The academia literaria ('literary academy') was a literary tertulia popular during Spain's Golden Age (Siglo de Oro) of literature and the arts, from the early sixteenth century to the late seventeenth century (c. 1500 – 1681),[1] and especially during the reign of the Spanish Habsburgs and, in particular, that of King Philip II (1556–1598), a significant patron of Spanish art and culture.
Many sought to make their voices heard in the literary gatherings frequented by poets and artists for the amusement and entertainment of nobles and patrons: the academia literaria.
Nobles frequently attended these gatherings, with one often assuming the role of Academy president, while a distinguished literary figure took on the position of "secretary".
In all likelihood there was no such academia, but Cervantes' experience of these literary gatherings led him to make derisive reference to a tertulia of people from La Mancha.
[7] Moreover, according to Francisco Márquez Villanueva, Cervantes' Viaje del Parnaso (1614) is a "monumental sarcastic takedown on the pompous aspirations of the academies".