba's mayor called him an adopted son of the city who had probably carried its name in literature further and higher than any other writer from it.[23] A family spokesperson said the foundation was alive and would keep hosting young creators.[24]
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The estate keeps travelling. On 10 November 2026 the Instituto Cervantes' Caja de las Letras received a legacy of his, two neck scarves and a cane.[25] The legacy is a deposit, and box 1445 also holds manuscripts and the first editions of Enemigo íntimo, Los verdes campos del Edén and El manuscrito carmesí.[41]

Visiting Gala's Córdoba: the exhibition and the convent

The foundation lets visitors see a permanent exhibition, Recuerdos de Antonio Gala, in the Sala Capitular of the former convent.[26] It shows first editions, unpublished manuscripts, interviews, photographs, awards and personal objects,[27] and it opened in 2016.[28] Among the panels is his line on his walking sticks: "I do not collect walking sticks: I collect friends who give walking sticks."[29]
You reach the foundation through the Compás del Corpus Christi, an arcade with 17th-century frescoes, and a Roman mosaic presides over the former chapel, now the auditorium.[30] The foundation is a private house still doing its work, so it fits best as a short call around a morning at the Mezquita and not as the anchor of a day. The reward is the detail: handwriting, first editions and a few chosen objects tell you more about how he worked than any prize list.

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  • The address is Calle Ambrosio de Morales 20, 14003 Córdoba.[38]
  • Admission to both the permanent exhibition and the Espacio Gala hall is free.[37]
  • A Diputación de Córdoba listing gives the exhibition hours as Monday to Friday 12:00 to 14:00 and 18:00 to 20:00, and Saturday 12:00 to 14:00.[36] The listing is undated, so phone the foundation on (+34) 957 487 395 to confirm before you go; the email is info@fundacionantoniogala.org.[38][39]
  • Pair the visit with the Mezquita, the monument Gala said shaped his life.[43]
  • For the city's poetry today, the festival Cosmopoética began in 2004.[44]
Go for the objects: the manuscripts and the sticks turn a famous name into a person. Treat the visit as a call at a working house, not at a memorial, since the foundation still exists to host young creators.

Frequently asked questions

Who was Antonio Gala?
Antonio Gala (1930-2023) was a Spanish playwright, poet and novelist. His first play won the Calderón de la Barca prize in 1963,[8] and his first novel, El manuscrito carmesí, won the Premio Planeta in 1990.[9]

Was Antonio Gala born in Córdoba?
No. He was born in Brazatortas, in Ciudad Real, and raised in Córdoba, which treats him as an adopted son.[3][23]

Where are Antonio Gala's ashes?
In the garden of his foundation in Córdoba.[1]

Can you visit the Fundación Antonio Gala in Córdoba?
Yes. The permanent exhibition Recuerdos de Antonio Gala is in the Sala Capitular, at Calle Ambrosio de Morales 20.[26][38] Entry is free,[37] and a Diputación de Córdoba listing gives hours of Monday to Friday 12:00 to 14:00 and 18:00 to 20:00, Saturday 12:00 to 14:00.[36] Phone the foundation on (+34) 957 487 395 to confirm first.

When did the Fundación Antonio Gala open?
Gala laid the first stone on 6 January 1998, and the foundation began its activities in 2002.[13][14]

What does the foundation's motto mean?
Pone me ut signaculum super cor tuum is a verse from the Song of Songs, meaning "Place me as a seal upon your heart".[19]

Does the foundation still host young creators?
After his death a family spokesperson said it would keep hosting young creators.[24] Check fundacionantoniogala.org for current calls.

When and where did Antonio Gala die?
He died in Córdoba in 2023, aged 92.[22]

Sources

44 references Show
  1. lavozdelsur.es (opens in a new tab)

    “Las cenizas de Antonio Gala ya reposan en el jardín de su fundación en Córdoba”

  2. andalucia.org (opens in a new tab)

    “Cuando yo muera, mis cenizas, junto con las de la dama de otoño, servirán para fertilizar los jardines de mi fundación. Yo, me quedaré en Córdoba”

  3. cordopolis.eldiario.es (opens in a new tab)

    “Nacido en Brazatortas, Ciudad Real, en 1930, Antonio Gala se crió en Córdoba, la ciudad de la que siempre hizo bandera.”

