Dr Xabier Añoveros (†)
The much-missed Xabier Añoveros, a Numerary Academician and Vice President of the Governing Board of the Royal European Academy of Doctors (READ) who passed away last year, has once again become news in recent days through remembrance. His family has donated his extensive and varied collection of caganers to the exhibition «Mira qui caga», which can be seen these days at Casa dels Entremesos, a center for the production and dissemination of Barcelona’s traditional popular culture. The exhibition brings together around one thousand of these traditional Nativity figures, from the more than 1,400 that Añoveros collected over six decades.
The exhibition features pieces of all kinds, ranging from the most traditional to contemporary creations inspired by historical, cultural, and current figures, reflecting the evolution and vitality of this expression of popular culture. The initiative seeks to reclaim the caganer beyond its anecdotal or humorous character, highlighting it as a symbol of prosperity, fertility, and good luck within the Christmas tradition. The organizers emphasize that the diversity of figures on display showcases artisanal creativity and the capacity of traditions to adapt to new times.
Among the most striking elements are caganers depicting public figures from politics, sports, and culture, turning the exhibition into an ironic and critical journey through contemporary society. This variety has attracted interest from both local audiences and visitors. The exhibition can be visited throughout the Christmas period and is complemented by parallel activities, such as workshops and informative talks, designed to explain the origins, meaning, and evolution of the Nativity scene and of the caganer in particular.
With this proposal, the Casa dels Entremesos reinforces its role as a reference space for the dissemination of Catalan popular culture and demonstrates that traditions, far from being static, remain fertile ground for creativity and collective identity. It also acknowledges Añoveros’s work as a promoter and defender of this tradition, so deeply rooted in Catalan Christmas celebrations and the collective imagination.
Beyond this vocation and his cherished memory, Añoveros leaves a broad and varied academic legacy in the form of five doctoral theses. He held a doctorate in Law with the thesis «Los órganos rectores de las cajas de ahorros», defended in 1987 at the University of Barcelona; a doctorate in Economics and Business Administration with «Conceptos, ideas y contenidos económicos en El Quijote», presented in 2016 at the Camilo José Cela University; a doctorate in Humanities with «San Francisco Javier. Vida y misión», defended in 2018 at the International University of Catalonia; a doctorate in History with «Papeles y familia. El archivo de la Casa de la Canicouba de Tui», defended in 2020 at the University of Santiago de Compostela; and a doctorate in Literature with «Las dos últimas novelas del ciclo gallego de Camilo José Cela: ‘La cruz de San Andrés’ y ‘Madera de boj’», defended in 2023.
