The Ontinyent City Council has introduced a new website for its municipal archive, allowing users to navigate and consult a wealth of digitised documents. The launch was announced by Maria Àngels Moreno, the councillor responsible for the archive, during a press conference.
This initiative, developed throughout 2026 with a municipal budget of €30,000, aims to make decades of digitised materials accessible to the public. The website, www.arxiumunicipal.ontinyent.es, is designed to grow over time with new materials and features a custom design that incorporates symbolic elements from the archive.
Moreno expressed her enthusiasm, stating, “Today we proudly present the Municipal Archive website of Ontinyent. This space addresses a historical debt to the people of Ontinyent and the research community. We have taken on the responsibility of making this website a reality, which required extensive coordination and testing. While the archive has been digitising materials for decades, it was essential to ensure that the documentation was consultable.”
Currently, the website hosts 57,342 documents and 736 images, organised into 559 categories. Users can search by dates, subjects, or signatures, adhering to the ISAD(G) international standard for archival description. Among the available materials are the minutes books from 1707 to 1982, totalling 104 volumes, as well as a collection of stereoscopic images, glass plates, and historical photographs. Notably, the archive also includes documentation from the Tribunal of Political Responsibilities, a Francoist judicial body established to persecute dissenters, with a total of 325 case files from the Ontinyent court.
Moreno highlighted that the website is designed to be user-friendly and personalised. The search function is framed by illustrations of two characters from the Court of Justice, including the Angel Bobo from 1635 and Ratolineta from 1692, with animations created for the launch. The website's logo features an illustrated reproduction of the lesser seal of King Jaume I, which dates back to 1250 and confirms the rights of Ontinyent's residents.
The interactive website also includes a section for unidentified documents, allowing users to contribute any information they may have, which can be added to the document's record. All documents are accessible through navigation, and a watermark identifies the archive. To download documents, users must create a profile and accept the download conditions. Higher quality downloads may require a request to archive staff, ensuring the protection of document ownership while facilitating user access.
Vicent Terol, director of the Municipal Archive, explained the digitisation process that led to the website's creation. The archive began digitising materials in 1998 to preserve documentation, prioritising the most vulnerable and frequently consulted documents. He noted that advancements in digitisation standards necessitated updates and restoration efforts to protect deteriorating materials.
Moreno concluded by inviting the public to explore Ontinyent's rich cultural heritage through this new resource, stating, “Today marks a fundamental step in dignifying, disseminating, and valuing the Municipal Archive of Ontinyent. I sincerely thank everyone who made this website possible and the dedication of archive staff over the decades. This work now shines a light on our legacy for the entire community.”
