Dear Ibero-American community:
The Iberarchivos Cooperation Programme regrets the recent loss of Dr. Vicenta Cortés Alonso, an outstanding professional, teacher and researcher, teacher of generations of archivists in Spain and Ibero-America, in short, an indisputable pillar of archival science worldwide.
Yesterday, 4 January at 13:00 hours, at almost 96 years of age, this great woman who was always committed to her work as an archivist breathed her last. That is why today we can say without a doubt that the Ibero-American archival community is in mourning.
Vicenta Alonso Cortés was a Doctor of Philosophy and Letters, History Section, from the Universities of Valencia and Madrid. In 1954, she joined the Faculty of Archivists, Librarians and Archaeologists, and her first post was in the General Archive of the Indies (1954-1957). Later, in 1962, he moved to the Archive of the Treasury Delegation and the Public Library of Huelva. From 1973 to 1984, he occupied the General Archives Inspectorate. In 1984, she became head of the Suppressed Councils Section of the National Historical Archive. As a teacher, she was the creator of the Course on Organisation and Administration of Historical Archives (1973-1992), thanks to an agreement with the OAS and the Spanish Ministries of Foreign Affairs and Education and Science. She retired in 1990.
The legacy she leaves us will always be remembered. Today we can only thank Vicenta for everything she taught us, for the great warmth and humility that always characterised her. Her legacy will remain in our professional work for generations.
We express our sincere condolences to her family and friends who today suffer this irreparable loss.
R.I.P. forever