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| Spanish Academy of History | |
|---|---|
| Name | Spanish Academy of History |
| Native name | Real Academia de la Historia |
| Established | 1738 |
| Founder | Philip V of Spain |
| Headquarters | Madrid |
Spanish Academy of History
The Spanish Academy of History is a Madrid-based learned society founded under the auspices of Philip V of Spain with origins in the eighteenth century Bourbon reforms. It functions as a royal academy associated with the Royal Household of Spain, interacting with institutions such as the National Historical Archive (Spain), the Museo del Prado, the Biblioteca Nacional de España and international bodies like the Académie française and the British Academy. The Academy has played roles in commissions related to the Treaty of Utrecht, the War of the Spanish Succession, the Peninsular War, and twentieth-century debates involving the Second Spanish Republic and the Francoist Spain period.
The foundation in 1738 followed precedents set by Real Academia Española and initiatives by Juan Bautista de Villegas under patronage from Philip V of Spain and ministers such as Joaquín Fernández de Portocarrero. During the reigns of Charles III of Spain and Charles IV of Spain the Academy expanded its remit amid projects like the Catastro of Ensenada and the Bourbon program mirrored by the Royal Botanical Garden of Madrid and the Real Sociedad Económica de Amigos del País. In the nineteenth century figures linked to the Cortes of Cádiz and the Glorious Revolution (Spain) influenced its membership while the Academy responded to collections from the Archivo General de Indias and post-imperial debates about the Spanish American wars of independence. Twentieth-century episodes involved interactions with scholars connected to the Generation of '98, the Instituto de España, and commissions after the Spanish Civil War. Contemporary reforms have engaged with the European Research Council, UNESCO lists tied to the Historic Centre of Córdoba (Spain), and bilateral projects with the Instituto Cervantes and the Real Academia de la Historia y de las Ciencias in Latin America.
The Academy is organized in fauteuils occupied by numerary members drawn from realms represented by scholars associated with institutions like Universidad Complutense de Madrid, Universidad de Salamanca, Universidad de Barcelona, and research centers such as the Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas (CSIC). Governance includes a presidente, secretarios, and juntas modeled after the Real Academia Española and overseen historically by royal patronage from Isabella II of Spain and later by protocols linked to the Monarchy of Spain. Statutes regulate election procedures, plenary sessions, and coordination with bodies like the Archivo Histórico Nacional, municipal councils such as Ayuntamiento de Madrid, and ministries including the Ministry of Culture and Sport (Spain).
The Academy conducts historical research, organizes symposia, endorses critical editions and participates in advisory roles for heritage actions involving the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (Spain) and international heritage mechanisms like UNESCO. It advises on matters connected to monuments such as the Alhambra, funerary studies tied to the Valley of the Fallen, and archival transfers involving the Archivo General de Indias and the Archivo General de la Administración. It has collaborated on projects concerning figures such as Isabella I of Castile, Ferdinand II of Aragon, Charles V, Holy Roman Emperor, Philip II of Spain, Miguel de Cervantes, Diego Velázquez, Francisco de Goya, Antonio de Nebrija, Hernán Cortés, and Simón Bolívar.
The Academy maintains manuscript collections, cartographic holdings, epistolary archives, and a specialized library that complements repositories like the Biblioteca Nacional de España, the Archivo General de Simancas and the Archivo de la Corona de Aragón. Holdings include documents relating to the Spanish Empire, maps referencing the Treaty of Tordesillas, chronicles by Ambrosio de Morales, diplomatic correspondence tied to the Council of Trent, and papers relevant to explorers such as Christopher Columbus and Juan Sebastián Elcano. Conservation units collaborate with restoration services at the Museo Nacional Centro de Arte Reina Sofía and cataloguing projects affiliated with the International Council on Archives.
The Academy issues bulletins, memoirs, critical editions, and catalogues comparable to series published by the Royal Historiographer of Spain in earlier centuries. Periodicals include annals and series of monographs that have explored topics such as the Reconquista, the Spanish Golden Age, the Bourbon Reforms, the Atlantic World, and diplomatic episodes like the Peace of Westphalia. Editions have covered primary sources by authors like Lope de Vega, Bartolomé de las Casas, and Gaspar Melchor de Jovellanos, as well as annotated cartography by Juan de la Cosa.
Members have included prominent historians, archivists, and antiquarians from Spain and abroad: Enrique Flórez, Modesto Lafuente, Rafael Altamira, Marcelino Menéndez Pelayo, Salvador de Madariaga, Julián Juderías, Julio Caro Baroja, Américo Castro, Antonio Cánovas del Castillo (associated in archives), José María Pemán, Joaquín Costa, Gabriel Jackson, Héctor Balanza (contemporary), and scholars linked to universities such as Harvard University, University of Oxford, Sorbonne University, and the Universidad Autónoma de Madrid.
The Academy's headquarters are situated in central Madrid near institutions like the Plaza de la Villa, the Calle Mayor, and adjacent to the Real Casa de la Moneda (Madrid). The physical complex has undergone renovations similar to restorations at the Palacio Real de Madrid and employ conservation protocols as those used for the Museo Sorolla and municipal heritage sites administered by the Ayuntamiento de Madrid. Architectural details reflect influences from Spanish Baroque projects and eighteenth-century Bourbon patronage.
The Academy grants prizes and recognitions for scholarship comparable to awards from the Real Academia Española and national prizes such as the Premio Nacional de Historia de España. It issues medals, honorary memberships, and certificates that have been conferred alongside honors from the Order of Isabella the Catholic, the Order of Charles III, and cultural distinctions coordinated with the Ministry of Culture and Sport (Spain).
Category:Learned societies of Spain Category:Organizations based in Madrid Category:Historical societies