El Mercado - The Traditional Spanish Market

The Spanish Mercado is a traditional market that exists or has existed in all the major cities, not only in Spain but in France and other European cities. These markets are located in large, warehouse type buildings in key neighborhoods where inside you can find butchers, fishmongers, bakeries and a variety of other stands selling spices, canned goods and anything else edible.

With the arrival of the supermarket and later the hypermarket, the neighborhood mercados began to disappear. Today some still exist like the famous Boqueria in Barcelona. Here, in this famous urban market you'll be able to find some of the freshest produce, meats and fish possible. Along with food stalls offering some of the latest creations in pinchos and tapas. It is not uncommon to find people like Ferran Adria stopping by to check the goods and nibble on a freshly made tapa.

But what has happened to those markets that have had it harder. Sadly many markets in most cities have had to shut down to make room for a modern office building or block of flats. Some continue to resists—like the market here in Salamanca, which continues functioning in all of its wrought iron and glass glory. While others have found a formula to remain open evolving with the times to continue to satisfy the needs of the locals and offering retailers the opportunity to continue to sell in an ever more difficult economy.

One example of this evolution from simple market to something more is the Mercado San Miguel which rose from its ashes in 2009. Probably the first market of its type in Spain, it is reminiscent of what San Francisco has done with its Ferry Building. In the Mercado San Miguel they have renovated this iron and glass masterpiece to house some of the best food and market stalls in all of Madrid. Here you can buy a beautiful Kobe beef Steak and if you don't feel like cooking the butcher will cook it for you on his grill behind the counter. The same goes for a sinfully delicious 3 lb. chuleton de buey that has been raised high up in the mountains of León. Don’t feel like paying a $120 for a steak? Then you can try one of the gourmet hamburgers that have been made with one of the variety of meats available for six dollars.

How about some jamon iberico? Fresh Iberian ham is available freshly cut for you. If you prefer something more along the lines of seafood, there are various stalls where you can purchase fresh fish and shellfish. You can even order fresh Galician oysters which can be shucked and served to you on an icy plate with a nice vinaigrette to accompany. Of course the list goes on and on. There are stalls with dried goods, freshly made paella and, of course stalls with bread and pastries. We mustn't forget the wine bar where wines from the best bodegas can be purchased to accompany your lunch or dinner.

The Mercado San Miguel, next to the Plaza Mayor in Madrid, is a pioneer in preserving this past with a new twist but now there are other neighborhood markets following suit. In Valencia there is the Mercado Colón housed in an old brick and glass market building this ultramodern market offers something for both the demanding shopper and gourmet.

The recently opened Platea on the Plaza de Colon in Madrid is an incredible and daring culinary masterpiece. Housed in the old Carlos III cinema, this is only partly a market. Divided in three floors you will find on the bottom a mini market of stalls and informal tapas. On the second floor the tapas become more chic and gourmet and on the third floor you will find two-star Michelin chef Ramón Freixa's bistro Arriba. If you stop by for a snack or some shopping be sure to catch an aerial dance, jazz quartet or anything else that is providing entertainment on stage of what was once the movie theater.

Last, but definitely not least, is the Mercado San Ildefonso. This market on Fuencarral Street was born to be a less formal (but not lesser in quality) to the likes of Platea or the Mercado San Miguel. Wanting to emulate the street markets of New York or London, this market has 20 food stalls all of which have first class products fresh from the farm or the sea. Here all the stands sell prepared food, but you will not find any franchises. The objective of this market is to bring together small gourmet food specialists under one roof. The relaxed and casual atmosphere sets this market apart from some of its counterparts.

The idea of the traditional Spanish market still remains in many cities but in places like Madrid, Barcelona, Valencia and Toledo; the concept of what is a market is changing. These changes offer the visitor a combination of convenience, gourmet and entertainment which, for the tourist is great since you won't have to travel around the country to sample the many delicacies Spain has to offer. You'll just have to find the right stand that has what you're looking for.

