Royal Academy of History

Since 1836 the academy has occupied an 18th-century building designed by the neoclassical architect Juan de Villanueva. The building was originally occupied by the Hieronymites, a religious order. It became available as a result of legislation in the 1830s confiscating monastic properties (the ecclesiastical confiscations of Mendizábal).{{cite book|last1=Mateos Gómez|first1=Isabel|last2=López-Yarto Elizalde|first2=Amelia|last3=Prados García|first3=José|title=El arte de la orden jerónima|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=uPOzwWCir-0C&pg=PA43|date=1 January 1999|publisher=Encuentro|language=es|isbn=9788474905526|page=43}}

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As formerly the main Spanish institution for antiquaries, the academy retains significant libraries and collections of antiquities, which cannot be seen by the public.{{cn|date=April 2022}} The keeper of antiquities is the prehistorian Martín Almagro Gorbea.{{cite web|url=http://www.rah.es/laAcademia/organizacion/martinAlmagro.htm |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160303180950/http://www.rah.es/laAcademia/organizacion/martinAlmagro.htm |title=D. Martín ALMAGRO GORBEA |language=es |publisher=Real Academia de la Historia |archive-date=3 March 2016 |access-date=12 April 2016}}{{failed verification|date=April 2022}}

Items held include:

• The Glosas Emilianenses
• The Códice de Roda
• The San Millán Beatus
• The Missorium of Theodosius I, a large ceremonial silver dish, probably made in Constantinople for the tenth anniversary (decennalia) in 388 of the reign of the emperor Theodosius I, the last emperor to rule both the Eastern and Western Empires. It is one of the best surviving examples of Late Antique Imperial imagery and one of finest examples of late Roman goldsmith work.{{cn|date=April 2022}}

Some Spanish historians have considered it an obsolete misogynist institution, that still considers history as a matter of kings and battles.Marcos, J. M. and Corroto, P. and Jaén, B. García [http://www.publico.es/culturas/379058/los-historiadores-se-alarman-ante-la-hagiografia-de-franco "Los historiadores se alarman ante la hagiografía de Franco"] in Público, 30 May 2011María Pilar Queralt del Hierro, [http://www.elplural.com/2011/06/13/mujer-historia-y-academia-incompatibles-para-gonzalo-anes "Mujer, historia y Academia: incompatibles para Gonzalo Anes"]. 2011 However, the image has changed since Carmen Iglesias, the first female director, took over in 2014 from Gonzalo Anes.{{citation needed|date=December 2019}}{{NoteTag|Anes was initially replaced by Faustino Menéndez Pidal de Navascués.}} By some authors RAH is considered a "thoroughly undemocratic" institution "unrepresentative of Spanish historical profession" and a hotbed of historical revisionism.Chris Ealham, The Emperor's New Clothes: 'Objectivity' and Revisionism in Spanish History, [in:] Journal of Contemporary History 48/1 (2012), p. 192

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In 2011 the Academy published the first 20 volumes of a dictionary of national biography, the Diccionario Biográfico Español, to which some five thousand historians contributed. The publicly funded publication has been subject of controversy for failing to achieve the standards of objectivity associated with, for example, the Oxford Dictionary of National Biography. The British Dictionary restricted itself to persons who were deceased, and the historian Henry Kamen has argued that it was a mistake for its Spanish equivalent to include living figures among entries.{{Cite news |url=http://elmundo.orbyt.es/2011/06/09/orbyt_en_elmundo/1307633505.html |title=La ideología política y el Diccionario Biográfico |last=Kamen |first=Henry |date=9 June 2011 |newspaper=El Mundo |access-date=5 April 2019 |publisher=Unidad Editorial Información General S.L.U.}} However, while there was criticism of entries for some living people (such as the politician Esperanza Aguirre), the main allegations of bias concern articles relating to Francoist Spain. A notable example was the entry on Francisco Franco, written by Luis Suárez Fernández, in which Franco is defined as an autocratic head of state rather than a dictator.{{cite news |first=Natalia |last=Junquera |date=7 July 2011 |url=http://www.elpais.com/articulo/english/Francoism/isn/t/over/in/Spain/elpepueng/20110707elpeng_1/Ten |title="Francoism isn't over in Spain" |newspaper=El País |publisher=Prisa |access-date=5 April 2019}} In contrast, the dictionary reportedly defames individuals such as Juan Negrín, the last prime minister of the Second Republic.{{cite news |url=http://www.elmundo.es/elmundo/2011/05/30/cultura/1306744704.html |title=La Real Academia de la Historia 'no corregirá' la polémica biografía de Franco |newspaper=El Mundo |first1=Antonio |last1=Lucas |first2=Álvaro |last2=Argote |date=30 May 2011 |access-date=5 April 2019 |publisher=Unidad Editorial Información General S.L.U.}}

