Theculture ofSpain is influenced by itsWestern origin, its interaction with other cultures in Europe, its historicallyCatholic religious tradition, and the variednational and regional identities within the country. It encompassesliterature,music, visual arts,cuisine as well as contemporary customs, beliefs, institutions, and social norms. Beyond Spain, Spanish culture is the foundation of most ofLatin American cultures and theFilipino culture.

The ancient peoples of Spain includedCelts,Iberians,Celtiberians,Tartessians,Vascones, as well asPhoenician,Greek andCarthaginian colonies. From an early age, It was entirely conquered byRome, becoming aprovince of theRoman Empire (Hispania). Theancient Romans left a lasting cultural, religious, political, legal and administrative legacy in Spanish history, being today the cultural basis of modern Spain.^[1] The subsequent course of Spanish history added new elements to the country's culture and traditions.

TheVisgoths established a unitedHispania and kept theLatin andChristian legacy in Spain between the fall of the Roman Empire and theEarly Middle Ages.^[2]Muslim influences played a significant role during the Early Middle Ages in the areas conquered by theUmayyads. However, these influences were not completely assimilated into the Spanish culture, leading to conflicts and ultimately to the ChristianReconquista ("Reconquest") that would largely shape the culture of the country.^[3][4] After the definitive defeat of the Muslims during the Reconquista in 1492, Spain became again an entirely unifiedRoman Catholic country. In addition, the nation's history and itsMediterranean andAtlantic environment have played a significant role in shaping its culture, and also in shaping other cultures, such as theculture of Latin America through thecolonization of the Americas.

As of 2024^[update], around 85% of modernSpanish language is derived from Latin. Ancient Greek has also contributed substantially to Spanish vocabulary, especially through Latin, where it had a great impact.^[5] Spanish vocabulary has been in contact from an early date with Arabic, having developed during the Al-Andalus era in the Iberian Peninsula with around 8% of its vocabulary being Arabic in origin and minor influences but not least from other languages includingBasque,Celtic andGothic.

Spain has one of the highest number ofUNESCO World Heritage Sites in the world.^[6]

The term "Spanish literature" refers toliterature written in theSpanish language, including literature composed by Spanish and Latin American writers. It may includeSpanish poetry,prose, andnovels.

Spanish literature is the name given to the literary works written in Spain throughout time, and those by Spanish authors worldwide. Due to historic, geographic, and generational diversity, Spanish literature has a great number of influences and is very diverse. Some major movements can be identified within it.^{[example needed]}

Highlights include theCantar de Mio Cid, the oldest preserved Spanishcantar de gesta. It is written in medieval Spanish, the ancestor of modern Spanish.

La Celestina is a book published anonymously byFernando de Rojas in 1499. This book is considered to be one of the greatest in Spanish literature, and traditionally marks the end of medieval literature and the beginning of the literary renaissance in Spain.

Besides its importance in the Spanish literature of the Golden Centuries,Lazarillo de Tormes is credited with founding a literary genre, thepicaresque novel, so called from Spanishpícaro, meaning "rogue" or "rascal". In these novels, the adventures of thepícaro expose injustice while simultaneously amusing the reader.

Published byMiguel de Cervantes in two volumes a decade apart,Don Quixote is the most influential work of literature to emerge from theSpanish Golden Age and perhaps the entire Spanish literary canon. As a founding work of modern Western literature, it regularly appears at or near the top of lists of the greatest works of fiction ever published.

Spain's greatest painters during theSpanish Golden Age period includedEl Greco,Bartolomé Esteban Murillo,Diego Velázquez, andFrancisco Goya, who became world-renowned artists between the period of the 17th century to 19th century also in early parts of the 20th century. However, Spain's best known artist since the 20th century has been Pablo Picasso, who is known for his abstract sculptures, drawings, graphics, and ceramics in addition to his paintings. Other leading artists includeSalvador Dalí,Juan Gris,Joan Miró, andAntoni Tàpies.