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Calling all fellow Game of Thrones fans: care to catch a coveted sneak peek at the kingdom of Dorne? Most viewers will behold, for the first time, small screen imagery of the seventh realm sometime next year when season five of HBO’s most popular show ever finally airs. But keep in mind that some filming locations for next season have already been announced; parts of Spain’s southern province and city of Seville will serve as the southron region of the mythical continent of Westeros. All this certainly means that a journey to Seville may be in order, where you’ll get an early first-hand glimpse of Dornish esthetic appeal. 

Seville’s Royal Alcázar palace, a former Moorish fortress complete with wonderful crenulated parapets and cool archways, will most fittingly depict the Water Gardens, the private residence of Dorne’s rulers House of Martell. Film crews plan to dye the waters in the Mercury fountain and pool a mysterious blue, a bold move considering the enduring, valuable, and likely fragile existence of the pool’s 16^th century Statue of Mercury. Filming is scheduled to take place here from October 14 to 22.

Excited observers have wasted no time in pointing out unmistakable similarities between Andalusia’s sunny and sportive capital Seville and Dorne’s capital Sunspear: beyond the similar arid climates, consider Seville’s celebrated copper-topped Giralda tower, an architectural masterpiece from the 12^th century, and Sunspear’s Spear Tower, an intriguing steel-topped structure that towers 150 feet into Dornish skies to dominate the city’s skyline.

Seville’s mayor has called the shoot selection a “magnificent opportunity for Seville”, adding that the show will “project the city’s image all over the world”. Indeed, these words are not wind; 13.6 million viewers around the planet tune in to watch the fantasy series. The international press has been abuzz with coverage of the story, often highlighting Seville’s rich cultural heritage.

Intense thrones drama filming will also occur in Osuna, a village of just under 18,000 located a convenient day trip away from Seville. Attractions here include sweet 16^th century mansions, scenic rock quarries and a striking sandstone bull ring. One panoramic glimpse at the ring conjures epic visions of Daznak’s Pit, where the gates of fate await!

The Song of Ice and Fire

The author of the Song of Ice and Fire novels (which the show is based on) has described Dorne as “definitely influenced a bit by Spain” going on to add that the closest real-life equivalent would be "the Moorish influence in parts of Spain”. In that context, the capital city of Andalusia makes perfect sense as a dynamic backdrop to awesome Game action. The city flourished after the Umayyad conquest of the Iberian Peninsula in the 8^th century.   

While in Seville, you could use your high Valyrian or Dothraki as lingua francas when communicating with local unconditional GoT fanatics, but this is also a great chance to learn and practice Spanish, the second most spoken language in the world in terms of native speakers.

So head to Seville and prepare to check out filming locations and to immerse yourself in a city that embodies the essence of southern Spain, where the fragile fragrance of orange blossoms blends in the sun soaked air with succulent scents of tapas and impassioned rhythms of flamenco. Look forward to seeing you there!

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10 Beautiful Beaches and Cozy Coves in Spain

July is the perfect month to hit the beach and cool off in the water. Join us and explore some of Spain’s lesser-known beach paradises.

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Although they sound like two cars, in reality these are something quite different. The Mercedes, really Nuestra Señora de las Mercedes (Our Lady of Mercy) was a Spanish naval frigate transporting goods and money between the New World and Spain. In 1804, within eye shot of the coast of Spain, this ship was sunk during the battle of Cape Santa Maria.

When the Mercedes went down, it took with it 249 sailors, 36 canons, cloth made from vicuña, quinine and 500,000 gold and silver coins. This battle occurred in time of peace between the UK and Spain and was the result of a decision made by the commander of the British ships, Commodore Graham Moore. What no one knew at the time is that Spain was paying France a secret fee of 72 million Francs annually until war was declared by the Spanish on the English.

With orders to stop the four ships from reaching their destination Moore would try to take over the ships and lead them to a British-friendly port. Of course, to do this he would need the Spanish to surrender to an English convoy that they weren't even at war with. Needless to say, the Spanish refused to surrender and a Mexican standoffish scene—4 frigates from each navy facing each other down from a "pistol-shot's distance"—ensued.

