The Banco de España Historical Archive comprises some 15 km of documentary records in a range of formats, created and collected by the Bank from its earliest days as the Banco de San Carlos (1782-1829), through its period as the Banco de San Fernando (1829-1856) and up to the present time.
Open to the public since 1982, the Archive is one of the best preserved banking archives in the world. It is an essential source for anyone researching Spain’s economic, social and political history over the past two centuries.
Classification scheme
The Archive’s classification scheme arranges the holdings in a clear hierarchical structure and serves as a framework for exploring the collection. It helps users understand how the Archive is organised, how its documentary series relate to one another and the administrative origin of the documents.
(85 KB)Sections of the Historical Archive
The sections that form the upper levels of the classification scheme provide access to key information on different areas of documentation. These include records on shareholders and customers, monetary and financial policy, private banking, banknote issuance, foreign trade and balance of payments, along with many other areas that are central to historical research.