During the Prehistoric period, the megalithic Iberian and Celtic architectures developed. Through the Roman period, both urban development (ex. theEmerita Augusta) and construction projects ( theAqueduct of Segovia) flourished. After the pre-Romanesque period, in the architecture ofAl-Andalus, important contributions were made by the Caliphate of Córdoba (the Great Mosque of Córdoba), the Taifas (Aljafería, in Zaragoza), the Almoravids and Almohads (La Giralda, Seville), and the Nasrid of the Kingdom of Granada (Alhambra,Generalife).

Later, several currents appear:Mudéjar (theAlcázar of Seville), the Romanesque period (theCathedral of Santiago de Compostela), the Gothic period (theCathedrals of Burgos,León andToledo), the Renaissance (Palace of Charles V in Granada), the Baroque period (Granada Cathedral), the Spanish colonial architecture, and Neoclassical style (ex. theMuseo del Prado) are the most significant. In the 19th century eclecticism and regionalism, the Neo-Mudéjar style and glass architecture bloom. In the 20th century, the CatalanModernisme (La Sagrada Família byGaudí),modernist architecture, andcontemporary architecture germinated.

In recent years,^[when?] Spanish cinema, including within Spain and Spanish filmmakers abroad, has achieved high marks of recognition as a result of its creative and technical excellence.^{[citation needed]} In the long history of Spanish cinema, the great filmmakerLuis Buñuel was the first to achieve universal recognition, followed byPedro Almodóvar in the 1980s. Spanish cinema has also seen international success over the years with films bydirectors likeSegundo de Chomón,Florián Rey,Luis García Berlanga,Carlos Saura,Julio Medem andAlejandro Amenábar.Woody Allen, upon receiving the prestigiousPrince of Asturias Award in 2002 inOviedo remarked: "when I left New York, the most exciting film in the city at the time was Spanish, Pedro Almodóvar's one. I hope that Europeans will continue to lead the way in filmmaking because at the moment not much is coming from the United States."

Non-directors have obtained less international notability. Only thecinematographerNéstor Almendros, the actressPenélope Cruz and the actorsFernando Rey,Antonio Banderas,Javier Bardem andFernando Fernán Gómez have obtained some recognition outside of Spain. Mexican actorGael García Bernal has also recently received international attention in films by Spanish directors.

Today, only 10 to 20% of box office receipts in Spain are generated by domestic films, a situation that repeats itself in many nations of Europe and the Americas. The Spanish government has therefore implemented various measures aimed at supporting local film production and movie theaters, which include the assurance of funding from the main national television stations. The trend is being reversed with the recent screening of mega productions such as the €30 million filmAlatriste (starringViggo Mortensen), the Academy Award-winning Spanish/Mexican filmPan's Labyrinth (El Laberinto del Fauno),Volver (starringPenélope Cruz), and Los Borgia (€10 million), all of them hit blockbusters in Spain.

Another aspect of Spanish cinema mostly unknown to the general public is the appearance of English-language Spanish films such asThe Machinist (starringChristian Bale),The Others (starringNicole Kidman),Basic Instinct 2 (starringSharon Stone), andMiloš Forman'sGoya's Ghosts (starringJavier Bardem andNatalie Portman). All of these films were produced by Spanish firms.

Spain is a multilingual country with a relatively complex sociolinguistic situation.^[7] According to the article 3 of the 1978 Constitution,Spanish is the official language of the State,^[8] while other languages may also be official in autonomous communities according to the latter's regional statutes,^[9] as it is the case withCatalan/Valencian,Basque andGalician. Spanish, aRomance language, has become the hegemonic language in Spain.^[10] It has also become aglobal language (with the majority of its speakers now located outside of Spain, most of them inLatin America) and one ofsix official languages of theUnited Nations. Its current hegemony in Spain is subtly fostered by neoliberal discourses on educational choice, flexibility and competition.^[10]

Another Romance language, Catalan is aco-official language in the autonomous communities of theBalearic Islands,Catalonia and theValencian Community (where it is known asValencian). It is also spoken in parts of the autonomous communities ofAragon (inLa Franja) andMurcia (inEl Carche). While most of the native speakers of Catalan are located in Spain, the language is also natively spoken in the microstate ofAndorra and parts of Italy (Alghero) and France (Roussillon). Galician is a language of theWestern Ibero-Romance branch closely related to Portuguese, spoken in the autonomous community ofGalicia (where it enjoys co-officiality along Spanish) and small areas in neighbouringAsturias andCastile and León.