In the blink of an eye canons began to go off on both sides and the Mercedes' magazine was penetrated and exploded from within. Along with that, the English debilitated the other 3 Spanish frigates and achieved their objective of capturing the bounty brought back from the New World. This would also launch a war and become the precursor to the Battle of Trafalgar.

The Odyssey Explorer

Fast forward to 2007. The Odyssey Explorer is a salvage and recovery ship that pertains to treasure hunting company Odyssey Marine Exploration. That year, Odyssey Marine announced that their ship had recovered $500 million worth of silver and gold coins from an undisclosed shipwreck somewhere off the coast of Spain. Prior to this announcement and privy to what was happening off their coast, Spain was closely observing the work the ship was carrying out.

The work of  the Odyssey Explorer had been carried out in such an opaque manner that it was not clear the precedence of the treasure. In different moments it was stated to be from an unnamed shipwreck, it was also said that it originated from another sunken ship, the Merchant Royal. What is clear is that Odyssey Marine never explicitly stated where the coins came from. After recovering the coins, they were unloaded in Gibraltar and sent immediately to the United States where the company filed to legally take possession of them.

The Spanish government, believing that the treasure uncovered by the Discovery Explorer had in fact come from the Mercedes, launched a salvo of legal proceedings in attempt to recover what they believed was rightfully theirs. After the courts found in favor of Spain, Discovery Marine appealed to the United States Supreme Court in a last ditch effort to save their loot. Unfortunately, for Discovery, the court refused to admit their appeal. The lower court ruling stood which stated that since the Mercedes was a Spanish naval vessel, the wreck and cargo were found to be covered by sovereign immunity. This meant that Odyssey Marine had to return 17 tons of coins and other plundered material back to the Spanish government. Since its return, the government has given the treasure to various museums in Spain.

Today, some of that treasure the Mercedes carried is now on display in the newly renovated National Archeology Museum in Madrid. This museum, considered one the best of its kind thanks to its pre-Columbian collection, will hold this fascinating collection of recovered treasure until the end of November. There is also a joint exhibit in the Naval Museum, also in Madrid, where the exhibit is focused more on the construction of the Mercedes, archives and its historical-military context. Admission to both museums is free.

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The world has just lost a woman who knew how to capture in words that sense of shock, that childlike disbelief experienced when you suddenly find yourself in the middle of a war occurring right in your front yard (like she did). Ana María Matute has died, a fundamental figure in the literature of post-civil war Spain. Just months ago she finished her latest novel.

Ana María Matute

Matute was born in 1925 Barcelona to a middle class family. Her Catalan father owned an umbrella factory and her mother, a housekeeper from La Rioja, raised their five children.

At four years of age Ana María became seriously ill. She went to live with her grandparents in the village of Mansilla de la Sierra (La Rioja), where the people and landscape would greatly influence her writing; these early impressions would make up the heart of her 1961 collection of stories Historias de Artámila.  

Civil war broke out just before she turned 11. The horrors of war left an indelible impact on her life. She defined her generation as that of “the astonished children” who had to face a brutal world they didn’t understand: the war and post-war.

Ana María wrote her first novel, Pequeño teatro, at 17. The novel that caught the attention of the literary world was Los Abel (1948), inspired in the generations that followed the Biblical figures Adam and Eve. One year later her Luciérnagas (fireflies) was selected as a runner up for the prestigious literary award the Premio Nadal. The novel did not pass strict censorship in place at the time however and it didn’t even end up getting published until 1993.

This is one of those “Matute matters” (cosas de la Matute) as she would say, referring to herself in third person: either by personal design or by the whims of fate, some of her works remained dormant for extensive periods before reaching the public.  

We see one example of this literary hibernation with one of her most famous novels Olvidando rey Gudú, which sat in a desk drawer for nearly 25 years before its publication in 1996.

Ana María Matute received numerous awards: the Premio Planeta in 1954 for Pequeño teatro, the Premio Miguel de Cervantes in 2010, the Premio Nacional de Narrativa in 1959 and the Premio Nadal that same year for Primera memoria, the Premio Lazarillo de literature infantil in 1965 for El polizón de Ulises, the Premio Ojo Crítico Especial in 1997 awarded by Radio Nacional España for Olvidado rey Gudú, and the Premio Nacional de las Letras Españolas in 2007… and many more.

