Isabella & Ferdinand: Unification of Spain
Isabella and Ferdinand: The Unification of Spain
By the Treaty of Guisando (1468), Henry IV recognized his sister Isabella as heir to the Castilian throne, against the interests of the king’s daughter, Juana “la Beltraneja.” Isabella secretly married Ferdinand of Aragon in 1469. On the death of Henry IV, civil war broke out between Isabella (supported by Aragon) and Juana (supported by Portugal, France, and parts of the Castilian nobility). After the victory of the Isabelline forces in the Battle of Toro (1476), Isabella was proclaimed Queen of Castile. By the Treaty of Alcaçovas, Portugal recognized Isabella as queen.
The marriage of Isabella of Castile and Ferdinand of Aragon did not mean the territorial or political union of the states into one nation, as both territories maintained their own institutions, language, currency, laws, and customs. This held true for future challenges in governance, particularly of Aragon. The kings had stated the conditions of their union in the Concordia de Segovia in 1474: each king would rule only in their territory, but Ferdinand would have some authority in Castile. In any case, the union of the two branches of the Trastámara dynasty, the Castilian and Aragonese, started a new phase in the history of Spain marked by the creation of a modern state, where the authority of the monarchy would be strengthened. The major demographic and economic weight would fall to a growing Castile, leading to the Castilianization of the monarchy in later decades.
The Conquest of Granada
The Kingdom of Granada was (from the great conquests of the thirteenth century) the last stronghold of Al-Andalus in the Iberian Peninsula, basically extending through the current provinces of Malaga, Granada, and Almeria. It was able to remain independent through the payment of considerable *parias* (tributes) in gold. In an attempt to unify the country, achieve religious uniformity in the Peninsula, and fulfill the expectations of enrichment of the nobility, the Catholic Monarchs began their conquest of the Nasrid Kingdom. The war was long and costly (1481-1492).
- In the first phase, the western part of the kingdom was conquered.
- After the capture of Malaga, the conquest of the eastern zone (Almería) began.
- From that moment, the siege of the city of Granada began. From the camp of Santa Fe, the Catholic Monarchs took advantage of internal disputes within the Nasrid Kingdom between Boabdil and El Zagal.
The occupation of the city was held on January 2, 1492. It was agreed that Muslims could keep their customs and religion. However, from 1500, Cardinal Cisneros started a policy of forced conversion to Catholicism, which caused a serious rebellion in the Alpujarras. This rebellion was put down, and the Muslims who did not convert were expelled, with the Moriscos remaining.
The Annexation of Navarre
After Isabella’s death, Ferdinand (during the regency of Castile) conquered the Kingdom of Navarre, which had been under French influence during the late Middle Ages. Ferdinand claimed Navarre through his marriage to Germaine de Foix. From Vitoria, and under the orders of the Duke of Alba, Castilian armies advanced rapidly through the territory of Navarre, achieving its full occupancy in 1512. A year later, the Parliament of Navarre recognized Ferdinand as king, in exchange for Castile respecting the institutions, customs, and privileges of Navarre.