Basque library

Fundación Sancho el Sabio Vital Fundazioa is one of the most important documentation centres in the world in terms of Basque culture, part of the Vital Foundations (also comprising Fundación Vital Fundazioa, Fundación Estadio Vital Fundazioa, Fundación Idiomas Vital Fundazioa and Fundación Bancaria Vital-Vital Banku Fundazioa). It preserves the bibliographic and documentary memory of the Basque people through its history and its library contains, since 1964, a valuable collection of documents in which you can find monographs, periodicals, photographs, manuscripts, maps or family documentation; an important wealth of heritage that has made it an obligatory point of reference for research into Basque culture.

History

1955 The Sancho el Sabio Institution began its activity on the initiative of the then Caja de Ahorros Municipal de la Ciudad de Vitoria (Vitoria Municipal Savings Bank).

1989 In this year, the Sancho el Sabio Institution became a legal entity in its own right under the name of Fundación Sancho el Sabio.

1990-1991 The Caja de Ahorros de Vitoria y Alava (Caja Vital Kutxa) is created. The Sancho el Sabio Foundation moves to the Zulueta Palace

2009 Current headquarters of the Foundation, at Portal de Betoño 23, with new objectives to disseminate Basque culture through new technologies.

The team

 
Management and Administration
  • Jesús Zubiaga Valdivielso
    Technical director
  • Cristina Gareta Díez
    Deputy technical director
Administration
  • Inmaculada Valencia Rama
    General administration and acquisitions
  • José Martínez Viñaspre
    Reception
Information and Reference Service
  • Begoña Iriondo Altuna
    Serials and special collections
  • Gurutze Arana Barandiaran
    Ancient and modern books
  • Rafael Resines Pradera
    Documentary and photo archive
Document Retrieval and Scanning Service
  • Elvira Otero Franco
  • David San Vicente Esteban

Vital Foundation

Sancho el Sabio Foundation is one of the Vital Foundations
 
The Vital Fundazioa Foundation is heir to the more than 175 years of history of the Alava savings banks and the recognised work of its Social Work. As a leading institution in Vitoria and Alava, it manages programmes of a welfare, training and educational, cultural and sporting nature, in favour of research and innovation and care for the environmental and historical heritage of the Historical Territory of Alava, from a solidarity and contemporary perspective, promoting the welfare and social, economic and cultural progress of its inhabitants.
 
As a Vital Foundation, the Sancho el Sabio Foundation is governed by the following governing and representative bodies:
 
BOARD OF TRUSTEE
President
Jon Urresti García
Vice-president
María Camino Morán Santos
Members
Gotzon Mirena Azkarraga Rodero
Miren Lourdes Bilbao Larrauri
Ana Díaz de Zugazua Salazar
Joaquín Esteban Sánchez
Silvia García de Garayo Díaz
Luis Ernesto García Ozaeta
Miguel Ángel Gómez de Arteche Ezquerra
Antonia Herraiz Mallebrera
Andoni Lorenzo Garmendia
Juan Enrique Martínez Ruiz
Alberto Roth Azcárraga
María Covadonga Solaguren Santamaría
Adelina Uriarte Gonzalo-Bilbao
 
EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE
President
Joaquín Esteban Sánchez
Members
Gotzon Mirena Azkarraga Rodero
Ana Díaz de Zugazua Salazar
Andoni Lorenzo Garmendia
Juan Enrique Martínez Ruiz
Director
Jesús Zubiaga Valdivielso