Matute was an honorary member of the Hispanic Society of America and she became the third woman in history to be accepted to the Royal Spanish Academy.

We’ve lost a female Spanish writer with a timid voice who expressed herself with unique elegance through novels, short stories, and tales for children; a world where she still felt, at the age of 88, like an “astonished child”.  

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Spain has just enthroned her sixth King Felipe. The following is a quick peek at the kingly lives of these six Felipes.

Felipe I of Habsburg: Born in Bruges, Belgium (1487), this Felipe received the Spanish crown and introduced the house of Austria to Spain through his marriage to Juana I de Castilla, daughter of the Catholic monarchs. Juana became heir to the throne of Aragón and Castile when her older siblings Juan and Isabel died. After the death of Isabel the Catholic, King Ferdinand hoped to continue ruling. The flatteringly nicknamed “Felipe the handsome” however was not willing to renounce his own power. They reached an agreement known as the Concordia de Salamanca (1505) which granted joint rule to Ferdinand of Aragon, Juana, and Mr. Handsome himself. Felipe and Juana had six kids, the second would inherit the throne for being born the first boy. He would go on to rule under the name Carlos I.

The son of Carlos I, Felipe II, represents the height of opulence during the Spanish empire. He was the king of Spain, Naples, Sicily, and Portugal, and for four years he was even the king of England. His reign saw the construction of the San Lorenzo del Escorial Monastary, where he died in 1598. He’s something of a controversial figure: some consider him a paragon of virtue while others (including protestant historians) think he was a more of a fanatical tyrant. The Spanish empire would extend around the world under Felipe II’s rule, a time when the famous phrase “the sun never sets on Spain” emerged. He married not twice nor thrice but four times, and had a total of eight kids. The penultimate of these heirs would carry on the Habsburg’s dynasty under the name Felipe III.

Felipe III reached the height of Spanish expression. He showed much more interest in theatre and painting than politics, which he delegated to his favorite, the Duke of Lerma. In many history books, this Felipe’s reign remains in the quiet shadows of ambitious dad Felipe Sr.’s incredibly prosperous rule, along with that of his gramps, Carlos I. Felipe III, known as Felipe the pious, did however achieve a high level of culture in Spain and an unprecedented 23 year period of peace known as the Pax Hispanica. He had eight children with his wife Margarita de Austria. The first-born boy, would be would reign as Felipe IV.

Known as the Planet King, Felipe IV occupied the throne for nearly 45 years, the longest lasting reign of the Habsburg dynasty. The Count-Duke of Olivares Gaspar de Guzmán would prove fundamental to his reign, a politician who maintained a firm foreign policy to preserve Spanish power in Europe. Spain’s constant wars with France and European Protestants drove Spain to a crisis. France’s Louis XIV took advantage of the state of his weakened neighbors and promptly went about becoming Europe’s most powerful king. Felipe IV had seven kids with his first wife Isabel of France, five of whom died before reaching adulthood. He later married Mariana of Austria and had five kids. After the first two boys died, Carlos II inherited the crown. Felipe IV had at least eight children out of wedlock.