Aranese, a standardized form of the PyreneanGascon variety of theOccitan language, is spoken in theVal d'Aran in northwestern Catalonia together with Spanish and Catalan, enjoying official recognition. Other Romance languages of Spain^[11] include,Astur-Leonese,Aragonese,Extremaduran,Fala language andQuinqui jargon.Caló language, considered a mixedRomani-Romance language, is spoken by a number ofSpanish Romani.

Considered to be alanguage isolate relative to any other known living language, Basque is a non-Indoeuropean language co-official together with Spanish in theBasque autonomous community and in the northern part ofNavarre.

Regarding the Spanish autonomous cities in North Africa, the largely rural variety of vernacularMoroccan "Darija" Arabic characteristic of Jbala is spoken together with Spanish inCeuta,^[12] whereastamazight is spoken inMelilla in addition to Spanish.^[13]

About 56% of Spaniards identify as belonging to theRoman Catholic religion; 3% identify with another religious faith, and about 39% asnon-religious.^[14]

An important Spanish holiday is "Semana Santa" (Holy Week), celebrated the week beforeEaster with large parades and other religious events.^[15] Spaniards also holdpatronal festivals to honor their local saints in churches, cities, towns and villages. The people decorate the streets, build bonfires, set off fireworks and hold large parades,bullfights, and beauty contests.

One of the best-known Spanish celebrations is the "festival of San Fermin," which is celebrated every year in July inPamplona. Bulls are released into the streets, while people run ahead of the animals to thebullring.

Association football is the most popular sport in Spain, with notable teams includingReal Madrid andBarcelona, who rank amongst the most successful and prestigious clubs in world football. Other notable Spanish clubs includeAtlético Madrid,Sevilla,Athletic Bilbao andValencia CF. The top division of Spanish football,La Liga, has featured several of the most outstanding players of all time, such asJohan Cruyff,Diego Maradona,Zinedine Zidane,Ronaldo,Ronaldinho,Lionel Messi andCristiano Ronaldo, the latter two often being featured indebates concerning the greatest player ever. TheSpain national football team have won threeUEFA European Championship titles and theFIFA World Cup in2010. Spain is one of only eight countries ever to have won the FIFA World Cup, doing so in South Africa in 2010, the first time the team had reached the final.

A significant portion ofSpanish cuisine derives from theRoman tradition. The Moorish people were a strong influence in a part of Spain for many centuries. Severalingredients from the Americas were introduced to Europe through Spain during the so-calledColumbian exchange, and a modern Spanish cook could not do without potatoes, tomatoes, peppers, and beans. These are some of the primary influences that have differentiated Spanish cuisine fromMediterranean cuisine,^{[citation needed]} of which Spanish cuisine shares many techniques and food items.

The essential ingredient for real Spanish cooking isolive oil, as Spain produces 44% of the world'solives. However, butter or lard are also important, especially in the north.

Daily meals eaten by Spaniards in many areas of the country are still very often made traditionally by hand, from fresh ingredients bought daily from the local market. This practice is more common in the rural areas and less common in the large urban areas likeBarcelona orMadrid, where supermarkets are beginning to displace the open air markets. However, even in Madrid food can be bought from the local shops; bread from the "panadería" and meat from the "carnicería".

One popular custom when going out is to be servedtapas with a drink, includingsherry,wine andbeer. In some areas, such asAlmería,Granada orJaén inAndalusia, andMadrid,León,Salamanca orLugo tapas are given for free with a drink and have become very well known for that reason. Almost every bar serves something edible when a drink is ordered, without charge. However many bars exist primarily to serve a purchased "tapa".

