MAGALLANES, ELCANO, LA MARCA ESPAÑA Y LOS RESABIOS DE NOSTALGIAS IMPERIALES

Abstract

On the occasion of the celebration in 2019 of the Fifth Centenary of the commencement of the circumnavigation of the planet begun by Magellan and completed by Elcano, departing from Seville on August 10, 1519, the Spanish government presented an open agenda for proposals and patronage until 2022, with more than 200 proposed activities from which 74 national and international activities have been selected so far, including exhibitions, music, theater, sports and cinema that appear on the centenary's interactive website. Other countries, such as Portugal and Chile, have joined the epic celebrations with different events and a varied agenda of cultural and educational activities, even investing in infrastructure to celebrate the event. It is worth asking what the real motivations behind this official impetus of these governments to celebrate the centenary are. This presentation proposes that we ask ourselves once again what exactly are governments officially celebrating when a national hero is celebrated or a historical event is commemorated.