Observations on Francisco Fernández del Riego, Galaxia publishing house, the journal Grial and the Penzol Foundation

Abstract

Francisco Fernández del Riego played a leading role in three highly-important events for Galician culture which occurred in 1963: the inauguration of Galician Literature Day, the publication of the first issue of Grial. Revista Galega de Cultura and the creation of the Penzol Foundation. The second and third enterprises came under the umbrella of the Galaxia publishing house, founded in 1950 by a group of people linked primarily to the Galicianist Party. This article examines del Riego’s role in Galaxia, of which he was a founder; his position as first secretary of its board of directors and managing director; his contribution to the journal Grial, which he co-edited with Ramón Piñeiro for twenty-five years (one hundred issues, from 1963 to 1988); and his management of the Penzol Foundation Library for 47 years until 2010, shortly before his death in November 2010.