The dictionary sparked an outcry. Most objections came from voices on the left such as the party United Left and the newspaper Público. For his part, Green party senator Joan Saura asked for publication of the dictionary to be stopped and the offending volumes withdrawn.{{cite news |url=http://www.publico.es/379188/icv-insta-a-retirar-los-primeros-25-tomos-del-diccionario-biografico |title=ICV insta a retirar los primeros 25 tomos del Diccionario Biográfico |newspaper=Público |date=30 May 2011 |access-date=5 April 2019 |language=es |publisher=Display Connectors, S.L.}} There was also a call for corrections from the Ministry of Education. The academy announced in June 2011 that amendments would be made to the text online and in future paper editions.{{cite news |url=http://www.abc.es/20110602/cultura/abcm-academia-historia-corregira-entrada-201106021334.html |title=La Academia de Historia corregirá la entrada de Franco del polémico Diccionario |newspaper=ABC |first=J. |last=G. C. |date=2 June 2011 |access-date=5 April 2019 |publisher=Vocento}} In 2012, when the Minister of Education, Culture and Sport, made a statement on the subject of the dictionary, it was still not clear whether the academy was willing to describe Franco as a dictator.{{cite news |url=http://www.publico.es/espana/435050/wert-30-entradas-del-diccionario-biografico-espanol-seran-revisadas |title=Wert: 30 entradas del 'Diccionario Biográfico Español' serán revisadas |newspaper=Público |access-date=30 May 2012 |date=30 May 2012 |publisher=Display Connectors, S.L.}} Carmen Iglesias, director of the academy, vowed to modify the online version in 2015.{{cite news |url=http://elpais.com/elpais/2015/04/09/inenglish/1428575026_634581.html |title=Francisco Franco was a dictator after all, Royal History Academy concludes |newspaper=El País |location=Madrid |date=9 April 2015 |access-date=5 April 2019 |publisher=Prisa}} In 2018 a ceremony was held at El Pardo to launch the online edition, Diccionario Biografico Electronico.{{Cite news |url=http://www.lavanguardia.com/cultura/20180503/443205118738/historia-conecta-era-tecnologica-diccionario-biografico-electronico.html |title=La historia se conecta a la era tecnológica con el Diccionario Biográfico Electrónico |first=Fernando |last=García |location=Madrid |date=3 May 2018 |access-date=5 April 2019 |newspaper=La Vanguardia |language=es}} Franco's status as a dictator was confirmed.{{cite news |last=Morales |first=Manuel |title=El 'Diccionario Biográfico Español' se enmienda en la Red |url=https://elpais.com/cultura/2018/05/03/actualidad/1525342688_349008.html |date=3 May 2018 |access-date=4 May 2018 |newspaper=El País |language=es |location=Madrid |publisher=Prisa}}

In 2015 the academy entered into an initiative in collaboration with Metro de Madrid to provide information about people who have given their names to metro stations. Stations named after people include Concha Espina and Paco de Lucia. Display panels have been placed in the stations in question.{{Cite web |url=http://www.rah.es/biografias-metro-madrid-correspondencia-la-historia |title=Correspondencia con la Historia |publisher=RAH |language=es}}

In 2020 the academy issued a statement "deploring" recent attacks on statues of figures from Spanish history, such as Christopher Columbus, which had taken place as part of the George Floyd protests. It reaffirmed its "commitment to the knowledge of Spain’s actions in America, beyond the falsification, the distortion and the partisan manipulation.”{{Cite news |title=Spain expresses concern over toppling |work=El Pais |url=https://english.elpais.com/americas/2020-06-26/spain-expresses-concern-over-toppling-of-historical-statues-in-united-states.html |access-date=1 July 2020}}

Per article 6 of its statutes, the Real Academia de la Historia is composed of a maximum of 36 "numbered academics" who must be Spanish citizens. There are also academics of honour and academic correspondents, who may be of any nationality.{{Cite web |url=http://www.rah.es/estatutos/ |title=Estatutos |publisher=Real Academia de la Historia |language=es-ES |access-date=16 April 2018}} The director since 2014 has been Carmen Iglesias.{{Cite web |url=http://www.rah.es/la-academia/organizacion/junta-de-gobierno/excma-sra-dna-ma-del-carmen-iglesias-cano-condesa-de-gisbert/ |title=Mª del Carmen Iglesias Cano, Condesa de Gisbert |publisher=Real Academia de la Historia |language=es-ES |access-date=16 April 2018}}

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The Numbered Academics are (after the number of chair):{{Cite web |url=http://www.rah.es/la-academia/academicos/academicos-numerarios/ |title=Académicos Numerarios |language=es-ES |publisher=Real Academia de la Historia |access-date=16 April 2018}}

File:Real Cédula (17 de junio de 1738).png

1. Vicente Pérez Moreda
2. Hugo O'Donnell y Duque de Estrada
3. Vacant
4. Vacant
5. Feliciano Barrios Pintado
6. José Manuel Nieto
7. Josefina Gómez Mendoza
8. José Remesal Rodríguez
9. María del Pilar León-Castro Alonso
10. Octavio Ruiz-Manjón
11. Martín Almagro Gorbea
12. Elena E. Rodríguez Díaz
13. Jaime Salazar y Acha
14. Francisco Javier Puerto Sarmiento
15. Juan Pablo Fusi Aizpurúa
16. Antonio Cañizares Llovera
17. Amparo Alba Cecilia
18. José Antonio Escudero López
19. Luis Antonio Ribot García
20. Vacant
21. José Ángel Sesma Muñoz
22. Enriqueta Vila Vilar
23. María del Carmen Iglesias Cano
24. Fernando Marías Franco
25. Miguel Ángel Ladero Quesada
26. Serafín Fanjul García
27. Miguel Ángel Ochoa Brun
28. Luis Alberto de Cuenca y Prado
29. José Luis Díez García
30. Carmen Sanz Ayán
31. Enrique Moradiellos García
32. Carlos Martínez Shaw
33. María Jesús Viguera Molins
34. Juan Francisco Fuentes Aragonés
35. Xavier Gil Puyol
36. Luis Agustín García Moreno

{{See also|Category:Corresponding members of the Real Academia de la Historia}}

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