Albert Velasco and the Sixena case under discussion in the Periodicals Room

The Humanities Library and the Faculty of Arts and Humanities continue to promote research dissemination and academic output with a new session in the book presentation series jointly launched this academic year. The second event in the programme will take place on Wednesday 27 May 2026, from 1 pm to 3 pm, in the Periodicals Room of the Faculty of Arts and Humanities.

The session will focus on The Paintings of Sixena: A Fire That Still Burns, published by Pòrtic in March 2026. Its author, Albert Velasco, art historian, curator and lecturer at the University of Lleida, offers a clear and rigorous examination of one of the most controversial heritage debates of recent years.

The book analyses the case of the Sixena mural paintings within a context of intense judicial and institutional tension, highlighting the extreme fragility of the works and the risks that their relocation could entail. Velasco argues that heritage conservation should take precedence over any other consideration.

The work also provides further insight into the origins of the Museu Nacional d’Art de Catalunya through one of the most important treasures of European Romanesque painting from the 12th and 13th centuries.

The event will begin with an institutional introduction by Carles Sànchez, Vice-Dean for Communication at the Faculty of Arts and Humanities. This will be followed by a round-table discussion featuring Albert Velasco; Jesús Brufal, lecturer in the Department of Antiquity and Middle Ages Studies at the UAB; and Carles Sànchez himself, lecturer in the Department of Art History and Musicology.

With this series, the Humanities Library and the Faculty of Arts and Humanities aim to establish a stable space for sharing and showcasing research, fostering debate and the exchange of knowledge within the university community.

The event is open to the entire university community.