The Alicante Municipal Archive hosted a quiet ceremony in its investigation room to commemorate the 20th anniversary of the passing of a respected city figure whose decades of work left a lasting imprint on how Alicante’s past is understood today. City leaders opened the observance with a formal note of tribute, acknowledging a life spent documenting, preserving, and making accessible the historical record of Alicante. The atmosphere remained solemn and reflective, emphasizing how one person’s dedication helped shape public memory of the city’s evolution through years of growth, change, and shared memory.
In attendance were the subject’s family, including his widow, Mª Dolores Iglesias, and his son, Enrique Cutillas, whose presence added a personal dimension to the event. The gathering united archivists, researchers, and archive technicians who, together, sought to honor a scholar whose contributions extended far beyond routine archival tasks. The collective aim was to craft a tribute that fairly honored his role as a steward of local history and as a tireless investigator who pursued unpublished topics that broadened the community’s understanding of Alicante’s development and cultural heritage.
Throughout the proceedings, colleagues reflected on the scholar’s lasting impact on local historiography, especially his work exploring lesser-known narratives tied to the city. Conversations moved through the origins of religious orders and monasteries that left tangible traces in Alicante, the shifting contours of the urban landscape, and how these factors intertwined with the city’s social and economic trajectories. Attendees highlighted his enduring curiosity and methodical approach, which prioritized careful archival research, rigorous analysis, and the thoughtful organization of sources that illuminate overlooked chapters of Alicante’s story. The gathering also celebrated his prolific output, including more than four hundred articles published in the regional newspaper, INFORMACIÓN, where his writing consistently connected readers with new viewpoints on municipal affairs, cultural heritage, and the people who shaped the city over generations. The tribute emphasized the archive’s role in preserving a living link between past and present, providing a foundation for current and future scholarly work, collegiate study, and community engagement in Alicante’s ongoing historical conversation.