Seminar: The Long History of the Foro: The Epic Story of Property in Galicia on the Centenary of the Decree on the Redemption of the Forum

On Friday 26 June at 9.30 am in the University Auditorium (Faculty of Geography and History, 1st floor), the seminar ‘The Long History of the Foro: The Epic of Property in Galicia on the Centenary of the Decree on the Redemption of the Foro’ will take place, organised by the HISTAGRA Group in collaboration with the Faculty of Geography and History and CISPAC. To mark the centenary of the 1926 law on the redemption of foro, we are taking this opportunity to provide a historical overview of this system of property ownership so characteristic of Galicia.

In addition, we will be celebrating the 20th anniversary of the HISTAGRA Group with a short exhibition in the cloister on the first floor of the Faculty of Geography and History.

From 9.30 am to 2.30 pm, various specialists will take part in round-table discussions focusing on the evolution of the foro throughout history, from the Middle Ages to the present day.

The seminar programme is as follows:

The Foro in Medieval and Modern Galicia 9.30–11.00

Moderator: Ramón Villares Paz

Fernando López Alsina

Pegerto Saavedra

Vitor Manuel Migues Rodriguez

Rubén Castro Redondo

11:00–11:30 Break

From the Foro to Landowning Peasants in Contemporary Galicia. 11:30–13:00

Moderator: Lourenzo Fernández Prieto

Ramón Villares Paz

Aurora Artiaga Rego

Pilar López Rodríguez

Xesús Balboa López

Miguel Cabo Villaverde

What remains of the agrarian question after the Foro? 13:00–14:30

Moderator: Miguel Cabo Villaverde

Ana Cabana Iglesia

Alba Díaz Geada

David Soto Fernández

Lourenzo Fernández Prieto

About the event:

If there is one historical event in the contemporary history of Galicia that deserves to be called an epic, it is the attainment of full ownership of the land, which culminated in the decree of regional redemption of 26 June 1926, but which was in fact the result of a long, complex and conflict-ridden process in which the peasantry played a central role. Moreover, the history of the ‘foro’ is much longer and just as interesting as the redemption process itself. This institution, which originated in the Middle Ages and developed throughout the modern era, played a central role in shaping the organic agrarian system in Galicia and in the social and economic relations among the various groups that made up Galician society. To mark the symbolic centenary, we wish to take this opportunity to review the work carried out on the subject by several generations of history professionals, reflect on its historiographical relevance, and debate whether or not the agrarian question remains relevant following the attainment of property rights.  We would also like to take this opportunity to mark the twentieth anniversary of the founding of the HISTAGRA group, ‘Agrarian and Political History of the Rural World: 19th and 20th Centuries’, a collective that emerged from the generation of contemporary historians led by Ramón Villares, for whom the agrarian question was a central concern. We would also like to take this opportunity to acknowledge the intensive work carried out in the areas of Medieval and Modern History at the USC. All this research has provided Galician agrarian historiography with a solid body of knowledge that is internationally recognised.

Details:

Title: The Long History of the ‘foro’: The Epic of Property in Galicia on the Centenary of the Decree on the Redemption of the ‘foro’ 

Date: 9.30 am–2.30 pm

Venue: University Lecture Theatre, Faculty of Geography and History, 1st floor.

Organised by: HISTAGRA Group

In collaboration with: Faculty of Geography and History and CISPAC