The Iberian Peninsula: Reconquest and Cultural Fusion
First Christian Core Resistance
The first group was the Asturian, emerging after the Visigoth nobleman Pelayo’s triumph in Covadonga (722). During the eighth and ninth centuries, his successors extended their dominion to Galicia and the Basque Country. Earlier still, this kingdom would be called the Asturian-Leonese Kingdom of Asturias.
To the east emerged the Basque Kingdom of Pamplona (778) after the Basques defeated the Carolingians in the Battle of Roncesvalles. In the tenth century, the monarch
Read MoreThe Reign of the Catholic Monarchs: Unification, Conquest, and Discovery
Dynastic Union: Integration of the Crowns of Castile and Aragon
In 1479, ten years after the marriage of Isabella of Castile and Ferdinand of Aragon, the dynastic union of the two crowns took place. Ferdinand II of Aragon ascended the throne after the death of his father, John II, and Isabella I ascended to the Castilian throne after defeating Juana la Beltraneja in a civil war that ensued to determine the successor to her brother, Henry IV.
The union became a political one, albeit non-institutional,
Read MoreThe Rise of Authoritarian Monarchy in 15th Century Europe
The Authoritarian Monarchy: Catholic Kings
15th Century Europe
Throughout the 15th century, Europe experienced a demographic and economic resurgence, overcoming the severe crisis of the late Middle Ages. The political power shifted from the nobility to the monarchs. The disappearance of major epidemics and the recovery of agricultural lands led to sustained population growth. Increased demand stimulated agricultural production, which had previously stagnated. Maritime routes in the Mediterranean,
Read MoreThe Iberian Peninsula: Roman Conquest and Reconquista
The Roman Conquest of the Iberian Peninsula and Romanization
Stages of the Conquest
Conquest of the East and South (218-197 BC)
The Roman conquest began during the Second Punic War against Carthage. Carthaginian settlements in the Iberian Peninsula served as bases for attacks on Rome. The Roman victory at Ilipa in 209 BC ended Carthaginian presence and established Roman rule in the east and south.
Conquest of the Central and West (155-133 BC)
Roman expansion faced resistance from local populations,
Read MoreMedieval Iberian Peninsula: Politics, Society, and Expansion
Political Organization: Castile and Aragon
Castile
Three major political entities dominated the Iberian Peninsula: the kingdoms of Portugal, Leon, and Castile. Leon and Castile experienced periods of unification and separation throughout the 11th and 12th centuries, ultimately uniting under Ferdinand III. The kingdom of Castile encompassed Galicia, the lordship of Biscay, and the provinces of Alava and Guipuzcoa.
The 14th and 15th centuries were marked by political instability. While Alfonso XI
Read MoreAl-Andalus: A History of Muslim Spain
The Iberian Peninsula in the Middle Ages: Al-Andalus
Development Policy: Conquest, Emirate, and Caliphate of Cordoba
In 711, a largely Muslim invasion of Visigothic Spain occurred, establishing a vast empire with its capital in Damascus. The highest authority was the caliph, belonging to the Umayyad clan. Islamic troops swiftly conquered the peninsula (711-715), marching until their defeat by the Franks at Poitiers in 732.
Initially, political power in Al-Andalus rested with a Damascus-dependent governor.
Read More