Archive

This section was created in 1993 to conserve and make available for research family archives that were difficult to access. Through acquisition or by temporary deposit from the owner families, a database has been created comprising almost 100,000 described and digitised documents belonging to various archives whose chronological scope ranges from the 13th to the 21st century. The photographic collection is made up of the deposit of the graphic archives of the former Caja de Ahorros Municipal de Vitoria, Caja de Ahorros Provincial de Álava, and Caja Vital Kutxa, which in addition to its own events and activities, is a faithful reflection of Alava society since the end of the 19th century. The collection continues to grow and is completed with other private and domestic archives belonging to families and citizens who contribute to the study and knowledge of Basque and Alava's ethnography and history. 

Archives catalogue (Archinet)

These are private archives deposited mainly by renowned Basque families with economic and political power. Their subject matter is diverse: administration of family property, real estate, entailed estates, political posts, art, architecture, philology... In terms of the volume of documents per archive, there are from 12 documents in the Montoya family to almost 25,000 in the Yrizar family. Some of the family archives preserved and described by Sancho el Sabio Vital Fundazioa are: Marqués de Alameda, Saenz de Tejada, Ampuero, Yrízar, Munibe, Barroeta, Conde del Valle, Loma Osorio, Areyzaga Alduncín, Uriarte, Barroeta, Egaña, Montoya, Olarte, Plaza, Otazu o Talegón

Private archives of people who stand out for their research, professional work and/or their roots in the Basque Country, normally deposited by the interested parties themselves or by their families and heirs. Some of the most recently deposited personal archives are:

• Jesús Guridi
• Jesús Olaizola
• Ramón Jiménez ‘Zape
• Joaquín Jiménez
• Andoni Urrestarazu
• Azaola

2025 marks the 175th anniversary of the founding of the Caja de Ahorros Municipal de Vitoria. Its archives tell the story of the Obra Social: there is no economic, social, cultural or political aspect of the recent history of Alava and Vitoria in which one of the local savings banks has not been involved. Sancho el Sabio Vital Fundazioa preserves, describes and digitalises the following private banking archives (restricted access):

• Caja Vital Archive: Caja Municipal, Caja Provincial and Caja Vital, Archive of the Federation of Basque-Navarre Savings Banks, Photographic archive of the 3 savings banks of Álava, Bilbao Bizkaia Kutxa Photographic archive

From different social movements, political parties, newspapers, religious institutions, schools,... These are private archives on Basque or Alava-related subjects, deposited by people, groups and organisations with roots in the territory:

• Archive of the Religiosas Brígidas, Archive of the Communist Party of the Basque Country (restricted consultation), Basque-Navarran Basque Railway Photo Library, Prefecture of Urabá, Largacha Ironworks, Archives of Basque photographers