Fundación Archivo de Indianos

The Fundación Archivo de Indianos (Foundation Archive of the Indianos) is a private cultural foundation based in Colombres, in the municipality of Ribadedeva, Asturias, Spain. It was constituted on 22 May 1987 and is classified as a charitable cultural foundation for promotion. It was promoted by the Principality of Asturias, the Caja de Ahorros de Asturias (Asturias Savings Bank), and the University of Oviedo. Its mission is to recover, organize, and study all types of documentation related to Asturian and Spanish emigration to the Americas during the 19th and 20th centuries, to create a museum as a permanent tribute to that emigration, and to turn the Quinta Guadalupe into a social and cultural meeting space for Spaniards, Asturians, and emigrants and their descendants. The foundation operates from the Quinta Guadalupe, a grand indiano house built in 1906 by the emigrant to Mexico Iñigo Noriega Laso and named in honor of his wife. The building itself is a key part of the foundation's heritage, representing the architectural legacy of returning emigrants who had made their fortunes in the Americas. The foundation has two distinct areas: an archive and a museum. The archive is a specialized library on immigration and a repository that gathers information from regional houses (casas regionales) in the Americas. The Museum of Emigration displays objects, letters, photographs, and other items related to the phenomenon of emigration. The foundation's documentary and museum collections were assembled slowly over the years. In October 2012, journalist Gregorio Morán, who used to spend summers in Colombres, published a newspaper article denouncing that the building was practically empty. Since then, the situation appears to have improved substantially. Today the Fundación Archivo de Indianos serves as a cultural reference point in Asturias, offering exhibitions, research facilities, and a venue for events that commemorate the ties between Spain and Latin America.

The Fundación Archivo de Indianos was constituted on 22 May 1987 as a private cultural foundation, promoted by the Principality of Asturias, the Caja de Ahorros de Asturias, and the University of Oviedo. It was established with the aim of recovering, organizing, and studying documentation related to Asturian and Spanish emigration to the Americas during the 19th and 20th centuries, and to create a museum as a permanent tribute to that emigration. The foundation is headquartered in the Quinta Guadalupe, a house built in 1906 by Iñigo Noriega Laso, an Asturian emigrant who made his fortune in Mexico. The house was named in honor of his wife. This building is a prime example of the architecture of the "indianos"—returning emigrants who had amassed wealth in the Americas and built grand residences upon their return to Spain. Over the years, the foundation slowly gathered its documentary and museum collections. In October 2012, journalist Gregorio Morán, who summered in Colombres, published an article criticizing the museum as being practically empty. This negative publicity highlighted the challenges the foundation faced in developing its exhibits and archives. However, subsequent efforts appear to have substantially improved the situation, and the foundation now operates a museum and archive that serve as important resources for the study of emigration. The foundation has two main areas: the archive, which includes a specialized library on immigration and a collection of information from regional houses in the Americas; and the Museum of Emigration, which displays objects, letters, photographs, and other materials related to the emigration phenomenon. The foundation also aims to make the Quinta Guadalupe a social and cultural meeting space for Spaniards, Asturians, and emigrants and their descendants.

• 2012

  Journalist Gregorio Morán publishes article criticizing the museum as practically empty.

• 1987

  Foundation constituted on 22 May by the Principality of Asturias, Caja de Ahorros de Asturias, and University of Oviedo.

• 1906

  Construction of the Quinta Guadalupe by Iñigo Noriega Laso.

A cultural foundation and museum dedicated to preserving and studying the history of Spanish and Asturian emigration to the Americas, housed in a historic indiano mansion.

• Archivo (Archive)

  A specialized library on immigration and an archive that gathers information from regional houses in the Americas.

• Museo de la Emigración (Museum of Emigration)

  Displays objects, letters, photographs, and other items related to the phenomenon of emigration.

1. 1Fundación Archivo de Indianos - Museo de la Emigración - Inicioarchivodeindianos.es
2. 2Fundación Archivo de Indianos - Wikipedia, la enciclopedia librees.wikipedia.org
3. 3Fundación Archivo de Indianos - Wikidatawikidata.org