Clubs Históricos de España

A private club is a meeting place for people with some kind of link: interests, leisure, professional experiences or common cultures. They are not open to the public and all newcomers have to be accepted by the other members.

Mysteries, the odd legend and quite a few myths arise around them. Belonging to one means being classified in some way in a special group, and the truth is that where there are lobbies, economic or intellectual, a club is formed instantly. The type that emerged in the 19th century, as circles of political influence, gave rise to those of the 20th, which were focussed more on sport (sailing, tennis, golf, polo, etc., spawning several Olympic champions on their courts, courses and grounds), and to those of the 21st, whose activity is more solidarity based.

In Spain there are more than a hundred, some of which are over a century old. Their history, that which unfolded in their rooms, that generated by their members, is narrated in the pages of this book. Reading it will give you an insight into an original history of Spain.