The Queen Sofía Spanish Institute returned to Madrid with the “First Symposium America&Spain250: Commemorating the two hundred and fifty years of relations between Spain and the United States 1776-2026“

Watch the recap.

The Queen Sofía Spanish Institute, as part of its America&Spain250 initiative, and the Fundación Ramón Areces presented the First Symposium Commemorating the 250 Years of Relations between Spain and the United States of America, with the aim of ensuring that Spain’s contribution to the independence of the United States is duly recognized in the official celebrations that will take place in the United States in 2026.

For two days, distinguished U.S. and Spanish scholars presented their views on the historical relations between the two countries. Through lectures and panel discussions, scholars analyzed aspects ranging from the shared history of both countries, the vision and image of each in the other, emigration, cultural relations, and the challenges of teaching Spanish history, art, culture and the Spanish language in the U.S. today.

Watch the Opening of the Symposium on May 23rd (in Spanish):

Watch the Morning Session of the Symposium on May 24th (in Spanish):

Watch the Second Session of the Symposium on May 24th (in Spanish):

The America&Spain250 initiative’s mission is to celebrate 250 years of the shared past, present and continued friendship between the United States, Spain, and the Spanish-speaking world.

Starting with the significant yet little-understood role of Spain in America’s War of Independence, Spain’s contributions to the history and development of the United States are many and diverse. They span numerous realms: science, medicine, agriculture and technology, along with language, literature, religion and the arts. The initiative aims to increase public awareness of these contributions and celebrate their importance over the course of 250 years of Spain’s shared history with the United States.

The initiative also seeks to enrich the understanding of the complex, changing, yet enduring tripartite relationship between Spain, Spanish-speaking America and the United States.