Spain’s National Library Hosts “Language and Word: 300 Years of RAE”

'La lengua y la palabra. Trescientos años de historia de la Real Academia Española', title of the exhibition that opens, on September 27, the program of activities designed to celebrate three hundred years of RAE (Spanish acronym for Royal Spanish Academy). Spain’s National Library houses what its heads describe as the “most significant and important of all acts” organized for such a special day as this, since “it won’t be just a simple display of objects, but a story, history on history."

Over three hundred pieces from the Academy’s funds, a comprehensive selection of paintings, portraits, engravings, bibliographic gems and incunabular treasures, graphic documentaries, newspapers, etc., will be documenting the historic career of the institution and illustrious figures that have been part of it.

Organized by Accion Cultural Española (AC/E) and RAE, the show has been curated by Carmen Iglesias and Jose Manuel Sanchez Ron, who highlight the chronological and conceptual structure of an exhibition that shows the most significant moments of each period, since the very beginning to date.

For All Publics

La lengua y la palabra targets publics of all ages and status since, as commented by the director of RAE, Jose Manuel Blecua, “the history of language and the institutions that represent it is also the history of the people that speak it. The linguistic facts are also framed between the life style and culture of all the citizens.”

The display is structure into seven sections that link each other, and recreate a visual, hearing, emotional and intellectual atmosphere for visitors, as explained by Carmen Iglesias, “to feel immerse into each period of a common Spanish history, from the illustrated century, 18^th, to the 21^st we are living on. Throughout the internal and external career of the institution, viewers will have the opportunity to feel that touring the 300 years of RAE allows them to prove that it is and has been deeply human, sensible and committed to the society. Apart from regimens and political situations, this house has always been characterized by its liberalism.”

Source:  Hoy es arte