Female voices echo from the Archives of the Crown of Aragon 

The Exhibition: Female Voices – 900 Years in the Documents of the Archive of the Crown of Aragon 

In December 2022, the Archive of the Crown of Aragon (ACA) marked a historic milestone: the centenary of Áurea Javierre’s incorporation into its staff as the institution’s first female archivist. To commemorate this occasion, and in line with the ongoing efforts of the Ministry of Culture, the General Subdirectorate of State Archives and its affiliated centres to highlight women’s documentary and scientific heritage, the ACA launched a powerful exhibition: Female Voices – 900 Years in the Documents of the Archive of the Crown of Aragon. 

More than a tribute, Female Voices is a collective act of recognition and remembrance. It aligns with a broader initiative by the State Archives to shed light on the work of women researchers from 1900 to 1970, aiming to foreground the role of women in science throughout the 20th century. 

The exhibition showcases nearly sixty documents from the ACA’s collections, capturing the voices of women across nine centuries and all walks of life—from the 11th to the 19th century. You’ll find testimonies of religious women, landowners, labourers, witches, professionals, imprisoned women, and ailing princesses. Some speak from moments of danger, illness, or injustice; others from the intimacy of wills, where they remember their female friends. Each record gives presence to women often left out of the historical narrative—allowing their words to echo through time. 

Duration of the Exhibition: December 2024 – September 2025 

Location: Exhibition hall of the Palace of the Viceroys (C. Comtes 2) 

Opening Hours: From Tuesday to Sunday from 10:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. 

Free access

More than an exhibition: a movement

The ACA didn’t stop at the gallery doors. A rich programme of parallel events has deepened the public’s engagement with women’s history. 

• Academic sessions: Over 1,000 people (and counting) have watched sessions from From the Archive to the Writing of History: 50 years of historiography around women, featuring experts such as Montserrat Cabré, Gemma Colesanti, and Núria Silleras. Their work has expanded our understanding of women’s agency, power, and intellectual production. 

• Music sessions: In March, audiences were swept away by They are chimeras, a concert exploring how women have been idealised (or erased) in operatic history. The voice of soprano Kimhïyo Nakako breathed life into these roles—real and imagined. 

Discover the women who made history—and those who wrote it 

Whether you’re a historian, a music lover, or simply curious about the untold stories of European women, Female Voices offers something for everyone.