Institució Catalana de Genealogia i Heràldica

Institució Catalana de Genealogia i Heràldica, commonly known as ICGenHer, is a Catalan research institution and specialist publishing house devoted to genealogy, heraldry, nobility, family history, historical documentation, and palaeography. It combines research, publication, education, and professional or community-oriented knowledge sharing rather than operating as a conventional consumer brand. Its activities address people seeking to reconstruct family histories, scholars studying Catalan and Iberian lineages, specialists in heraldic practice, and readers interested in noble, royal, territorial, and documentary history. The institution was founded on 24 October 2007 by Armand de Fluvià i Escorsa, who is identified as its president. Fluvià is also among the authors whose work ICGenHer has published, giving the organization a strong connection to the Catalan genealogical and heraldic tradition. Its publishing program includes manuals, monographs, compilations of articles, archival studies, and shorter booklets. Topics represented in the catalog include practical genealogy, heraldic terminology and blazon, Catalan nobility, the history of particular houses and lineages, the interpretation of national and territorial symbols, and debates concerning historical identity and the authenticity of noble claims. One of the institution's notable publications is Who Were My Ancestors?: New Handbook of Genealogy, issued in 2009 by Armand de Fluvià i Escorsa, Antoni Pladevall i Font, and Ignasi Ametlla i Guxens. The work presents genealogy as a structured historical activity and helps position ICGenHer as an educational as well as scholarly publisher. Later publications expanded into heraldic technique, Catalan nobility, archival family histories, and questions surrounding Catalan identity and historical interpretation. The institution has also published or co-published works by authors including Antoni Pladevall i Font, Jordi Mestres i López, Esteve Canyameres, Francesc Albardaner i Llorens, and Pedro Moreno y Meyerhoff. Education is another part of ICGenHer's remit. The organization organizes courses dealing with genealogy, heraldry, nobility, family and genealogical documentation, and palaeography. These subjects require the interpretation of historical records, names, seals, coats of arms, and documentary conventions, so the institution's course offering complements its books and research output. Its magazine, Armoria, provides an additional publication channel for material related to heraldic and genealogical study. In October 2018, ICGenHer became a member of the Confédération Internationale de Généalogie et d'Héraldique. Through that affiliation it participates in an international professional and scholarly network and maintains correspondents in different parts of the world. This broadened its connections beyond Catalonia while preserving its principal cultural and research focus on Catalan and related Iberian genealogical and heraldic subjects. Public reference material does not establish a corporate parent, listed status, financial scale, or a specific headquarters address.

ICGenHer was established on 24 October 2007 by Armand de Fluvià i Escorsa as a Catalan institution devoted to genealogy and heraldry. From its beginning, its scope extended beyond the study of family trees. The organization also addressed noble and royal lineages, coats of arms and blazon, family archives, historical documentation, and palaeography. This combination positioned it between a specialist research center, an educational organization, and a publishing house. The institution's publishing activity developed around practical manuals, historical studies, archival investigations, and essays on identity and symbolic traditions. Its 2009 publication Who Were My Ancestors?: New Handbook of Genealogy, written by Fluvià together with Antoni Pladevall i Font and Ignasi Ametlla i Guxens, served as an accessible introduction to genealogical work. It presented family-history research as a disciplined historical practice requiring documentary analysis rather than merely the collection of names and dates. During the following years, ICGenHer broadened its catalog. Publications addressed genealogy as a form of popular culture connected with land, houses, and occupations; heraldic method and blazon; Catalan nobility; the history of individual noble families; and the interpretation of Catalan symbols. Its list also included works examining contested or polemical historical claims, such as the Catalanity of Christopher Columbus and alleged noble fabrications. Other books concentrated on specific archival or dynastic subjects, including the Cruïlles de Peratallada archive and the House of Híjar. The organization has published works by, or in collaboration with, a range of Catalan and Iberian authors. These include Antoni Pladevall i Font, Ignasi Ametlla i Guxens, Jordi Mestres i López, Esteve Canyameres, Francesc Albardaner i Llorens, Pedro Moreno y Meyerhoff, Josep Maria Salrach i Marès, Francesc Cabana i Vancells, and others. It has also issued shorter booklets on national symbols, territorial heraldry, noble forgery, and particular lineages. This output reflects an interest in both public education and specialist debate. Alongside books and booklets, ICGenHer publishes Armoria, a magazine associated with heraldic and genealogical research. It also organizes courses in genealogy, heraldry, nobility, genealogical documentation, and palaeography. These educational activities support the practical skills needed to read older records, assess lineage claims, understand heraldic conventions, and reconstruct family histories from archival evidence. A significant institutional development occurred in October 2018, when ICGenHer joined the Confédération Internationale de Généalogie et d'Héraldique. Membership connected the Catalan organization with an international network of genealogical and heraldic bodies and correspondents. The affiliation reflects the institution's engagement with a wider field while its publishing and educational program remains strongly associated with Catalan history and culture. Available reference material does not identify a parent company, public listing, financial figures, or a confirmed headquarters address.