Felipe V had to wait 35 years before becoming king, but then he went on to rule for 45 years, the longest lasting reign in Spain’s history. He was also the first Spanish king of the house of Bourbon. His connection to the throne recalls a soap opera-like storyline; this Felipe was the grandson of Luis XIV of France, the great grandson of Felipe IV of the house of Habsburg. He couldn’t take the French throne because he wasn’t the first-born son and because his grandmother had renounced her dynastic rights to marry Luis XIV of France. King Carlos II of Spain had no heirs, so in 1698 the European monarchs put together the First Partition Treaty of Spain, which named José Fernando de Baviera as successor to the Spanish crown. José died a year later however, which obliged Europe’s monarchs to create the Second Partition Treaty of Spain in 1700, granting the crown to Archduke of Habsburg. King Carlos II surprisingly designated his grand-nephew Felipe as heir, hoping that this Felipe, supported by the French crown, would prevent the empire from falling apart. Felipe V was crowned in November of 1700. All European monarchs recognized the new king except the House of Austria. A conflict erupted between the two dynasties, the Habsburgs and the Bourbons, resulting in a war of succession that pitted Felipe supporters and Archduke Carlos supporters against one another in and outside of Spain. In 1713, Carlos ended up taking the throne of the German empire. The rest of the European powers signed the Treaty of Utrecht to control the growing dominion of the Habsburgs. The treaty removed Spain from the Habsburgs’ control, but allowed them to keep their overseas land and their metropolitan areas (except Gibraltar, which was given to Britain). All European monarchs recognized Felipe V, except Emperor Carlos, who continued claiming the Spanish crown.

The latest in this long series of Felipes was proclaimed king on June 19, 2014, with the name Felipe VI. He took the throne after the abdication of his father, who had remained the King of Spain since 1975, after the death of the Spanish dictator Francisco Franco. Upon Franco’s death, Felipe became the Prince of Asturias, heir to the Spanish throne. A young Felipe VI studied for one year in Canada before starting at university. He earned a degree in law from the University of Madrid and later a masters degree in international relations from the University of Georgetown. In 2004 he married Leticia Ortíz, a well-known TV reporter. The couple has two children: Leonor (2005) and Sofia (2007).  

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Young Spanish Musicians

Music is the backbone of this conglomeration of traditions, languages, geographies, and cultures that we call Spain. Spanish heritage is surprisingly rich and diverse, and the music here, in its most “classic” form, provides a special source of inspiration for many Spaniards. Spain has 45 symphonic and/or philharmonic orchestras, but we’ll be taking a quick peek at Spanish youth orchestras.

Limited space for text has obliged us to focus our list on 10 of these groups. We certainly have no intention of undervaluing those that don’t appear here. 

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After reading an article in the Wall Street Journal, an interesting dilemma has come forth for the North American viewer of the World Cup. Is it a better soccer experience watching the game with commentary in a language you may (or may not) know better than English?

Curiously, during the 2010 World Cup, Univision, the Spanish language broadcaster in the US, received consistently higher ratings versus their English-speaking counterparts ESPN and ABC. It wasn't until the final that ABC was able to receive higher marks: 13 million viewers vs. 8.3 million for Univision. In any case, 8.3 million viewers is a hefty number of viewers for a sporting event and a total of 21 million viewers for a soccer final is downright great.

Knowing that there is a demand that viewers apparently desire a more exciting and partisan commentary for their soccer game viewing, Univision is taking on the big broadcasters on their own turf—with English language commentary. For many people, listening to the game with the emotion that normally isn't transmitted in the American English-language broadcast adds an element of entertainment that they want to hear and experience—even  though they may not understand anything that is being said!

The World Cup 2014!

For this year's World Cup, Univision will continue to maintain and reinforce their emotive announcing style while also trying to appeal more to the non-Spanish speaking viewer. This year they will provide more bilingual commentary and their on-air personalities will tweet continuously in Spanish and English. Univision has also hired commentators like ex-Team USA defender Marcelo Balboa, Italian World Cup winner Mauro Camoranesi and ex-Barcelona FC and Bulgarian soccer legend, Hristo Stoichkov.

These commentators will easily move between English and Spanish and their Soccer (or is it football?) credentials are unquestionable. Their insight and experience will be key for the American viewer better understand and appreciate the little details that make soccer the world's most popular sport.

As an American in Spain, I must admit that I really had no clue about this sport when I arrived. Over the years I have slowly come to appreciate the appeal of this sport and how entertaining it can be; living In a country with one of the best soccer leagues in the world also helps a little. But one thing I have noticed here is the completely partisan approach in the transmission of international sports events. From F1 to Soccer there is an unashamed Spanish-centric approach to sports commentating that can be frustrating at times to downright funny.

