A Fonsagrada, in Lugo, inaugurated the Centro Cultural Forges in early July 2026. Spain’s first museum dedicated to the renowned cartoonist Antonio Fraguas de Pablo, known as Forges, pays tribute to his enduring connection to his father’s homeland and his commitment to social issues in Spain and abroad. By 21 October, it had welcomed more than 2,500 visitors.
The museum occupies the former town hall, a building dating to 1845 that had stood unused for more than a decade before its conversion. Architects Adrián López Rancaño and Daniel Gómez Magide completed the restoration in 2024. They retained the building’s interior courtyard and created open exhibition spaces. The work also improved accessibility and energy efficiency. Chestnut from the nearby Madefón sawmill and local labour were part of the project. The architects described the centre as conceived “in and for A Fonsagrada.”
Forges’ father emigrated from A Fonsagrada to Madrid, but Forges maintained strong ties with the village throughout his life. He contributed artwork to local events, designing posters for festivals and gastronomy fairs without charge. Many residents still keep his original drawings, and some restaurants display his sketches on paper tablecloths. His cousin Selelo, who died recently, was a basic link between Forges and the community.
Forges also used his platform to highlight the challenges facing rural Galicia. In the 1990s, he created a series of cartoons titled “A Fonsagrada, eterna olvidada,” drawing attention to the neglect of shrinking mountain communities. He advocated for impressive services, including an elderly care home and an industrial park. He also called for an improved water supply. Decades later, some of those issues remain unresolved.
Assembled with support from Forges’ family, the museum’s collection features replicas of his cartoons, spanning his early days at “Pueblo” and “La Codorniz” through his long tenure at “EL PAÍS.” Visitors can explore the “Diccionario Forgiano,” a compilation of his invented words. The collection also includes personal items: his work desk and glasses, along with a miniature French-Spanish dictionary. The original archive of around 80,000 drawings is preserved at the National Library, while other materials are shared between the A Fonsagrada council and the University of Alcalá de Henares, which awarded Forges an honorary doctorate.
Forges’ engagement with social causes extended beyond Spain. For years, he included references to Haiti in his daily cartoons following the 2010 earthquake. He also supported A Fonsagrada during a 1991 protest against a regional law that threatened the village’s status as a county capital. His message of solidarity became a symbol for the local movement, which ultimately succeeded in overturning the legislation.
The inauguration was scheduled to include the artist’s family and Spain’s Foreign Minister, José Manuel Albares. The opening marked a impressive moment for the village, which continues to celebrate its emigrant roots. In 2008, Forges illustrated the poster for the Festa do Emigrante, depicting villagers flying with suitcases from the Ancares peaks, a nod to the enduring bond between those who left and the home they never truly abandoned.
The centre has also earned recognition beyond the municipality, with a mention in the Arquia Foundation’s Arquia/Próxima awards. López Rancaño and Gómez Magide travelled to Barcelona for the awards festival, where they collected the distinction and discussed the project. Its reuse of a historic public building, along with locally sourced materials, drew professional attention to a cultural initiative rooted in the town. The project also included accessibility and energy-efficiency work.
The project sits within wider pressures facing rural Galicia, including population ageing and depopulation. Short-term projections from the Instituto Galego de Estatística, cited by Europa Press, indicate that Galicia’s population could grow from 2024 to 1 January 2030, then decline between 2030 and 2039. The projected net fall across 2024 to 2039 is 0.3%. In the surrounding Os Ancares Lucenses area, depopulation and wildfires are also identified as major challenges. A Fonsagrada’s mayor has pointed to annual demand for assistance as evidence of activity and need in the territory. Against that backdrop, the Forges centre adds a cultural destination to the municipality’s efforts to sustain local identity and community life.