• 2018

  International confederation membership

  [1]ICGenHeren.wikipedia.org

  In October 2018, ICGenHer became a member of the Confédération Internationale de Généalogie et d'Héraldique and participated in its international network.

• 2016

  Catalan General Nobiliary published

  [1]ICGenHeren.wikipedia.org

  ICGenHer published Catalan General Nobiliary, associated with Armand de Fluvià i Escorsa, Josep Maria Salrach i Marès, and Francesc Cabana i Vancells.

• 2012

  Manual of Catalan nobility published

  [1]ICGenHeren.wikipedia.org

  Armand de Fluvià i Escorsa's Manual of Catalan Nobility was published through the institution's specialist catalog.

• 2011

  Heraldry manual co-published

  [1]ICGenHeren.wikipedia.org

  The institution co-published Manual of Heraldry and Blazon Technique with Editorial Galerada, expanding its practical reference publishing in heraldic studies.

• 2009

  New genealogy handbook published

  [1]ICGenHeren.wikipedia.org

  ICGenHer published Who Were My Ancestors?: New Handbook of Genealogy, one of the institution's notable educational and publishing projects.

• 2007

  Institution founded

  [1]ICGenHeren.wikipedia.org

  Armand de Fluvià i Escorsa founded ICGenHer on 24 October 2007 as a Catalan institution focused on genealogy, heraldry, nobility, family documentation, and palaeography.

A Catalan specialist institution that combines genealogical and heraldic research, historical publishing, and education, with particular emphasis on family documentation, nobility, lineage, and Catalan historical identity.

• Specialist magazine

  Armoria

  Armoria is ICGenHer's specialist magazine associated with genealogy, heraldry, nobility, and related historical research. It provides a continuing publication format alongside the institution's books and shorter monographs.

• Genealogy handbook · 2009

  Who Were My Ancestors?: New Handbook of Genealogy

  Published in 2009 by Armand de Fluvià i Escorsa, Antoni Pladevall i Font, and Ignasi Ametlla i Guxens, this handbook presents genealogy as a practical historical discipline. It is described as one of ICGenHer's notable publishing successes and supports the institution's educational mission.

• Heraldry manual · 2011

  Manual of Heraldry and Blazon Technique

  This 2011 manual by Armand de Fluvià i Escorsa addresses heraldic method and blazon technique. ICGenHer co-published it with Editorial Galerada, adding a practical reference work to its program of specialist publications.

• Nobility reference · 2012

  Manual of Catalan Nobility

  Published in 2012, this work by Armand de Fluvià i Escorsa focuses on Catalan nobility and forms part of ICGenHer's effort to document noble institutions, lineages, and historical status within a Catalan context.

• Genealogical and heraldic reference · 2016

  Catalan General Nobiliary

  This 2016 publication, associated with Armand de Fluvià i Escorsa, Josep Maria Salrach i Marès, and Francesc Cabana i Vancells, presents a broad reference treatment of Catalan noble lineages and related historical material.

• Educational program

  Genealogy, Heraldry, and Palaeography Courses

  ICGenHer organizes courses covering genealogy, heraldry, nobility, genealogical documentation, and palaeography. The program is intended to develop the skills required to interpret historical records, investigate family origins, understand coats of arms, and evaluate lineage documentation.

1. 1ICGenHeren.wikipedia.org
2. 2Institució Catalana de Genealogia i Heràldica official websiteicgenher.cat