  4. historia-hispanica.rah.es (opens in a new tab)

    “Estudió con los hermanos maristas de Córdoba y cursó estudios universitarios de varias licenciaturas en las Universidades de Sevilla y Madrid”

  5. andalucia.org (opens in a new tab)

    “De niño viví en la Calle Nueva. Toda Córdoba pasaba por aquella Calle Nueva.”

  6. andalucia.org (opens in a new tab)

    “Mi vida habría sido muy distinta si no se hubiese abierto y florecido en Córdoba, o si Córdoba no conservara, como un estuche, su Mezquita”

  7. cultura.gob.es (opens in a new tab)

    “Premio Adonáis de Poesía (Ediciones Rialp) en 1959 por Enemigo íntimo [Accésit]”

  8. historia-hispanica.rah.es (opens in a new tab)

    “En 1963 se produjo el hecho definitivo de obtener el Premio teatral “Calderón de la Barca” para su primera obra Los verdes campos del Edén, que se estrenó ese mismo año”

  9. letralia.com (opens in a new tab)

    “El manuscrito carmesí (1990), ganó el Premio Planeta. A ésta le siguieron otros títulos destacados como La pasión turca (1994)”

  10. cordopolis.eldiario.es (opens in a new tab)

    “El manuscrito carmesí, con el que ganó el premio Planeta, y La pasión turca son sus dos libros más conocidos, con los que alcanzó fama mundial.”

  11. cordobapedia.datta.capital (opens in a new tab)

    “La pasión turca, adaptada al cine por el conocido director español, Vicente Aranda.”

  12. andalucia.org (opens in a new tab)

    “De sus Poemas de amor se llegan a vender 500.000 ejemplares, lo que le convierte en el poeta vivo más vendido.”

  13. blogs.canalsur.es (opens in a new tab)

    “1998: 6 de enero. El escritor Antonio Gala coloca la primera piedra de la «Fundación Antonio Gala para jóvenes creadores», en el antiguo convento del Corpus Christi en Córdoba.”

  14. blogs.canalsur.es (opens in a new tab)

    “En 2002 inició sus actividades la Fundación.”

  15. letralia.com (opens in a new tab)

    “la copia del discurso de inauguración de la Fundación Antonio Gala que pronunció en 2002.”

  16. Turismo de Córdoba — Convento del corpus christi (opens in a new tab)

    “Las restauraciones llevadas a cabo por la Fundación Antonio Gala recuperaron para Córdoba uno de los más bellos conventos de la ciudad.”

  17. andalucia.org (opens in a new tab)

    “La fundación no tiene profesores, sino que los artistas reciben clases magistrales y la visita de creadores ya consagrados que les orientan y aconsejan.”

  18. cordopolis.eldiario.es (opens in a new tab)

    “ofreciéndoles casa, comida y dinero para vivir, sencillamente les regaló tiempo para poder crear.”

  19. fundacionantoniogala.org (opens in a new tab)

    ““Pone me ut signaculum super cor tuum”, “Ponme como un sello sobre tu corazón”.”

  20. eldiario.es (opens in a new tab)

    “Es su sobrino, José María Gala, quien dirige esta singular experiencia creativa.”

  21. cordopolis.eldiario.es (opens in a new tab)

    “Antonio Gala vivía en la sede de su fundación, en Córdoba, en el antiguo convento del Corpus Christi.”

  22. cordopolis.eldiario.es (opens in a new tab)

    “Gala ha muerto este domingo en Córdoba, después de años apartado de la vida pública. El poeta y novelista tenía 92 años.”

