International Congress

On April 5, 1526, the General Assembly of Bizkaia appointed a commission to undertake the reform of the Fuero of Bizkaia. They completed their task on August 21, 1526, with the drafting of a reformed or new Fuero, in contrast to the Old Fuero of 1452. In the preamble they noted that the Old Fuero had been “written and ordered at a time when there was not so much peace or justice,” and they agreed that a Fuero was needed for new times. In 1527 it received the “confirmation of the Emperor,” Lord of Bizkaia and King of Castile, Charles I, as well as the license for its printing, which was carried out in Burgos in 1528.

In this Congress, we aim to analyze the development and vicissitudes of the Fuero and the society of Bizkaia over the course of 500 years. The Provincial Treasury constitutes the very backbone of Bizkaia’s power and government.

Moreover, all natives of Bizkaia could claim the rights of the Fuero of Bizkaia, regardless of their place of residence, so the results of this Congress may also lay the foundations for a “world history of Bizkaia,” following the model proposed in Patrick Boucheron’s book.

The program we are preparing will address all aspects contained in the Fuero and its evolution to the present day: institutionalization and political government of Bizkaia, the General Assemblies, the Provincial Treasury, economy, private law, society, daily life, settlement and sociability, places of memory, intangible heritage, festivals and popular culture, music, and the lives that have shaped the history of Bizkaia.

Submission of Proposals:

We invite researchers to submit their contributions (title, author(s), academic affiliation, and a 200-word abstract) to the following address: Ituna@ehu.eus.

Ituna Research Center for Basque Economic Agreement and Fiscal Federalism Studies (EHU). Faculty of Social Sciences and Communication (Leioa, +34 946 01 22 40) and Faculty of Economics and Business (Sarriko, Bilbao).

Submission deadline: November 30, 2025.

The Scientific Committee of the Congress will evaluate the proposals received and reserves the right to determine the final program.

The working languages of the Congress will be Basque, Spanish, English, and French.

Organizing Committee

· Ituna Research Center for Basque Economic Agreement and Fiscal Federalism Studies (EHU).

· Consolidated research groups of the University of the Basque Country (EHU):

· Biography & Parliament.

· Basque Country, Europe and the Americas. Inter-Atlantic Links and Relationships (GIU 21/062).

· Ad Concordiam – Association for the Promotion and Diffusion of the Economic Agreement

Sponsors

· Provincial Council of Bizkaia.

· International Commission for the History of Representative and Parliamentary Institutions (ICHRPI).