The Crown of Aragon & The Reconquista: A History of Spain
The Crown of Aragon in the Mediterranean
Pedro III the Great of the Crown of Aragon launched a Mediterranean imperialism policy. He incorporated three main islands: Sicily, Corsica, and Sardinia. This clashed with French and papal interests. Under James II, the Almogavars, mercenaries originating in Aragon, emerged. The Byzantine emperor hired them to fight the Turks, led by Roger de Flor. However, after Roger de Flor’s murder, they turned to devastation and looting, later serving the Duke of Athens. Alfonso V annexed the Kingdom of Naples against the French, Venice, Florence, and the Pope. He established his court in Naples, which became a major humanistic center, and devoted himself to Italian politics.
Cultural Legacy
Islamic scholars collected works from Greek, Persian, and Indian sources. Ibn Hazam (994-1063) is a famous Al-Andalus poet, known for The Ring of the Dove. In philosophy, Averroes is known for his commentaries on Aristotle, crucial for introducing Aristotle to Western European culture. Al-Andalus spread the Indian numbering system, which replaced Roman numerals. Mathematics and medicine thrived, with Abulcasis, author of a renowned medical and surgical encyclopedia later translated into Latin. Latin became the common language.
The Peoples of the North
These peoples had an economy based on farming, harvesting, and fishing, with agriculture playing a minor role. Archaeological sites include forts and circular house villages built by the Galicians, such as the Castro of Coaña. Phoenicians, Greeks, and Carthaginians arrived on the Mediterranean coasts seeking metals (copper, silver, tin, gold). The Phoenicians, from modern Lebanon, arrived in the 9th century BC, founding colonies like Gades (Cádiz). The Greeks, from Massilia (Marseilles), founded colonies like Emporion (Ampurias) and Rhode (Rosas) from the 6th century BC. The Carthaginians, from Carthage in modern Tunisia, established active colonies like Ibiza.
The Reconquista
First Stage
From Covadonga (722), the northern Christian centers consolidated their territory, reaching the Douro River. Ordoño II moved the center, leading to the Asturian-Leonese kingdom, later the Kingdom of León.
Second Stage
After the Muslim Caliphate’s end and the Taifa kingdoms’ disintegration, Castile and León crossed the Cordillera Central, occupying the Tagus basin. Toledo was reconquered in 1085. After the Almohad invasion, progress slowed. In the east, Alfonso I of Aragon conquered Zaragoza, and Ramón Berenguer IV, Count of Barcelona, conquered Tortosa and Lleida.
Third Stage
After the Almohad arrival, Castile-León gradually ruled the Guadiana valley and the Sierra Morena foothills, culminating in the Battle of Las Navas de Tolosa.
Fourth Stage
Castile, under St. Ferdinand, quickly occupied the Guadalquivir valley (Córdoba, Seville). James I the Conqueror took Valencia and the Balearic Islands, leaving Granada as the Muslim stronghold.
Reyes Católicos
In 1469, Isabella of Castile and Ferdinand of Aragon, both from the Trastámara dynasty, married. After Henry IV’s death, a Castilian civil war erupted between Isabella, supported by Aragon, and Juana la Beltraneja, supported by Portugal. The conflict ended with the Battle of Toro and the Treaty of Alcáçovas. In 1479, Ferdinand became King of Aragon, completing the dynastic union. The new monarchs aimed to unite the peninsula. In 1492, they conquered Granada, completing the Reconquista. A marriage alliance with Portugal failed. With the Treaty of Barcelona, Aragon regained Roussillon and Cerdaña from France, and Castile conquered the Canary Islands. Under these rulers, the kingdoms maintained distinct laws and institutions.