Academia Colombiana de la Lengua (Colombian Academy of Language), Bogota

The Colombian Academy of Language (Academia Colombiana de la Lengua, ACL) is a prestigious institution dedicated to the study and preservation of the Spanish language, the promotion of Colombian literature, and providing guidance on linguistic matters in Colombia. Established on May 10, 1871, it holds the distinction of being the oldest of the twenty-three corresponding academies of the Royal Spanish Academy and the first Academy of Language in the Americas. Its founding was spearheaded by Jose Maria Vergara, supported by notable philologists and writers, including Rufino Jose Cuervo and Miguel Antonio Caro.

Approved by the Royal Spanish Academy in 1871, the Academy initially met in private homes, earning Miguel Antonio Caro's description as a "dispersed council." Its first headquarters, Caro's former home built between 1916 and 1918 by Carlos Camargo Quiñones with Pietro Cantini's support, was later demolished to make way for Calle 19 Avenue.

Since the late 1950s, the Academy’s headquarters has been a Neoclassical-style building on Carrera Street, designed by Spanish architect Alfredo Rodríguez Ordaz. The structure was inaugurated in 1960 during the Third Congress of Academies, where the Bogota Convention was presented and signed. The Academy became the official advisor to the Colombian government on language matters that same year.

As a member of the Association of Academies of the Spanish Language, the Colombian Academy of Language continues to uphold its mission of fostering linguistic and literary excellence. Its headquarters, with its rich Neoclassical design, serves as a hub for intellectual and cultural discourse, maintaining the Academy’s pivotal role in the development of the Spanish language and Colombian literature.