Joaquín Díaz Foundation

The Fundación Joaquín Díaz (Joaquín Díaz Foundation) is a private, non-profit cultural entity based in Urueña, in the province of Valladolid, Spain. It operates under the auspices of the Diputación de Valladolid (the provincial council) and is chiefly devoted to the appreciation, study and dissemination of the heritage handed down by tradition. Its work spans folklore, ethnography, traditional music, oral history and popular literature, and it maintains extensive collections of engravings, chapbooks (literatura de cordel), books, sound recordings and musical instruments. The foundation grew out of the Centro Etnográfico Joaquín Díaz, established in 1985, when the folklorist Joaquín Díaz offered his personal collections so that they could be exhibited in an 18th-century house owned by the provincial council in the town of Urueña. That building was inaugurated in March 1991. The foundation itself was formally created in 1994, consolidating the ethnographic centre into a permanent institution open to researchers, tourists and the general public. Today the foundation is a cultural hub in Urueña, a historic walled town often associated with books and heritage. It hosts conferences, concerts, exhibitions and award ceremonies, and publishes a range of materials, including the long-running Revista de Folklore, didactic works on traditional culture, and the periodical Parpalacio. Its website provides access to oral, written and graphic archives, and the foundation continues to honour its founder, Joaquín Díaz, whose complete works are featured among its collections. The foundation's board of trustees (Patronos) includes the Diputación de Valladolid, anchoring it within local public cultural policy while retaining its private, non-profit legal character.

The Fundación Joaquín Díaz traces its origins to the Centro Etnográfico Joaquín Díaz, founded in 1985. The driving force was the folklorist Joaquín Díaz, who offered his personal collections — engravings of costumes, chapbook literature (literatura de cordel), a library, a sound archive and musical instruments — so that they could be exhibited in a large 18th-century house owned by the Diputación de Valladolid in the town of Urueña. That building was inaugurated in March 1991 and opened to research, tourism and the curious public. In 1994 the foundation was formally created, building on the ethnographic centre. It was established as a private, non-profit cultural entity whose principal aim is to contribute to the appreciation and dissemination of the heritage left by tradition. The foundation is linked to the Diputación de Valladolid, which is among its patrons (Patronos) and owns the 18th-century building that serves as its headquarters. Over the decades the foundation has developed a broad programme of activities: conferences, concerts, exhibitions, awards and publications. It publishes the Revista de Folklore, a periodical that has reached hundreds of issues, as well as didactic materials on traditional culture and the journal Parpalacio. Its collections and archives — oral, written and graphic — are made available for consultation, and its website serves as a gateway to these resources. The foundation also honours its founder: Joaquín Díaz's complete works are presented among its collections, and his recognitions, such as the Premio Internacional Armando Reverón and his appointment as Honorary Academician of the Real Academia de Bellas Artes de San Fernando, are highlighted in its news. The foundation remains active in Urueña, a town known for its heritage and book culture, and continues to host events such as the Fondifolk gatherings and the annual awards of the Asociación de Amigos de la Fundación Joaquín Díaz.

• 1994

  The Fundación Joaquín Díaz is formally created from the ethnographic centre.

• 1991

  The 18th-century building in Urueña housing the collections is inaugurated in March.

• 1985

  The Centro Etnográfico Joaquín Díaz is founded.

A non-profit cultural foundation and ethnographic centre preserving and promoting traditional Spanish culture, based in Urueña and supported by the Diputación de Valladolid.

• Revista de Folklore

  A long-running periodical on folklore published by the foundation.

• Temas Didácticos de Cultura Tradicional

  Didactic publications on traditional culture.

• Parpalacio

  A periodical published by the foundation.

• Joaquín Díaz complete works

  The complete works of the founder, featured among the foundation's collections.

1. 1Fundación Joaquín Díaz official websitefunjdiaz.net
2. 2Fundación Joaquín Díaz on Wikidatawikidata.org
3. 3Fondation Joaquín Díaz on French Wikipediafr.wikipedia.org