Spain’s image abroad and how it has evolved over the centuries was the focus of a recent episode of Karambolage, a TV show on Franco-German European culture channel Arte. It traced the evolution of the “Black Legend” from the 16th century to the tourist slogan “Spain is Different”, popularised in the 1960s, suggesting an almost natural continuity between older historical stereotypes and tourism marketing associated with the Franco regime.
In the programme’s account, Spain is today associated with sunshine and flamenco, after having long been burdened with a negative reputation. From the 16th century onwards, at the height of its colonial empire, Protestant rivals spread hostile propaganda that helped shape the so-called Black Legend, portraying Spaniards as brutal and backward. This view persisted, particularly in 19th-century France, where the doubly racist expression “Africa begins at the Pyrenees” placed the country on the margins of a supposedly more civilised Europe.
