Rubí Sanz Gamo
{{short description|Spanish museum curator (1952–2025)}}
{{use dmy dates|date=May 2025}}
{{Infobox scholar
| name = Rubí Eulalia Sanz Gamo
| image = File:Museo Arqueológico Nacional - Rubí Sanz Gamo 01.jpg|
| caption = Sanz Gamo in 2019
| birth_date = {{Birth date|1952|6|12|df=y}}
| birth_place = Madrid, Spain
| death_date = {{Death date and age|2025|5|16|1952|6|12|df=y}}
| death_place = Albacete, Spain
| awards =
| alma_mater = Complutense University of Madrid (BA)
University of Alicante (PhD)
| thesis_title = Cultura ibérica y romanización en tierras de Albacete: los siglos de transición
| thesis_year = 1996
| workplaces = Museo de Albacete; Museo Arqueológico Nacional; Government of Castilla–La Mancha
| notable_works =
| nationality = Spanish
}}
Rubí Eulalia Sanz Gamo (12 June 1952 – 16 May 2025) was a Spanish art historian, museum curator, and public administrator.{{cite news |date=16 May 2025 |title=Muere Rubí Sanz, la gran dama del Museo de Albacete |url=https://cadenaser.com/castillalamancha/2025/05/16/muere-rubi-sanz-la-gran-dama-del-museo-de-albacete-radio-albacete/ |access-date=26 May 2025 |work=Cadena SER |language=es}} She was known for directing the Museo de Albacete for more than three decades and the Museo Arqueológico Nacional (MAN) between 2004 and 2010. She also served briefly as regional minister of Culture in Castilla–La Mancha and sat on numerous Spanish and international heritage bodies.{{cite web |title=Rubí Sanz Gamo |url=https://www.iealbacetenses.com/es/0/407/Rubi-Sanz-Gamo.html |access-date=26 May 2025 |website=Instituto de Estudios Albacetenses |language=es}}
Early life and education
Sanz Gamo was born on 12 June 1952 in Madrid. After completing secondary school locally, she studied art history at the Complutense University of Madrid, graduating in 1974. She earned a doctorate in history from the University of Alicante in 1996 with a thesis on the transition from Iberian to Roman culture in the province of Albacete, published the following year as Cultura ibérica y romanización en tierras de Albacete: los siglos de transición.{{cite web |date=21 May 2025 |title=Fallece la Dra. Rubí Sanz Gamo, académica fundadora y miembro de la Sección de Arqueología y Patrimonio |url=https://academiacienciassocialeshumanidades.es/blog/fallece-rubi-sanz-exconsejera-de-cultura-de-castilla-la-mancha-y-exdirectora-del-museo-arqueologico-nacional |access-date=26 May 2025 |website=Academia de Ciencias Sociales y Humanidades de Castilla-La Mancha |language=es}}
Career
Fresh from postgraduate study, Sanz Gamo tutored at the UNED centre in Albacete (1976–1984) before passing the state examination to join the Corps of Museum Conservators in 1986. Between 1983 and 2004 she was director of the Museum of Albacete and the director of the National Archaeological Museum (MAN) between 2004 and 2010.{{Cite web |date=2004-11-10 |title=Rubí Sanz Gamo, nueva directora del Museo Arqueológico Nacional |url=https://www.lavozdegalicia.es/noticia/television/2004/11/10/rubi-sanz-gamo-nueva-directora-museo-arqueologico-nacional/0003_3194900.htm |access-date=2025-05-26 |website=La Voz de Galicia |language=es}}
In August 1999, the regional president José Bono appointed her Consejera de Cultura (minister of Culture); although she stepped down in March 2000, she laid the groundwork for the network of archaeological parks in Castilla-La Mancha.{{cite news |date=16 May 2025 |title=Fallece Rubí Sanz, exconsejera de Cultura de Castilla-La Mancha y exdirectora del Museo Arqueológico Nacional |url=https://www.eldiario.es/castilla-la-mancha/provincias/albacete/fallece-rubi-sanz-fuera-consejera-cultura-castilla-mancha-directora-museo-arqueologico-nacional_1_12304254.html |access-date=26 May 2025 |work=ElDiario.es |language=es}}
The Ministry of Culture recruited her in December 2004 to lead the Museo Arqueológico Nacional. During a six-year mandate, she launched the museum’s architectural and museographic overhaul and curated the emblematic show Tesoros del MAN. In 2008, she publicly defended the state's custodianship of the Dama de Elche, arguing that public heritage "should not be fragmented".{{cite news |date=8 July 2008 |title=La directora del Museo Arqueológico rechaza el regreso de la Dama de Elche |url=https://elpais.com/diario/2008/07/08/cvalenciana/1215544680_850215.html |access-date=26 May 2025 |work=El País |language=es}} She also sat on bodies such as the Junta Superior de Museos and the patronatos of Altamira and Lázaro Galdiano.
After returning to Albacete in 2011, she completed her career at the provincial museum. In parallel, she continued scholarly work, advising the Centro Botín exhibition Picasso Íbero (2021) alongside leading Iberian-art specialists.{{cite news |date=27 November 2020 |title="Picasso íbero", protagonista de las exposiciones del Centro Botín en 2021 |url=https://www.abc.es/cultura/abci-picasso-ibero-protagonista-exposiciones-centro-botin-2021-202011271348_noticia.html |access-date=26 May 2025 |work=ABC |language=es}}
She died on 16 May 2025 in Albacete.{{Cite web |last=elDiarioclm.es |date=2025-05-16 |title=Fallece Rubí Sanz, exconsejera de Cultura de Castilla-La Mancha y exdirectora del Museo Arqueológico Nacional |url=https://www.eldiario.es/castilla-la-mancha/provincias/albacete/fallece-rubi-sanz-fuera-consejera-cultura-castilla-mancha-directora-museo-arqueologico-nacional_1_12304254.html |access-date=2025-05-26 |website=ElDiario.es |language=es}}
Awards and honours
Sanz Gamo received the Medalla al Mérito Cultural Extraordinario de Castilla-La Mancha in 2022, the Premio Rotary Club Albacete in 2012,{{cite news |date=25 May 2012 |title=Rubí Sanz: «Este premio contribuye a aumentar mi responsabilidad» |url=https://www.latribunadealbacete.es/noticia/z01146ca8-d00f-396e-b80148e820e77a9d/201205/rubi-sanz-este-premio-contribuye-a-aumentar-mi-responsabilidad |access-date=26 May 2025 |work=La Tribuna de Albacete |language=es}} the Premio Pablo Iglesias awarded by the Albacete branch of the PSOE in 2024,{{cite news |date=13 September 2024 |title=El PSOE reconoce con el ‘Premio Pablo Iglesias’ a Jesús Eguiguren, Aurora Zárate y Rubí Sanz |url=https://www.lacerca.com/noticias/albacete/psoe-premio-pablo-iglesias-aurora-zarate-rubi-sanz-731282-1.html |access-date=26 May 2025 |work=La Cerca |language=es}} and the 2023 Prize of the Archaeology and Heritage Section of the regional Academy.
She was also a corresponding member of the German Archaeological Institute (2007), the Real Academia de la Historia (2000) and the Real Academia de Bellas Artes de San Fernando (1990).
References
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Category:20th-century Spanish historians
Category:21st-century Spanish historians
Category:University of Alicante alumni