Pedro Duro

Who was Pedro Duro?

Pedro Duro Benito was an important Spanish businessman of the 19th century, founder of current industrial group Duro Felguera and impeller of the siderurgy in Spain.

Duro was born in Brieva de Cameros, La Rioja, in 1810 and he died in the Principality of Asturias in 1886. He began in 1857 to construct Felguera Factory, a metallurgical factory that managed to be the most important of Spain in the 19th century, and also during part of the 20th up to the decade of 1960. It was, in addition, the first "big siderurgy" that was constructed in Spain. His descendants were nominated Marquesses of La Felguera by the king Alfonso XIII. In addition, Duro obtained Isabel The Catolich's Cross and decoration of Légion d'honneur of the French government. He was buried in La Felguera, where the workers of his factory raised a big monument. He was pioneering in social measures for the workers. His work motivated, in addition, the industrial expansion in the north of Spain. Today the company that he created is called "Duro Felguera" and it quotes in the Spanish stock exchange since 1902.