Colombian Academy of Language

The Colombian Academy of Language (ACL) is an Academy of the Spanish Language whose headquarters are located in Bogotá, the capital of Colombia. It was founded in 1871 by a group of highly prestigious philologists and writers, including Rufino José Cuervo and Miguel Antonio Caro.

History

It is the oldest and the dean of all American Language Academies

Its first headquarters occupied the property where the house of the founder and former president Miguel Antonio Caro was located, built between 1916 and 1918, designed by Carlos Camargo Quiñones with the support of Pietro Cantini, that property was demolished to build the avenue Calle Nineteen with Carrera Séptima, in the vicinity of the also demolished church of La Concepción.

Its current headquarters, located at Carrera Tercera with Calle Diecisiete, was built at the end of the 1950s. The neoclassical building was designed by the Spanish architect Alfredo Rodríguez Ordaz. The Academy hosted the Third Congress of Academies in 1960, in which the Bogotá Agreement was presented and signed. The Rodríguez Orgaz building was inaugurated on the occasion of that meeting.

Since 1960, the institution has been an official adviser to the Government of Colombia on language matters.

Current and former members include Manuel María Mallarino, Germán Arciniegas, Jaime Sanín Echeverri, Diego Uribe Vargas, Otto Morales Benítez, Juan Gustavo Cobo Borda, Maruja Vieira, Marco Fidel Suárez and Fernando Hinestrosa Forero.

Its current director is Juan Carlos Vergara

Library

The library was organized by academic Manuel José Forero. It is divided into funds named after its donor or person to whom it belonged.

Members

Gallery

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  Sculpture by Miguel Antonio Caro

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  Escudo de Colombia en la ACL

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  Félix Restrepo Sculpture and south-west side of the ACL