Jordi Gussinyer Collection

Jordi Gussinyer i Alfonso (Banyoles, 1929–2018) was an architect, archaeologist, and anthropologist, renowned for his expertise in the pre-Columbian civilisations of Mesoamerica, particularly the Maya and Mexica cultures.

After the Spanish Civil War, Gussinyer’s family went into exile in Mexico, where he studied architecture and archaeology at UNAM and ENAH. He contributed to the construction of the Mexico City Metro and played a key role in significant archaeological excavations, including the La Angostura project in Chiapas, where he later served as director of the INAH Centre before returning to Catalonia.

In 1978, he joined the University of Barcelona as a professor, a position he held until his retirement in 1999. His research focused on both indigenous and colonial religious architecture. He was a regular contributor to leading academic journals and is the author of the influential work Los aztecas, un pueblo de guerreros (UB, 1984).

In 2020, the Humanities Library of the UAB received part of his personal collection, which includes nearly 1,500 documents on archaeology, art, and the colonial history of the Americas. This valuable donation was made possible through the collaboration of Maria Dolors Dilmé Ros and Professor Victòria Solanilla.

Collection incorporation date: 2020

Depositary library: Humanities Library