# Hijo Predilecto de Andalucía

The title of Hijo Predilecto de Andalucía ("Favorite Son of Andalusia") or in the case of a female recipient Hija Predilecta de Andalucía ("Favorite Daughter of Andalusia") is an honorific title granted annually on August 10 according to decree 156/1983 of the Andalusian Autonomous Government, recognizing exceptional merit or distinction in relation to the Andalusian region, through scientific, social or political actions or works that have redounded to the benefit of Andalusia. It is the highest distinction of the autonomous community of Andalusia.

## The nature of the honor

The honor is granted by agreement of the Governing Council of the Andalusian Autonomous Government, based on names proposed by the President of the Government, passed on by the president's office, the Consejería de la Presidencia. The title is strictly honorific, and does not entail any award of money. The names of those given the title are written in a registry known as the Libro de Oro de Andalucía ("Golden Book of Andalusia"). A medal is awarded with the inscription Hijo Predilecto de Andalucía, along with a silver plaque stating the reason for granting the award in this particular case. Normally at most ten medals are awarded each year, although the Governing Council may make exceptions to that. (In practice, as of 2009 that number has never been reached.) That count does not include awards given as a courtesy or in reciprocity, nor does it include posthumous awards. The honor is awarded in a public and solemn ceremony presided over by the President of the Government, in the presence of the Governing Council, and if possible coinciding with the regional holiday, the Andalusia Day, 28 February. The honor can be revoked if the recipient behaves publicly in a manner counter to the Autonomous Community of Andalusia, the principles of the 1978 Constitution of Spain or the Statute of Autonomy of Andalusia, or prejudicial to the dignity of their basic interests.

## List of Hijos Predilectos de Andalucía

* 1983
    Antonio Cruz García ("Antonio Mairena"), singer, Mairena del Alcor, Province of Seville
    Rafael Alberti, writer, El Puerto de Santa María, Cádiz
    Vicente Aleixandre Merlo, writer, Seville
    Jorge Guillén Álvarez, writer, Valladolid
    Andrés Segovia, guitarist, Linares, Jaén
    Ramón Carande y Thovar, historian and economist, Palencia, autonomous community of Castile-Leon
* 1984
    Juan Álvarez Ossorio y Barrau, historian, activist
* 1985
    Rafael Escuredo Rodríguez, lawyer and politician, Estepa, Seville
    María Zambrano Alarcón, writer, Vélez-Málaga, Málaga
    Antonio Gala Velasco, writer, Brazatortas, Ciudad Real
    Carlos Castilla del Pino, psychiatrist, San Roque, Cádiz
    Antonio Domínguez Ortiz, historian, Seville
* 1987
    José Antonio Valverde Gómez, zoologist
    Manuel Andújar, writer, La Carolina, Jaén
    Juan de Mata Carriazo
* 1988
    Emilio García Gómez, historian specializing in Arabism, Madrid
    Manuel Castillo Navarro, composer and pianist, Seville
    Manuel Rivera Hernández, painter, Granada
    Pablo García Baena, poet, Córdoba
    José Manuel Rodríguez Delgado, physician and neurophysiologist, Málaga
* 1989
    Rafael Montesinos Martínez, poet, Seville, Seville
    José Muñoz Caballero, painter, Huelva
    Luis Rosales Camacho, poet, Granada, Granada
* 1990
    Javier Benjumea Puigcerver, businessman, founder of Abengoa, Seville
    Dolores Jiménez Alcántara "Niña de La Puebla", singer, La Puebla de Cazalla, Seville
    Francisco Ayala y García Duarte, writer, Granada, Granada
* 1991
    José Rodríguez de la Borbolla y Camoyán, lawyer and politician, Seville, Seville
* 1992
    José Antonio Muñoz Rojas, poet, Antequera, Málaga, Málaga
* 1993
    Manuel Losada Villasante, scientist, Carmona, Seville
* 1994
    S.A.R. Doña María de las Mercedes de Borbón y Orleans, mother of the King Juan Carlos, Madrid
* 1995
    Miguel Rodríguez-Piñero Bravo-Ferrer, jurist, professor, magistrate and president of the Constitutional Court of Spain, Seville, Seville
* 1996
    José Manuel Caballero Bonald, poet and essayist, Jerez de la Frontera, Cádiz, Cádiz
* 1997
    No award given.
* 1998
    Felipe González Márquez, lawyer and politician, Dos Hermanas, Seville, Seville
* 1999
    Manuel F. Clavero Arévalo, lawyer and politician, Seville, Seville
* 2000
    Carlos Amigo Vallejo, Archbishop of Seville, Medina de Rioseco, Valladolid
* 2001
    Carlos Cano [es], songwriter, Granada, Granada. (Posthumous.)
    Pedro Cruz Villalón, president of the Constitutional Court of Spain, Seville, Seville
* 2002
    Manuel Jiménez de Parga, president of the Tribunal Constitucional, Granada, Granada
* 2003
    Emilio Lledó Íñigo, professor of philosophy, Seville, Seville
    Christine Ruiz-Picasso, daughter-in-law of Pablo Picasso, philanthropist, Paris, France
* 2004
    Francisco Márquez Villanueva, professor of medieval literature, Seville, Seville
    Leopoldo de Luis, poet, Córdoba, Córdoba
* 2005
    María Victoria Atencia García, poet, Málaga, Málaga
    Julia Uceda Valiente, poet, literary critic, and professor of literature, Seville, Seville
* 2006
    María del Rosario Cayetana Fitz-James Stuart y Silva, 18th Duchess of Alba, (Madrid)
    Carlos Edmundo de Ory, poet, Cádiz, Cádiz
* 2007
    José Saramago, writer, Azinhaga, Portugal
* 2008
    Federico Mayor Zaragoza, former rector of the University of Granada, former director general of UNESCO. Barcelona, autonomous community of Catalonia
* 2009
    Juan Antonio Carrillo Salcedo, Doctor of Laws at the University of Seville, expert in international law, Morón de la Frontera, Seville
* 2013
    Antonio Banderas, actor
    Manuel José García Caparrós [es], syndicalist (posthumous)
    Carmen Laffón de la Escosura, painter
* 2017
Hijos Predilectos
    María Galiana
    Luis García Montero
2018
    José Luis Gómez García
    Guillermo Antiñolo Gil

## Acceptance speeches

Most of the recipients of the award come with a prepared acceptance speech. Politician Felipe González broke somewhat with this tradition in 1998 when he gave part of his speech extemporaneously; writer José Saramago in 2007 gave an entirely improvised speech. During his speech his medal fell to the floor and he had to stoop to recover it. He then continued, "This could be resolved with a Latin proverb, Sic transit gloria mundi, which gained him a round of applause.