Reial Acadèmia de Bones Lletres de Barcelona facts for kids
The Reial Acadèmia de Bones Lletres de Barcelona is a special group in Barcelona, Spain. Its name means "Royal Academy of Good Writings of Barcelona." This academy focuses on Catalan language and literature. It started in 1729 and has been in the Palau Requesens in Barcelona's Gothic Quarter since 1902.
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What is the Reial Acadèmia de Bones Lletres?
The Reial Acadèmia de Bones Lletres is a literary society. This means it is a group of people who love and study books, writing, and language. Their main goal is to promote and protect the Catalan language, history, and poetry.
How did the Academy start?
The Reial Acadèmia de Bones Lletres was created in 1729 by smart people in Barcelona. They wanted to continue the work of an older group called the Acadèmia dels Desconfiats. This older group was closed in 1714.
The founders of the new Academy were worried. Around that time, the King of Spain had closed all universities in Catalonia. This made it harder for people to study Catalan history and language.
Why were universities closed?
In 1715, the University of Barcelona and other universities in Catalonia were closed. This happened because of new rules called the Nueva Planta Decrees. These rules were put in place by Philip V of Spain. He wanted to thank the city of Cervera for helping him during a war. So, he decided to put all of Catalonia's universities into one place, in Cervera. This change lasted for about 150 years.
Becoming a Royal Academy
In 1752, the Reial Acadèmia de Bones Lletres got a special title: "royal academy." This title was given by Ferdinand VI of Spain. Being a royal academy meant their work was focused on specific areas, like language and literature. One of their first big projects was to create a dictionary for the Catalan language.
What happened later?
The Academy saw some changes over the years.
New ideas and members
From 1820 to 1823, there was a time of more political freedom in Spain called the Trienio Liberal. During this period, new members with fresh ideas joined the Academy. One important new member was Bonaventura Carles Aribau. This time of freedom ended when French soldiers came to Spain in 1823.
Growing importance
By the 1850s, the Reial Acadèmia de Bones Lletres became one of the most active cultural groups in Catalonia. It helped bring the University back to Barcelona in 1837. Many famous people from the Renaixença (a cultural movement in Catalonia) were members. For example, the famous poet Jacint Verdaguer was part of the Academy.
Language and poetry
Throughout the 1800s, the Academy used more than one language. While Spanish was the main language, they also supported Catalan. In 1841 and 1857, they held poetry contests. These contests are seen as early steps toward the start of the modern Floral Games in Catalan, which began in 1859. The Floral Games are important poetry competitions held in Catalan.
Since 1901, the Academy has published a yearly newsletter.
