Arxiu Comarcal de la Garrotxa
About the institution
The Garrotxa District Archive (ACGAX) was founded in 1983 as a result of the agreement signed between Olot Town Council and the Catalan Government Ministry of Culture. At first it was located on the ground floor of the former hospice in the town centre, opened in 1987. In 2001 it moved to the west wing of the same building's second floor. On 16 March 2012, however, it moved into new, purpose-built premises in Puig del Roser, also in the town centre. The building was designed by the architects Joan and Isabel Rodon.
In 2009 the Catalan Government Ministry of Culture, Garrotxa District Council and Olot Town Council signed a collaboration agreement about the joint administration of Garrotxa District Archive in order to facilitate its smooth running and enable it to fulfil its legally-established aims regarding its local and district archival and documentary activities.
The Garrotxa District Archive contains the Olot Town Council's municipal collection, dating back to the 16th century, almost 5,000 Olot District notarial protocols, dating back to the 13th century, and various institutional collections from the district's associations, companies, ecclesiastical and historical archives, as well as those of private individuals. It also contains various documentary collections of posters and other ephemera and more than 120,000 images. It has a specialised local history library and a newspaper archive that includes 500 titles from the district.
The Garrotxa District Archive administers the Ernest Lluch Grant for Social and Human Sciences, which is announced each year by Olot Town Council and published in the journal, Estudis Històrics de la Garrotxa, published annually, and the district's cultural heritage bulletin, El Cartipàs, published monthly.
