Juana de Vega Foundation

The Fundación Juana de Vega (Juana de Vega Foundation) is a Spanish non-profit organisation based in Galicia, constituted in 1872 by the testamentary wish of the writer Juana María de la Vega Martínez y Losada, widow of the military officer and politician Francisco Espoz y Mina and Countess of Espoz y Mina. She donated all her assets to the foundation with the aim of creating a theoretical and practical agricultural school. Because it did not receive support from other public institutions, the foundation changed its founding objectives in 1970, and in 1992 it reached agreements with the University of A Coruña to carry out agricultural and research projects. Today the foundation operates as a private, non-profit entity that promotes scientific knowledge, with a strong focus on agronomy, rural development, landscape, and agricultural innovation in Galicia. It coordinates and participates in European Union-backed Operational Groups under the EIP-AGRI framework. A prominent example is the Grupo Operativo Oliveiras de Galicia (Olivos de Galicia), which the foundation coordinates and which aims to develop and optimise ad hoc techniques — classic cutting (estaquillado clásico) and in vitro micropropagation — for the large-scale multiplication of 11 native Galician olive varieties, including Brava galega, Mansa galega, Brétema, Carapucho, Carmeliña, Folgueira, Maruxiña, Susiña, Hedreira and Xoana. In June 2026, the foundation represented the Grupo Operativo Oliveiras de Galicia at a European Union CAP Network study visit (cross-visit) organised by AEI-Agri / EIP-Agri, hosted in Galicia and focused on plant genetic resources. The event brought together EIP-AGRI Operational Group projects from across Europe to share practical experience and compare approaches. The foundation also maintains a public-facing awards programme. Its prizes include the Premio de Arquitectura Juana de Vega (created in 2004, with a prize of 6,000 euros), the Premio Juana de Vega de Intervenciones en el Paisaje, and the Premio Juana de Vega para Investigadores Jóvenes (created in 2008, also with a prize of 6,000 euros). Its governing patronato has been presided over by Enrique Sáez Ponte since 2003, with Vicente Arias Mosquera as vice-president and Ricardo García Seijo as secretary, alongside a board of vocales including Ramón Villares Paz, Mª Teresa Miras Portugal, Roberto Tojeiro Rodríguez, Mª María Dolores Fernández Vázquez, José Luis Macía Sarmiento and Teresa Táboas Veleiro.

The Fundación Juana de Vega was constituted in 1872 by the testamentary wish of the writer Juana María de la Vega Martínez y Losada, widow of the military officer and politician Francisco Espoz y Mina (who died in 1836) and Countess of Espoz y Mina. She donated all her assets to the foundation with the explicit aim of creating a theoretical and practical agricultural school. This makes the foundation one of the older philanthropic-agricultural institutions in Galicia, rooted in nineteenth-century rural improvement ideals. Because the foundation did not receive support from other public institutions, in 1970 it changed its founding objectives. In 1992 it reached agreements with the University of A Coruña to put agricultural and research projects into practice. Over the following decades the foundation consolidated its role as a promoter of scientific knowledge, agronomy and rural development in Galicia, and it became active in European innovation networks. By the 2020s the foundation was coordinating and participating in EIP-AGRI Operational Groups. Its Grupo Operativo Oliveiras de Galicia (also referred to as Olivos de Galicia) works to develop and optimise ad hoc techniques — classic cutting (estaquillado clásico) and in vitro micropropagation — for the large-scale multiplication of 11 native Galician olive varieties: Brava galega and Mansa galega, Brétema, Carapucho, Carmeliña, Folgueira, Maruxiña, Susiña, Hedreira, Xoana and others. In June 2026, the consortium of the Grupo Operativo Oliveiras de Galicia hosted a European Union CAP Network study visit (cross-visit) organised by AEI-Agri / EIP-Agri, the European Association for Innovation in agricultural productivity and sustainability. The cross-visit gathered EIP-AGRI Operational Group projects from across Europe to share practical experience, compare approaches and inspire new ideas on plant genetic resources. The event in Galicia resulted from the candidacy submitted earlier that year by the Oliveiras de Galicia consortium to an open process launched by AEI-Agri for Operational Groups across Europe, and the Fundación Juana de Vega represented the group it coordinates. Alongside its project work, the foundation has built a recognised awards programme. The Premio de Arquitectura Juana de Vega was created in 2004 with a prize of 6,000 euros; the Premio Juana de Vega de Intervenciones en el Paisaje recognises landscape interventions; and the Premio Juana de Vega para Investigadores Jóvenes, created in 2008, also carries a prize of 6,000 euros. The foundation is governed by a patronato whose president has been Enrique Sáez Ponte since 2003, with Vicente Arias Mosquera as vice-president and Ricardo García Seijo as secretary, and vocales including Ramón Villares Paz, Mª Teresa Miras Portugal, Roberto Tojeiro Rodríguez, Mª María Dolores Fernández Vázquez, José Luis Macía Sarmiento and Teresa Táboas Veleiro.

• 2026

  The foundation represented the Grupo Operativo Oliveiras de Galicia at an EU CAP Network cross-visit on plant genetic resources hosted in Galicia.

• 2008

  Creation of the Premio Juana de Vega para Investigadores Jóvenes, with a prize of 6,000 euros.

• 2004

  Creation of the Premio de Arquitectura Juana de Vega, with a prize of 6,000 euros.

• 2003

  Enrique Sáez Ponte became president of the foundation's patronato.

• 1992

  Agreements reached with the University of A Coruña to implement agricultural and research projects.

• 1970

  The foundation changed its founding objectives after failing to obtain support from other public institutions.

• 1872

  Foundation constituted by the testamentary wish of Juana María de la Vega Martínez y Losada, Countess of Espoz y Mina, to create a theoretical and practical agricultural school.

A historic Galician non-profit foundation dedicated to scientific knowledge and agricultural innovation, acting as a coordinator of EU-backed Operational Groups and a grantor of awards in architecture, landscape and research.

• Grupo Operativo Oliveiras de Galicia

  An EIP-AGRI Operational Group coordinated by the foundation, aiming to optimise classic cutting and in vitro micropropagation for large-scale multiplication of 11 native Galician olive varieties.

• Premio de Arquitectura Juana de Vega

  Architecture prize created in 2004 with a prize of 6,000 euros.

• Premio Juana de Vega de Intervenciones en el Paisaje

  Award for landscape interventions.

• Premio Juana de Vega para Investigadores Jóvenes

  Prize for young researchers created in 2008 with a prize of 6,000 euros.

1. 1Galicia convértese en punto de encontro europeo sobre recursos xenéticos vexetais durante unha visita de estudo da Rede PAC da Unión Europea no marco do Grupo Operativo Oliveiras de Galiciajuanadevega.org
2. 2Galicia se convierte en punto de encuentro europeo sobre recursos genéticos vegetales durante una visita de estudio de la Red PAC de la Unión Europea en el marco del Grupo Operativo Oliveiras de Galiciajuanadevega.org
3. 3Fundación Juana de Vegawikidata.org
4. 4Fundación Juana de Vegaes.wikipedia.org