Spain restores Franco-era statues to Santiago museum and empties Meirás estate

The city of Santiago de Compostela announced that the two medieval statues of Abraham and Isaac, attributed to the 12th‑century sculptor Mestre Mateo, will be permanently installed in the new wing of the Museo do Pobo Galego. After seven decades of ownership by the Franco family, the works were returned following a Supreme Court ruling that affirmed municipal title and a participatory decision led by mayor Goretti Sanmartín.

In the neighbouring province of A Coruña, the Franco family began removing more than 400 pieces of furniture and decorative items from the Meirás palace in Sada. The removal follows a Civil Chamber judgment that the estate has been state property since 1938, prompting the Ministry of Democratic Memory to label the operation an "expolio". Scaffolding was erected for the transfer, and the state suspended public visits to allow the work to proceed. Both actions are part of a broader effort to recover assets seized during the Franco dictatorship and restore them to public institutions.