Editing Spain (section)

=== Education and Culture ===

The Spanish education system includes secular public institutions and private schools, generally Catholic. Public education is compulsory and free for children aged six to sixteen. Students can then take one- or two-year vocational training courses or the two-year "bachillerato" (university degree) to enter university. The university system comprises three cycles of study. The first, leading to the "diplomatura," lasts three years. The second cycle, lasting two or three years, leads to the "diplomatura," It awards the "licenciatura." To obtain a doctorate, a third two-year cycle is required. The adult literacy rate is {{Literacy rate}}.

Among the country's major universities are the [[University of Salamanca]] (founded in 1218), which served as a model for Latin American academies established from the 16th century onward, and the [[Complutense University of Madrid]], founded in [[Alcalá de Henares]] at the end of the 15th century and moved to Madrid in 1836. Other historic institutions include the universities of Barcelona (1450), Valencia (1500), Seville (1502), and Granada (1531). The Royal Spanish Academy was founded in 1713, and the Royal Historical Academy in 1738.

Libraries, museums, and art galleries testify to the country's rich cultural traditions. The country's largest book collection is the National Library of Madrid (1712), which contains over four million volumes, as well as rare manuscripts, maps, prints, and the magnificent room dedicated to the great Spanish writer Miguel de Cervantes. The capital is also home to the Royal Palace Library (1760) and the University of Madrid Library (1341). Also important are the El Escorial Library and the Chapter Library of Toledo Cathedral, which houses precious ancient texts (from the 8th to the 11th centuries).

One of the world's largest art collections is housed at the Prado Museum in Madrid, which features works by major Spanish and European painters, while the Reina Sofia Art Center, also in Madrid, specializes in 19th- and 20th-century Spanish painting. Also of great interest is the Thyssen-Bornemisza Museum, an art gallery and cultural center in the capital.

Catholicism is a defining element of Spanish culture. The arts, literature, the country's history, and the very lives of its inhabitants have been marked, over the centuries, by a profound religiosity. Among the oldest folkloric traditions are the fiestas and ferias, which combine sacred and profane elements, solemn processions, dances, music, and songs involving the entire citizenry. The ferias of Valencia and Seville, Corpus Christi in Toledo, and Holy Week in Valladolid are some of the most celebrated Spanish celebrations. One of the country's symbols is bullfighting, an ancient rite governed by a complex ritual.

For further information on Spanish culture, see [[Spanish Art]]; [[Spanish Literature]]; [[Catalan Literature]]; [[Spanish Dance]]; [[Spanish Cinema]].