The Academy replaced the Latinitas Foundation, which Pope Paul VI erected in 1976, and is linked to the Dicastery for Culture and Education on which it depends.
The Pontifical Academy for Latin was established on 10 November 2012, by Pope Benedict XVI through the motu proprio Latina Lingua.
He envisioned the Academy at the center of a network of academic institutions to enhance appreciation for the heritage provided by Latin civilization.
On 10 November 2012, Professor Ivano Dionigi and Father Giuseppe Caruso were named the Academy's first president and secretary, respectively.
[6] The Pontifical Academy for Latin consists of a president, a secretary, the Academic Council and no more than fifty members who are also known as academicians.