Dr. Faustino Menéndez Pidal de Navascués
Civil Engineer at the Escuela Especial, Madrid, 1952. He received his doctorate from the Polytechnic University of Madrid, 1964. He has been a full member of the Royal Academy of History since 1991, Member of the Board of the Academy since 1998 and Honorary Director of the Academy. Numerary Academician of the Real Academia Matritense de Heráldica y Genealogía since 1988 and director of this institution from 1993 to 2009; Numerary Academician of the Académie Internationale d'Héraldique (1977), being appointed Vice-President between 1984-2000 and Councillor since 2001; Correspondent of the Real Academia de Buenas Letras de Barcelona, 1982 and Academician 'of merit' of the Academia Portuguesa da História, 1993; 'Associate Expert' of the International committee of Sigillography, of the Conseil International des Archives, since 1982. He was namedpartner Honorarypartner ' of the Portuguese Institute of Heraldry in 1978. Honorary member of the Société française d'Héraldique et de Sigillographie, 2000. Titular member of the Center programs of study Sorianos, of the Spanish Confederation of Local Centers, 1985. Medal of Honor of the high school of Civil Engineers, 2001. "Aragon Dragon of Honor" of the Institución Fernando el Católico of the Diputación de Zaragoza, 2002. board member of the board of trustees of the Instituto Valencia de Don Juan, 2009.
He has developed several lines of research in relation to sigillography, heraldic emblems and sources for history, focusing mainly on the averagees.
Among his scientific publications are: Medieval Spanish Heraldry, I The Royal House of Leon and Castile, 1982. Matrices of Spanish seals, XII to XVI centuries, 1987, (with E. Gómez). Notes on Spanish Sigillography, 1993. The heraldic emblems: a historical interpretation, 1993. Sellos medievales de Navarra, estudio y corpus descriptivo, 1994, (with M. Ramos and E. Ochoa de Olza), Los emblemas heráldicos en el arte medieval navarro, 1996 (with J. Martínez de Aguirre). Caballería medieval burgalesa: el libro de la cofradía de Santiago, 1997. Lions and Castles: heraldic emblems in Spain, 1999. Libro de armería del reino de Navarra, 2001, (with J.J. Martinena). Sigillography at the Lázaro Galdiano Foundation, 2002. Il messaggio dei sigilli, (Rome), 2002. The coat of arms of Spain, 2004. The nobility in Spain: ideas, Structures, history, 2008.