The trip that Albert Einstein made to Barcelona, Madrid and Saragossa in February and March 1923 was not as an isolated event. He arrived in Spain after spending six weeks in Japan and 15 days in Palestine. Either it was a casual or fortuitous trip. The visit must be placed within its context: there was an effort from state institutions to promote academic and scientific renewal, to modernize education, making it secular and scientific, and to place Spain on the international scene. Two institutions created in 1907 were instrumental in this process: the Institut d'Estudis Catalans and the Junta para Ampliación de Estudios.

Einstein was aware that his theories went beyond the scientific field. Therefore, he addressed people from other fields. His hosts- Esteban Terradas, José María Plans, Blas Cabrera, and Jerónimo Vecino-were physicists or mathematicians, but he also came in contact with intellectuals, politicians, and even aristocrats. Therefore, he gave lectures for scientists with proper mathematical knowledge and talks for a learned, varied audience.

The broad impact of his visit among scientists and society in general is best shown by the press coverage, which included detailed reviews of his lectures as well as cartoons and caricatures of the man and his theories.