The Castilian War of the Communities is also known as the Revolt of the Comuneros, and in Spanish as la Guerra de las Comunidades de Castilla.

It was an uprising by citizens of Castilian communities against the rule of Charles V and his administration. It took place between April 16, 1520 and February 3, 1522. According to some scholars, this revolt had elements of a modern revolution, notably because of the mixture of hate for social injustice and unfair taxation and the ideals of democracy and freedom were among the causes of the uprising. Charles V (24 February 1500 – 21 September 1558) was ruler of the Burgundian Netherlands (1506-1555), King of Spain (1516-1556), King of Naples and Sicily (1516-1554), Archduke of Austria (1519-1521), King of the Romans (or German King), (1519-1556 but did not formally abdicate until 1558) and... is the 106th day of the year (107th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1520 (MDXX) was a leap year starting on Sunday (link will display the full calendar) of the Julian calendar. ... is the 34th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... Events January 9 - Adrian Dedens becomes Pope Adrian VI. February 26 - Execution by hanging of Cuauhtémoc, Aztec ruler of Tenochtitlan under orders of conquistador Hernán Cortés. ... The storming of the Bastille, 14 July 1789 during the French Revolution. ...

Execution of the Comuneros of Castile, by Antonio Gisbert (1834-1901)

Image:Comuneros. ... Image:Comuneros. ...

Origins

After the death of Ferdinand II in 1516, his grandson Charles became King of Castile and Aragon in co-regency with his mother, the mentally unstable Queen Juana of Castile. Charles, inexperienced and young, brought up in Flanders, modified the government and entrusted important positions to foreigners he had brought with him. His government denied solicitations by the Castilians. The province of Castile itself was in difficulties due to poor harvests and efforts by the nobility to reestablish power that had been lost under Isabella’s rule. Charles’ ambitions in Europe resulted in heavy taxation and people recognized that this money was spent elsewhere. After an expensive election Charles was named Emperor of the Holy Roman Empire and, in the following year, he left Spain to assume his new reign. His mentor, Adrian of Utrecht (the future Pope Hadrian) was left as regent. With more demands for money, rebellion soon broke loose. Ferdinand II of Aragon. ... // Events March - With the death of Ferdinand II of Aragon, his grandson Charles of Ghent becomes King of Spain as Carlos I. July - Selim I of the Ottoman Empire declares war on the Mameluks and invades Syria. ... The starting point of Crown of Castile can be considered when the union of the Kingdoms of Castile and Leon in 1230 or the later fusion of their Cortes (their Parlaments). ... Capital Zaragoza Official language(s) Spanish Area  â€“ Total  â€“ % of Spain Ranked 4th  47,719 km²  9. ... Joanna of Castile Joanna (Spanish: Juana) (November 6, 1479 – April 12, 1555), called Juana the Mad (Juana La Loca), queen of Castile and mother of the Holy Roman Emperor Charles V, was the second daughter of Ferdinand and Isabella, king and queen of Spain, and was born at Toledo on... Anthem De Vlaamse Leeuw (The Flemish Lion) Location of Belgian Flanders in Europe The Flemish Region Capital Brussels Official languages Dutch1 Recognised regional languages Flemish: Dutch Brussels: French and Dutch Government  -  Minister-President Kris Peeters Area  -  Total 13,522 km²   sq mi  Population  -  2006 [1] census 6,078,600   -  Density... Isabella of Castile Isabella I (April 22, 1451 – November 26, 1504) was Queen regnant of Castile and Leon. ... The Holy Roman Emperor was, with some variation, the ruler of the Holy Roman Empire, the predecessor of modern Germany, during its existence from the 10th century until its collapse in 1806. ... The extent of the Holy Roman Empire around 1630, superimposed over modern European state borders Capital None Language(s) Latin, German, many others Religion Roman Catholicism Government Monarchy Emperor  - 962–967 Otto I  - 973–983 Otto II  - 996–1002 Otto III  - 1014– 1024 Henry II  - 1027–1039 Conrad II  - 1046... The house where Adrian VI was born Adrian VI (also known as Hadrian VI or Adriano VI), born Adrian dEdel (March 2, 1459 - September 14, 1523), pope from 1522 to 1523, was born in Utrecht, the Netherlands, and studied under the Brethren of the Common Life either at Zwolle...

The Santa Junta

On April 16, 1520 a popular revolt erupted in Toledo. The royal administrators were driven out, and a citizen committee elected under the leadership of Juan Lopez de Padilla and Pedro Lasso de Vega. Other cities followed. A revolutionary cortes, La Santa Junta de las Comunidades, had its first session in Ávila and declared itself as the legitimate government deposing the Royal Council. Padilla was named Captain-General, and troops were assembled. Adrian responded with force and tried to take Medina del Campo. Through a conflagration the town burned down. More of the country rose up, and the revolt was spreading to the peasants. Adrian’s army started to disintegrate. is the 106th day of the year (107th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1520 (MDXX) was a leap year starting on Sunday (link will display the full calendar) of the Julian calendar. ... For other uses, see Toledo (disambiguation). ... Juan Lopez de Padilla (born 1490 in Toledo, Spain; died April 24, 1521 near Villalar, Spain) was an insurrectionary leader in the Castilian War of the Communities, where the people of Castile made a futile stand against policies of the Holy Roman Emperor Charles V and his Flemish ministers. ... Hernán Cortés, 16th century Spanish conquistador Pablo Cortés, 18th century Spanish slave trader Corte (disambiguation), for the judicial bodies of the Spanish-speaking Americas, and the communes in France and Italy Cortes Generales (General Courts), usually just las Cortes, national legislative assembly of Spain The term Cortes... Complete name of this city: Ávila de los Caballeros Ávila is a town in the south of Old Castile, the capital of the province of the same name, now part of the autonomous community of Castile and León, Spain. ... Annual temperature average: 11,6ºC Annual range of temperatures: 18,4ºC Annual precipitations: 392 mm/m² Dry months: June, July, August and September Months with average temperatures under 0ºC: none Climate: MEDITERRANEAN CONTINENTALIZED // Introduction Medina del Campo is a small town located in the middle of de...