For a quadrennial global championship where a country's national pride and honor goes on the line, I vote to hear sports commentary where the emotion reflects this urgency and anxiety. We're not talking about a tennis match or a chess game—this is the WORLD CUP! Also, if I had a choice of watching a game in German or Italian (both languages I don't speak but I've seen their soccer coverage) I would take the red-blooded Italian commentary over the German's cold insightfulness any day.

Fortunately for me, in Spain I understand the local commentary and I will enjoy every scream, yell and collective "UFFF". If you're in North America you'll have a viewing choice of two contrasting styles—take a look and pick the one that works for you. You're World Cup experience will depend on your choice.

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Juan Carlos I, King of Spain

On June 2, 2014, at around noon, the news started to spread. Even though it may not have a been a complete surprise there was a shockwave that hit the Spanish and international press outlets: Juan Carlos I, King of Spain, let it be known that he was going to abdicate in favor of his son Felipe, who will soon be known as Felipe VI (Philip VI).

In the Royal Spanish Academy dictionary we can read that the noun abdication is an "action and effect of abdicating", and the verb To Abdicate is: "Of a king or prince: To cease their sovereignty or renounce it."

At 76 years of age, Juan Carlos de Borbón has made the decision to give up his throne so that his son can now take on the role as the Spanish Head of State. The King, after years of shaky health due to different causes, has been hampered in his ability to meet all of his institutional obligations to the level he would have liked. But, what has likely been decisive in his decision is the notable decline in the popularity of the Crown for various reasons, some inopportune, that have involved members of the royal family both directly and indirectly. What this means is that the continuity of the Spanish State is at a turning point in history since Juan Carlos, head of state since the beginning of Spain's modern democracy, will step aside to permit the new generation to take over the reins of the monarchy.

Throughout the history of Spain, among the cases of abdication, there have been two cases that have been curiously close together: In the chaotic times of the latter half of the 19^th century, Queen Isabel II was obliged to step down due to the revolution of 1868, also known as the "Glorious Revolution". She abdicated June 25, 1870 to her son who would reign with the title Alfonso XII. But before he would take the throne, the Constituent Cortes of the Spanish Republic immediately elected a new King from the House of Savoy, Amadeo I. Faced with many problems both internal and external, he abdicated 11 February, 1873. His abdication would open the doors to the short-lived First Spanish Republic and the subsequent rule of Alfonso XII in 1874.

The abdication of Juan Carlos I will inevitably remind us of how he came to be King and his role during the Transition to the Democracy that exists today in Spain. Surely, we will also remember the vital part he played in the failed coup attempt February 23, 1981. Juan Carlos I has been a very popular King among the Spanish people for his affability and simplicity. Unfortunately, this popularity has been declining the last few years for different and unfortunate circumstances which have distanced the King form the people. The role of Crown Prince Felipe has been strengthened during time by efforts of the palace to increase his visibility as well as by the Crown Prince who has been more proactive in his role as future King, actively participating in events representing the Royal Family. Felipe has also earned the sympathy of many Spaniards by "marrying for love" with a well known (and divorced) news anchor, Letizia Ortiz. Felipe and Letizia have continuously demonstrated a high level of personal discretion since their start as a couple, something very different when compared to the tabloid lives of the Infantas (his sisters), which has only strengthened don Felipe's image as heir.

We still do not know when the Coronation will take place for the future King, but it appears as though it will take place shortly, sometime during the month of June.

In the Culture section of donQuijote.org you can find a wide range of reference articles that discuss the history of Spain and assist you in enriching your knowledge with regard to the importance of the event that this article talks about: the abdication of King Juan Carlos I. You can also read our article on the man who will soon be called Felipe VI.

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Americans get a bad rap for not being able to speak a language other than English and that includes their global representative and leader—POTUS or The President of the United States. While heads of state from other countries can give speeches or press conferences in another language (English, more frequently than not) we always see American presidents with an interpreter in tow or just plain speaking in English like to a crowd of Germans at the Brandenburg Gate. Is this image representative of the American capacity to speak another language?