Another traditional favorite is thechurro with a mug of thickhot chocolate to dip churros in. "Churrerías," or stores that serve churros, are quite common. TheChocolatería San Ginés in Madrid is especially famous as a place to stop and have some chocolate with churros, often late into the night (even dawn), after being out on the town. Often traditional Spanish singers and musicians will entertain the guests.[1]

As is true in many countries, the cuisines of Spain differ widely from one region to another, even though they all share certain common characteristics, which include:

• The use of olive oil as a cooking ingredient in items such asfritters. It is also used raw.
• The use ofsofrito to start the preparation of many dishes.
• The use ofgarlic andonions as major ingredients.
• The custom of drinkingwine during meals.
• Servingbread with the vast majority of meals.
• Consumption ofsalad, especially in the summer.
• The consumption of a piece of fruit or a dairy product asdessert. Desserts such astarts andcake are typically reserved for special occasions.

The Spanish educational system follows a highly decentralized model.^[16] In a gradual manner, most powers over education policies were transferred to theautonomous communities.^[16] The regional public administrations are thus responsible for education policies, funding and expenditure allocation.^[16]

As of 2020, the overarching educative legislation is regulated by theLey orgánica para la mejora de la calidad educativa [es] (LOMCE), anorganic law.

Relative to the average in European countries, Spain has a low share of students in public centres in both primary (69% of students in public centres) and secondary education (68%).^[17] This is largely due to the salient role of the so-called "educación concertada", which allows for privately owned centres funded by public money.^[17]

Bachillerato is usually taken if people aspire to go to college.

• Common Subjects are inred
• Optional Subjects are inpink
• Modality Subjects are inblue
• Technology Via are inyellow
• Natural Sciences Via are ingreen
• Humanities Via are inolive
• Social Sciences Via are inbrown
• Arts Via are inbeige

The cultural diplomacy of Spain has setEuropean integration andIbero-American relations among its main goals.^[18] It has used branding strategies such as the so-calledMarca España [es].^[19] Since the 1980s, Spain has taken part in a number of "horizontal" initiatives as member of multilateral international organizations of the Ibero-American space such as theOrganization of Ibero-American States (OEI, which was repurposed in 1985) and theIbero-American General Secretariat (SEGIB).^[20]

Similarly to other European countries, Spain has used the model of cultural institute (in the case of Spain theInstituto Cervantes) as leading tool for cultural diplomacy, with common aims such as the dissemination of the country brand, cultural exchange and cooperation, and linguistic and educational promotion.^[21]

A strong sense ofnational identity exists in many autonomous communities. These communities—even those that least identify themselves as Spanish—have contributed greatly to many aspects of mainstream Spanish culture.

Most notably, theBasque Country andCatalonia have widespreadnationalist sentiment. ManyBasque andCatalan nationalists demandstatehood for their respective territories. Basque aspirations to statehood have been a cause of violence (notably byETA), although most Basque nationalists (like virtually all Catalan nationalists) currently seek to fulfill their aspirations peacefully.

There are also several communities where there is a mild sense ofnational identity (but a great sense of regional identity):Galicia,Andalusia,Asturias,Navarre (linked toBasque culture),Aragon,Balearic Islands andValencia (the last two feeling attached toCatalan culture in different ways) each have their own version of nationalism, but generally with a smaller percentage of nationalists than in the Basque Country and Catalonia.

There is some traction in the province of León pushing to separate fromCastile and León, possibly together with the provinces of Zamora and Salamanca.

Spain has a long history of tension between centralism andnationalism. The current organisation of the state intoautonomous communities (similar to a federal organization) under theSpanish Constitution of 1978 is intended as a way to incorporate these communities into the state.

• Expressions of Basque, Spanish, Catalan and Galician nationalisms
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  Spanish dress, 18th century, silk.Metropolitan Museum of Art.^[22]
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  Spanish dress, 1802, silk, metal.Metropolitan Museum of Art.^[23]
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  La Señorita, 1878, byJohn Bagnold Burgess, Spain.

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