Medieval Iberian Peninsula: Christian Kingdoms and Cultural Coexistence
The Iberian Peninsula in the Middle Ages
The First Christian Resistance Nuclei
The early stages of Christian resistance against Muslim rule in the Iberian Peninsula saw the formation of distinct nuclei:
The Asturian Core
In 722, a Visigothic nobleman, Pelayo, and the Asturians defeated a Muslim expeditionary force at Covadonga. From that moment, the Kingdom of Asturias began to organize. Alfonso I (739-757) inherited the Visigothic legacy. Alfonso II (791-842) established the capital at Oviedo. Alfonso III (866-910) extended the border to the Douro River, occupying its northern basin (the ‘land’). Upon his death, the capital moved to León.
The Navarrese Core
The Western Pyrenees region lay between Francia and Al-Andalus. After various events, including the Battle of Roncesvalles against the Franks in 778, the Kingdom of Pamplona emerged, led by the Íñiga Dynasty.
The Aragonese Core
This region comprised sparsely settled areas in the central Pyrenees, initially under Carolingian influence, then later Navarrese and Catalan.
The Catalan Core
In the northern area of modern Catalonia, the Carolingian Frankish kingdom established the Hispanic Marches, organized into counties. The County of Barcelona soon prevailed over others.
Key Stages of the Reconquista in Iberia
The term Reconquista refers to the period in Iberian Peninsula history between 718 (the probable date of Pelayo’s rebellion) and 1492 (the fall of the Kingdom of Granada). During this long era, Christian and Muslim kingdoms coexisted and contended for control of the Peninsula. The main stages include:
Early Centuries (8th-10th)
The Asturian kingdom’s border was established along the Arlanzón River, and the middle and lower Douro basin was secured.
Middle Centuries (11th-12th)
The kingdoms of León and Castile advanced beyond the Central Cordillera and into the Tagus basin. Toledo was reconquered in 1085, and Zaragoza in 1118.
Later Centuries (13th)
Castilian-Leonese rule expanded into the Guadalquivir Valley following key victories like the Battle of Las Navas de Tolosa (1212). Ferdinand III of Castile conquered the Guadalquivir Valley by 1252, and James I of Aragon conquered Valencia and the Balearic Islands by 1276.
Final Centuries (14th-15th)
The Christian advance continued across Andalusian territory, leaving only the Nasrid Kingdom of Granada as a Muslim stronghold until its fall in 1492.
Repopulation and Social Structures in Medieval Iberia
The repopulation of conquered territories was crucial. Early models included presura and charters of population. Presura was the simple occupation of abandoned lands. Charters of population were documents authorizing the establishment of new settlements. By the 13th century, kings granted extensive territories to nobles or military orders who had participated in the Reconquista. Social organization was primarily based on the division into estates: nobility, clergy, and commoners.
A Plural Culture: Christians, Muslims, and Jews
During the Middle Ages, despite periods of war and confrontation, the Iberian Peninsula witnessed significant coexistence and cultural fusion among its three major religious groups: Christians, Muslims, and Jews.
Until the 10th century, Islamic Spain (Al-Andalus) was culturally far superior to the Christian kingdoms. A key event in the 9th century was the discovery of the remains of the Apostle Saint James. The Camino de Santiago (Way of St. James) became a crucial route for cultural dissemination. From the 11th century onwards, a strong cultural development emerged, paralleled by the formation of Romance languages: Castilian, Galician, Portuguese, and Catalan-Valencian.
In the 13th century, universities began to appear. Scholarly institutions played a vital role in disseminating European, Greek, Roman, and Oriental scientific, philosophical, and literary knowledge throughout the peninsula.