Spain’s Cultural Heritage: Romans, Christians, Muslims, Jews
Plural Culture: Christians, Muslims, and Jews
In the Middle Ages, despite war and confrontation, there was coexistence and fusion between the three cultures and religions in the peninsula: Christian, Muslim, and Jewish. Until the 10th century, Islamic Spain was culturally superior to the Christian kingdoms. In the 9th century, a key event occurred: the discovery of the remains of the Apostle Santiago. The Camino de Santiago became a crucial route in the spread of culture. From the 11th century, a strong cultural development began, parallel to the formation of Romance languages: Castilian, Galician, Portuguese, and Catalan-Valencian. In the 13th century, Universities appeared. The school was very important in disseminating European mainland culture and the scientific, philosophical, and literary works of the Greeks, Romans, and Orientals.
Outreach Under the Catholic Monarchs: Italy and North Africa
The Catholic Monarchs carried out a policy in Italy, a clear heir to that which the Crown of Aragon had pursued for centuries: confrontation with France for dominance in the Italian peninsula. Sardinia and Sicily were integrated into the Crown of Aragon, and Naples was ruled by a branch of the dynasty, starting with Alfonso V the Magnanimous. Charles VIII conquered Naples in 1495. The Spanish response was immediate, sending troops commanded by a Castilian noble. Spain became a great power in North Africa. The Castilians, fired by the conquest of Granada, practiced a policy of expansion that sought to neutralize the Barbary pirates, supported by the great power of the Eastern Mediterranean, the Turkish Empire.
Charles V: Internal Conflicts, *Comunidades*, and *Germanias*
Upon the death of his maternal grandfather, Ferdinand, in 1516, Charles of Habsburg—who had inherited the territories of Burgundy from his paternal grandmother—had himself crowned King of Castile and Aragon and began traveling to the peninsula. The new monarch did not know Castilian and came with Flemish advisors, occupying the highest positions in the Court and the Church. Charles I called the Courts to vote for new taxes. The reaction was immediate in Castile; protests reminded the king of his obligation to reside in the kingdom and to respect its laws. When Charles left Castile, the revolt broke out in Toledo and soon spread to other cities. The royal authorities were deposed and replaced by new *comunero* aldermen. The rebellion was accompanied by social disorder and anti-seigneurial rebellions in some areas. The nobility began to distance itself from the *comuneros*. The causes of the movement are found in the economic crisis and epidemics that swept over the kingdom of Valencia.
The Romanization Process: Cultural Legacy
Romanization is the full integration of a determined society—in this case, Hispanic society—into the Roman world (economy, society, culture, religion). The indigenous peoples (Iberians, Celtiberians, etc.) gradually adopted Roman culture. Romanization is a key moment in the cultural history of the peoples of the peninsula. Several aspects can be distinguished:
- The Latin language was imposed as the common language.
- Roman law (laws of the state conception, etc.) was adopted.
- Roman polytheistic religion (Jupiter, Saturn, etc.) was practiced, and then, in the 1st century, Christianity spread throughout the Roman Empire, including Hispania.
The Romanization process reached its peak when Emperor Caracalla, in the 3rd century, extended citizenship to all free inhabitants of the Empire. Hispania was one of the most Romanized provinces of the empire. There were important philosophers like Seneca and writers such as Quintilian and Martial.