The aim of the El Greco 2014 Foundation is to commemorate the Fourth Centenary of the Death of the painter, on 7th April 1614 in Toledo, the city where he chose to live during the most fruitful years of his artistic career.

These commemorations must become a veritable city-wide project that makes Toledo a true European Cultural Capital in 2014, effectively recovering the status it enjoyed in El Greco's time. The results of our endeavours should also have a long-lasting impact, in which respect we should not be distracted by ephemeral measures, however stunning they might seem at first.

The Fourth Centenary must transcend the year 2014, enriching Toledo as a city and encouraging a wider awareness of El Greco and his work.

The staging of the Fourth Centenary commemorations will also offer Toledo the opportunity to present its exceptional cultural attractions, in renewed guise and based on a vocation of excellence, by means of a project based on the artistic potential of an artist of El Greco's considerable stature.

This project is open to collaborative measures on the part of other countries, as well as all and any contributions made by different sections of society that help to enrich the overall outcome.

The Greek of Toledo, as he was known in his own time, was an immigrant who never learned to master the Spanish language, who always signed his work with Greek characters and who maintained the nickname of his nation of origin.

Nevertheless, he became the most universal inhabitant of Toledo of all time and a veritable icon of the city's identity. The symbolic value of his achievements for men and women today transcends the genius of his art and even has an important social dimension.

His work fell into obscurity when he died, until it was rediscovered in the mid-nineteenth century, during a process of rehabilitation that reached its climax with the avant-garde movements of the early twentieth century, as reflected in the numerous works that are exhibited today in leading museums and collections around the world.

Since then, El Greco has been the subject of constant interest and attention, as witnessed by the numerous exhibitions that have been organised around his work.

However, Toledo has never paid homage to the artist in the way he undoubtedly deserves, which is somewhat surprising given that El Greco reached the summit of his artistic career in Toledo and because Toledo is the only place where his works are preserved at the original venues for which they were created.

With the help of all, together we shall make this exciting venture a reality.

                                                                                                                                               Gregorio Marañón

                                                                                                                              President of the El Greco 2014 Foundation