American Presidents Speaking Foreign Languages

Surprisingly, of the 44 presidents that have occupied the office, more than half have had exposure to another language and achieving a level that may not be fluency but certainly enough to read and understand a language other than English. But, this piece of information also comes with an asterisk. Many of the Presidents that have understood another language were taught Greek and Latin which count, obviously, as another language.      

John Adams was the second president of the US, he was a Founding Father, the first Vice-President, diplomat and a 5^th generation descendant of the first Pilgrim settlers. Originally destined to become a church minister, Adams was taught Latin at an early age in preparation for his entrance to Harvard College where he went when he was sixteen. Later, he would also become fluent in French.

Like Adams, 12 of the 23 presidents from the 19^th century were fluent in Latin while some were also fluent in Greek such as Thomas Jefferson (#3) and James Madison (#4). But Greek and Latin don’t really win over crowds. So what 19^th century presidents were fluent in a language that was actually spoken outside of the university?  Well, as mentioned earlier, Thomas Jefferson was fluent in Greek and Latin but he also knew Hebrew (!), French and Spanish. It is said that Jefferson taught himself to read and write Spanish on a nineteen-day boat ride across the Atlantic!

John Quincy Adams (#6) was also multi-lingual speaking Latin, French and German along with a little Greek and Dutch. Speaking of Dutch, Martin Van Buren (#8) has been the only American president to learn English as a second language since Dutch was his first language. Growing up in a small Dutch community in New York, Van Buren learned English during his primary education. Curiously, his wife, Hannah, never lost her Dutch accent.  Apart from Greek or Latin, American presidents would hit a communicative dry spell until Theodore Roosevelt (#26) became president.

Roosevelt was homeschooled and learned French, German, Latin and Greek. Like some other presidents, he passed through the gates of Harvard when classical languages were still  required for getting in (this would not begin to change until 1892). It appears as though Teddy had other things on his mind other than Cicero and he ended up just getting by and would never claim to have fluency in either of the classical languages. With Teddy Roosevelt, the golden age of multi-lingual Presidents would come to an end.

From the 20^th century to the present, language has taken a back seat in the priorities and education of the American President. From Obama (#44) to Taft (#27) here are the Presidents that have fluent non-English language skills:

--Woodrow Wilson (#28) knew French and German.

--Hoover (#31) knew Latin and Mandarin Chinese (from when he worked in China as a mining engineer).

--Franklin Roosevelt (#32) knew French and German. And that’s it.

Jimmy Carter (#39) knows a little Spanish, Clinton (#42) a bit of German and George W. Bush—or just “W”—(#43) knows a little Spanish too which is something he used, more or less successfully, during his presidency. Barack Obama has spoken (or read) Spanish but admittedly doesn’t know it or another language. On the campaign trail he has admitted this by saying “I don’t speak a foreign language. It’s embarrassing”.

 As we can see, the list of presidents that speak or have spoken another language, while on paper, is very positive. But, the result is skewed due to the style of education that was in place in America prior to the 20th century. But even in 19^th century America where people were educated in classical languages, you surely wouldn’t have been able to order a meal at a restaurant in Boston by saying: Ígnósce mihí! Ésurió.

Today, knowing another language is useful for many things and in our increasingly globalized world maybe another 19^th century-style emphasis on languages is needed. Considering that in the US, Spanish is the number two language spoken and in States like California, where Latinos will surpass non-Hispanic whites in numbers, Spanish will continue to grow in importance. Just to give you an idea…in 2050, it is projected that the United States will be the largest Spanish Speaking country in the world and 10% of the world’s population will be Spanish Speakers.        

American presidents are a reflection of American Society and right now the United States is undergoing a tremendous demographic shift which includes migration towards areas that have traditionally not been receivers of immigrants. A clear example today is the fact that Swahili is the most spoken African language in Kansas! In the United States, knowledge of languages will be more and more of a necessity and should not be considered as just another elective in school.

Before, a President speaking another language was a novelty: remember Kennedy’s famous “Ich bin ein Berliner” when he stood up to the threat of Communist Europe? Today, the ability to speak the language of wherever you may find yourself is very practical and considered something positive and welcoming. In the future, for an American president, it may also be politically savvy and essential for survival.

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