Your city has probably been the cradle and final bed of a handful of historical figures. Of course, checking it is not something easy, and it is due to the little ability to locate these figures in a localized way. But the Royal Academy of History wants you to discover the treasures of your region, and have launched an interactive map with 150,000 geographical references of Hispanic history for your entertainment and learning.
The collection is made up of 20,000 events and 50,000 characters. Although all of them are based on Hispanic history, it is not limited to the geographical map of Spain. In fact, you can get all kinds of information in regions related to the history of the countrysuch as America, Africa and the rest of Europe.
It is the largest bank of information on Hispanic history that exists today. To present it, the Hall of Columns of the Royal Palace of Madrid has been chosen, in a ceremony presided over by the king and queen and Nadia Calviño, First Vice President of the Government and Minister of Economic Affairs.
The Royal Academy of History has already launched its map for historians. In just a few minutes of use the dynamics are clear. By clicking on each of the points you will be able to access characters and historical events. You can also zoom in to see more specific details of a location, just like navigating on Google Maps. In addition, they have installed a search bar so that you can find specific people or moments, if you wish.
A Google Maps for Hispanic history
With the new platform of Hispanic History launched by the Royal Academy of History, it is easier than ever to search for information on historical situations and figures in your region. Scrolling through the map you will find relevant information about a specific area. However, you can also be more specific by looking for names, times, places, and specific themes in history.
The map of the Royal Academy of History covers large periods of time. The oldest record that we can find dates back to the year 1,350,000 BC., and is projected up to the immediate present in various regions of the world. Of course, all the topics will be related to Spain, so the index will be especially varied when looking at areas that were once under Spanish rule, or that were important to the country’s history to some degree.
All the biographies that the map draws on have been signed by experts. In fact, for its creation the contribution of up to 5,000 historians and half a thousand scientific institutions has been necessary, both national and international. All of them have been helpful in the development of the database.
How to use the new digital platform
As Jaime Olmedo, technical director of the project, explains, the most direct way to explore Hispanic history is by touching the map. You can zoom in and search for specific points that interest you. Once you touch them, a series of characters born or deceased in the region will open, and even events that have taken place in the area. All arranged alphabetically.
If you click on a character, your biography will open. If there is a bibliography related to him or her, it will also be available on the same page. The same will happen with the historical events that you find.
The other most common way to browse the database is by using the search engine at the top. Search for any word, character, place name or topic that interests you. Olmedo used the keywords “Palacio Real de Madrid” during the presentation, which led to a series of events that occurred within its walls. As an example, the signing of the Treaty of accession of Spain to the European Union in 1985.
Finally, you can search from the bottom strip of the web. From here you will have access to four sections. It is a method that allows narrower searches under certain specifications, such as “Who”, “When”, “Where” and “What”.