Queen Juana

Troops of the comuneros went to Tordesillas to liberate Juana and declare her the sole sovereign. On September 24, 1520, the Queen, for the first and only time, presided over the Cortes. Charles, in a brilliant counterstroke, appointed the Admiral and the Constable coregents with Adrian, and by this action placated the nobles from whose rank these persons came. Further, many nobles had become frightened by more radical elements of the comuneros and feared social disorder. The comuneros themselves lacked unity and vision. Their attempt to use Juana for their legitimacy blocked their initiative when she fell into a stupor and refused to sign any edicts. By December, the royalists had amassed a new army with the help of many nobles. Tordesillas was conquered and Juana imprisoned. She stayed in her cell for 35 years until her death. The Crest of Tordesillas Tordesillas is a village and municipality in the province of Valladolid, part of the autonomous community of Castile-Leon in central Spain. ... is the 267th day of the year (268th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1520 (MDXX) was a leap year starting on Sunday (link will display the full calendar) of the Julian calendar. ... Hernán Cortés, 16th century Spanish conquistador Pablo Cortés, 18th century Spanish slave trader Corte (disambiguation), for the judicial bodies of the Spanish-speaking Americas, and the communes in France and Italy Cortes Generales (General Courts), usually just las Cortes, national legislative assembly of Spain The term Cortes... Year 1520 (MDXX) was a leap year starting on Sunday (link will display the full calendar) of the Julian calendar. ...

The End

In February 1521, the comunero army was victorious at Torrelobaton, but two months later it received a crushing defeat in the Battle of Villalar. Juan de Padilla together with the two other main leaders, Francisco Maldonado and Juan Bravo were executed and town after town succumbed. The last town resisting was the one where it all started, Toledo. The defense of the city was organized by Maria Pacheco, widow of Padilla. The city surrendered on October 25 under the condition that the life of the comuneros be spared. A truce seemed to be in place but broke down on February 3, 1522, when the Imperial troops crushed a final insurrection. Maria Pacheco fled to Portugal, where she died ten years later. Events January 3 - Pope Leo X excommunicates Martin Luther in the papal bull Decet Romanum Pontificem. ... is the 298th day of the year (299th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 34th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... Events January 9 - Adrian Dedens becomes Pope Adrian VI. February 26 - Execution by hanging of Cuauhtémoc, Aztec ruler of Tenochtitlan under orders of conquistador Hernán Cortés. ...

Aftermath

With the failure of the uprising, Castile became integrated into the Habsburgs' empire. From thereon Castile, under the domination of its loyal nobility, provided the bulk of the Habsburg's military and financial resources, and later, administrators. It became the keystone of the Habsburgs' growing empire. The restored powers of a nobility with their medieval notions about status, government and economics was to retard and even reverse the social and economic development of Spain, which for a long time was disguised by the ever rising importation of silver from the American mines. It would take more than a century, but with the Castilian nobility identifying totally with the Habsburg cause, Castile's interests would be endlessly sacrificed, and ultimately when Castile finally began to crumble under its extraordinary exertions the empire of the Habsburgs soon followed. For now, however, Charles established a repressive regime, but also learned to change his policy towards Spain. He left the administration of Castile largely in Spanish hands. Upon abdication, he partitioned his realm and handed Spain to his son Philip. With Isabella I's reforms reversed the nobility regained power. Capital Toledo (1492-1561) Madrid (since 1561) Language(s) Spanish Religion Roman Catholic Government Monarchy Monarch  - 1516-1556 Charles I  - 1886-1902 Maria Christina of Austria, Regent during the minority of king Alphonse XIII History  - Discovery of the Americas 1492  - Conquest of the Aztec Empire 1519-1521  - Conquest of the... Philip II (Spanish: Felipe II de Habsburgo; Portuguese: Filipe I) (May 21, 1527 – September 13, 1598) was the first official King of Spain from 1556 until 1598, King of Naples and Sicily from 1554 until 1598, king consort of England (as husband of Mary I) from 1554 to 1558, Lord... Isabella of Castile (Spanish: Ysabel, Isabel or Isabela) (22 April 1451 - 26 November 1504) was queen of Castile. ...

The revolt had a distinct Castilian character and was directed against foreigners. Juan de Padilla and Maria Pacheco were the heroes that arose out of the masses. The spontaneous and sudden developments of the uprising were surprising, yet crumbled in the face of determined resolve, and under its own contradictions.

The regional feast of the modern autonomous community of Castile-Leon commemorates the Comuneros, with ceremonies being held at Villalar, now Villalar de los Comuneros, every 23 April. Capital Valladolid Area  â€“ Total  â€“ % of Spain Ranked 1st  94,223 km²  18,6% Population  â€“ Total (2005)  â€“ % of Spain  â€“ Density Ranked 6th  2,510,849  5. ... April 23 is the 113th day of the year (114th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ...

See also

• Castilian nationalism
• Comuneros
• History of Spain

Castilian independentist mural in Belfast Castilian nationalism, or Castilianism, is a political movement that advocates for the national recognition of Castile, and in some cases, its independence. ... Comuneros refers to citizens in Spain or Latin America who organize and participate in an armed uprising against the authorities whose actions are deemed unjust. ... This article does not cite any references or sources. ...

References

• Miller, T. The Castles and the Crown. Coward-McCann, New York, 1963.

External links

• Contemporary event re Comuneros