Carmela Arias y Díaz de Rábago

Category: Countess of Fenosa
Birth Date: 20th February 1920 (†27th october 2009)
Birth Place: A Coruña
 Curriculum

Her father was Vicente Arias de la Maza, grandson to Pedro de Agar y Bustillo. Her mother, Carmela Díaz de Rábago y Aguiar, was daughter to the great sociologist and economist Joaquín Díaz de Rábago y Díaz de Mier. She studied at Sagrado Corazón School in Barcelona. After the Spanish Civil War, she wanted to enter the Architecture School in Barcelona, but she caught a serious disease that lasted for about twenty years, until he was operated by Professor Kraffort in Stockholm in 1953. In December 1966, she married Pedro Barrié de la Maza y Pastor (his father’s cousin), constituting the Foundation with his name, giving over two thirds of his fortune and making his will in favour of the foundation. After his death in 1971, his wife became president of Banco Pastor and Pedro Barrié de la Maza Foundation. Owing to the special value of Pedro Barrié de la Maza Foundation, she also gave almost all her fortune to the foundation on 11th December 1981. On 27th September 2001, she resigned her post as president of Banco Pastor in favour of José María Arias Mosquera. Nowadays, she goes on being the president of Pedro Barrié de la Maza Foundation. On 5th May 1999, she nominated José María Arias Mosquera as successor for being president of Pedro Barrié de la Maza Foundation.

 Work & Activities

She is the honourable president of Unión Eléctrica Fenosa, president of the board of directors of Juana de Vega Patronage, honourable member of the World Organization for the Nursery Education and ex member of the ‘Real Patronato de Educación y Atención a Deficientes’. She was conferred an honorary degree at A Coruña University and awarded Fifth Juan Lladó Prize and the gold medals of St Fernando Academy of Fine Arts, Santiago de Compostela University, County Council of A Coruña, Spanish Association against Cancer, Chamber of Commerce of A Coruña, Cultural, Mercantile and Industrial Circle of Vigo, ‘Semana Verde de Silleda’, Castelao Medal (Xunta de Galicia) and the honourable medal of Menéndez Pelayo International University. She holds the ‘Gran Cruz de la Orden Civil de Beneficiencia’, ‘Medalla de Oro al Mérito Turístico’, the Red Cross gold badge, the gold badge of Albéniz Group and Pro Ecclesia et Pontifice Cross. She was also awarded the following distinctions: ‘Gallega del Año’, ‘Gran Cruz de la Orden del Mérito Militar’, ‘Dama de la Orden de Caballería del Santo Sepulcro de Jerusalén’, ‘Premio Montblanc de la Cultura’, honourable member of the Galician Science Academy and Nuestra Señora del Rosario Fine Art Academy, ‘Gran Cruz de Plata al Mérito con Distintivo Blanco de la Guardia Civil’, ‘Gran Cruz de la Orden de Isabel la Católica’, ‘Dama de la Orden de Caballeros de María Pita’, ‘Hija Predilecta de A Coruña’ and ‘Premio Casino de A Coruña’.