Pedro Duro Benito (1810–1886) was an important Spanish businessman of the 19th century; founder of the industrial group Duro Felguera and a pioneer of ironworking in

Spain , image_flag = Bandera de España.svg , image_coat = Escudo de España (mazonado).svg , national_motto = '' Plus ultra'' (Latin)(English: "Further Beyond") , national_anthem = (English: "Royal March") , ...

Biography

Duro was born in Brieva de Cameros,

La Rioja La Rioja () is an autonomous community and province in Spain, in the north of the Iberian Peninsula. Its capital is Logroño. Other cities and towns in the province include Calahorra, Arnedo, Alfaro, Haro, Santo Domingo de la Calzada, and ...

, and he died in the

Principality of Asturias Asturias (, ; ast, Asturies ), officially the Principality of Asturias ( es, Principado de Asturias; ast, Principáu d'Asturies; Galician-Asturian: ''Principao d'Asturias''), is an autonomous community in northwest Spain. It is coextensive ...

in 1886. He began construction on the Felguera Factory in 1857; a metallurgical factory that became the most important in Spain in the 19th century, and through the 20th century until the 1960s. It was the first major ironworks that were constructed in Spain. His descendants were created ''Marquesses of La Felguera'' by King

Alfonso XIII Alfonso XIII (17 May 1886 – 28 February 1941), also known as El Africano or the African, was King of Spain from 17 May 1886 to 14 April 1931, when the Second Spanish Republic was proclaimed. He was a monarch from birth as his father, Al ...

. In addition, Duro was awarded the

Order of Isabella the Catholic The Order of Isabella the Catholic ( es, Orden de Isabel la Católica) is a Spanish civil order and honor granted to persons and institutions in recognition of extraordinary services to the homeland or the promotion of international relations a ...

and the

Légion d'honneur The National Order of the Legion of Honour (french: Ordre national de la Légion d'honneur), formerly the Royal Order of the Legion of Honour ('), is the highest French order of merit, both military and civil. Established in 1802 by Napoleon ...

from the French government. He was buried in La Felguera, where the workers of his factory raised a big monument. He was also a pioneer in social measures for workers. His work motivated, in addition, industrial expansion in the north of Spain. Today the company that he created is called "Duro Felguera" and it has been traded on the Spanish

stock exchange A stock exchange, securities exchange, or bourse is an exchange where stockbrokers and traders can buy and sell securities, such as shares of stock, bonds and other financial instruments. Stock exchanges may also provide facilities for the ...

since 1902.
Duro Felguera website.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Duro, Pedro 1811 births 1886 deaths 19th-century Spanish businesspeople People from Langreo People from La Rioja

Biography

Further reading

References