El tercer centenario del Don Quijote en 1905 y el nacionalismo español

Abstract

Analysing the commemorations which were held in Spain, and the monuments and representative buildings that were constructed in Madrid in the years before 1900, it seems clear that, in contrast with most of the other European countries, no consistent cultural policy was developed by the national government. After the 'disaster of 1898' some attempts were made to change this situation. But not even the major commemoration, which was the third centenary of the publication of the Don Quixote in 1905, proved to be a great success. Notwithstanding, this commemoration is an excellent source for studying the different ways in which nationalism was used. The initiative, for example, was taken by some prestigious writers, all connected with the liberal newspaper El Imparcial. With this commemoration they hoped to unite all the forces of the Spanish nation working together for the economic and cultural progress of the country. Some conservative thinkers, in turn, used the occasion to criticise revolutionary attempts and adventurous spirits. More interesting were the commemorative writings of young authors like Unamuno, Azorín, and Navarro Ledesma, in which a new kind of exalted nationalism could be discerned.