Madrid - Royal Academy of Language

(Local Name: Real Academia Española de la Lengua) The Royal Spanish Academy of Language is situated in the aristocratic quarter between the Prado and the Parque del Retiro, in which are such handsome buildings as the Army Museum, the Casón, the Stock Exchange and the elegant Ritz Hotel in the Plaza de la Lealtad. Modeled on the French Académie, it was founded in 1713, during the reign of the first Bourbon King, Philip V. Its principal function was (and is) to foster the Spanish language and regulate its grammar and orthography. In 1726 it published the first volume of its excellent "Diccionario de la Lengua Española". The Academy, which has 60 members, maintains close relations with Academies in South America. It moved into its present premises, near the Casón, in 1894. It has a fine library, with a valuable collection of first editions and autograph manuscripts.