  23. cordopolis.eldiario.es (opens in a new tab)

    “Gala “seguramente haya llevado el nombre de Córdoba en la literatura más lejos y más alto” que cualquier otro escritor de la ciudad”

  24. lavozdelsur.es (opens in a new tab)

    “que sigue viva y que seguirá acogiendo a jóvenes creadores de todo el mundo”

  25. letralia.com (opens in a new tab)

    “recibió el martes 10 de noviembre un legado del escritor Antonio Gala (Brazatortas, 1930; Córdoba, 2023), compuesto por dos pañuelos de cuello y un bastón”

  26. Turismo de Córdoba — Fundacion antonio gala (opens in a new tab)

    “ofrece la posibilidad de realizar visitas a la exposición permanente Recuerdos de Antonio Gala, que se encuentra en su propia sede, justamente en la Sala Capitular del que antaño fue el convento del Corpus Christi.”

  27. Turismo de Córdoba — Fundacion antonio gala (opens in a new tab)

    “primeras ediciones de su obra, manuscritos inéditos, entrevistas, fotografías, premios y objetos personales del autor.”

  28. eldiario.es (opens in a new tab)

    “La muestra, que se inauguró en 2016, está ubicada en la Sala Capitular del convento”

  29. eldiario.es (opens in a new tab)

    “yo no colecciono bastones: colecciono amigos que regalan bastones.”

  30. Turismo de Córdoba — Fundacion antonio gala (opens in a new tab)

    “el visitante accede a la Fundación por el Compás del Corpus Christi, con una arcada con frescos del siglo XVII, y puede admirar el mosaico romano que preside la antigua capilla, hoy salón de actos.”

  31. cordobapedia.datta.capital (opens in a new tab)

    “El 6 de marzo de 2008 ingresa en la Real Academia de Córdoba como miembro de honor”

  32. eldiario.es (opens in a new tab)

    “Gala ha escrito ensayos sobre Córdoba, Lorca, el teatro, Granada y sobre él mismo en el famoso Ahora hablaré de mí (2000).”

  33. cordopolis.eldiario.es (opens in a new tab)

    “En 2019 publicó su último libro de poemas, titulado Desde el Sur te lo digo.”

  34. blogs.canalsur.es (opens in a new tab)

    “El objetivo de la Fundación era, con la ayuda de Cajasur, promocionar la residencia de veinticinco artistas cordobeses.”

  35. cordopolis.eldiario.es (opens in a new tab)

    “La capilla ardiente se instalará en el salón de actos de la Fundación Antonio Gala”

  36. juventud.dipucordoba.es (opens in a new tab)

    “Lunes a viernes de 12:00 a 14:00 y 18:00 a 20:00, sábados de 12:00 a 14:00”

  37. exposgala.com (opens in a new tab)

    “Dos espacios de acceso gratuito dedicados a lo que mejor sabemos hacer: apoyar y difundir la creación artística.”

  38. fundacionantoniogala.org — Contacto (opens in a new tab)

    “TEL: (+ 34) 957 487 395”

  39. fundacionantoniogala.org — Contacto (opens in a new tab)

    “info@fundacionantoniogala.org”

  40. Wikipedia — La pasión turca (novela) (opens in a new tab)

    “La pasión turca es una novela del escritor español Antonio Gala, publicada en 1993 por la Editorial Planeta.”

  41. fundacionantoniogala.org — La fundacion deposita un legado de antonio gala en la caja de las letras del instituto cervantes (opens in a new tab)

    “La caja 1445 ha sido la elegida para recibir unos manuscritos del autor, las primeras ediciones de los libros Enemigo íntimo, Los verdes campos del Edén y El manuscrito carmesí”

  42. Wikipedia — Grupo Cántico (opens in a new tab)

    “La revista Cántico tuvo dos épocas; la primera transcurrió entre 1947 y 1949, y la segunda entre 1954 y 1957.”

  43. andalucia.org (opens in a new tab)

    “que más ha influido en mí, elegiría sin dudarlo la Mezquita de Córdoba.”

  44. Wikipedia — Cosmopoética (opens in a new tab)

    “Cosmopoética es un festival literario y artístico que se celebra anualmente en Córdoba, España, desde 2004.”