We are used to finding Juan Roig’s fortune in the lists of richest people in Spain. However, it is not so common to find his wife, Hortensia Herrero, on this type of list, who, as a partner and vice president of the main Spanish supermarket chainalso treasures an important heritage, not so much in economic value (that too) but in its artistic value.
Specifically, Herrero has been included in the list of 200 biggest collectors internationally according to the prestigious magazine ARTnews. The role of Juan Roig’s wife as a patron of art was not well known despite the fact that she has been investing in works of art of great artistic value for more than a decade. The magazine highlights her status as “a prominent Spanish patron and philanthropist, married to Juan Roig, known for her commitment to the conservation of Valencian cultural heritage.”
The beginning of a great passion. Hortensia Herrero has been intensely dedicated to art collecting since 2013. As and how does it count Herrero herself, her interest in art arose after a visit to Dallas to the opening of the exhibition “Sorolla and America” where she met its curator, Javier Molins.
It was at that moment when he decided to dedicate time and resources to this hobby, which over the years became a true passion supervised by Molins, who has served as a mentor and expert consultant. Since then, his dedication has been constant, visiting exhibitions and searching for the best works for his collection, which has allowed him to build a high-level selection recognized internationally.
Your own art gallery. Since 2023, the co-owner of Mercadona manages the Hortensia Herrero Art Center (CAHH) in Valencia, which is a national reference. The exhibition center is located in the historic Valeriola Palace in Valencia, currently offers 3,500 square meters dedicated to contemporary art and houses more than 100 works by nearly 50 recognized artists, both national and international. “Who was going to tell me that this love of painting, which began at the age of 14, would end up becoming a passion that has led to the construction of this art center, now offered for Valencians and visitors to enjoy,” said the patron. on the web from the center.
The project involved an investment of more than 40 million euros and has had the objective of bringing contemporary art closer to Valencians and visitors, stimulating dialogue between historical heritage and modernity. This commitment has allowed him to share a position on the list of the largest collectors of ARTnews alongside world figures such as Bernard Arnault, François Pinault, Jeff Bezos or investors Larry Fink (BlackRock) and Kenneth Griffin.
It’s not just “love of art.” Beyond artistic interest, art continues to be one of the most profitable investments for great fortunes. This is confirmed in the report “The Wealth Report” prepared by the consulting firm Knight Frank. During 2023, the price of works of art worldwide increased by 11%, while luxury items such as jewelry rose by 8% and watches by 5%. On the contrary, collector cars fell 6% in their valuation.
In the long term, art has experienced a cumulative growth of 105% in the last decade. These data reveal not only the taste and passion of great collectors like Herrero, but also the financial strategy that art represents among the main international investors.
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Image | Wikimedia Commons (Jlafuentesanchez)
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