History of Spain series
Prehistoric Iberia
Roman Hispania
Medieval Spain
- Visigoths & Suevi
- Al-Andalus
- Age of Reconquest
Kingdom of Spain
Age of Expansion
Age of Enlightenment
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First Spanish Republic
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Spain under Franco
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Ferdinand on the left with Isabella on the right

Coffins of the Catholic Monarchs at the Granada Cathedral

The Catholic Monarchs (Spanish: los Reyes Católicos) is the collective title used in history for Queen Isabella I of Castile and King Ferdinand II of Aragon. The title of "Catholic King and Queen" was bestowed on them by the Pope Alexander VI. They married in 1469 in Valladolid, uniting both crowns and eventually through their descendants creating the Kingdom of Spain. This article does not cite its references or sources. ... Image File history File linksMetadata Alhambra-petit. ... This article describes the prehistory of the Iberian Peninsula from the appearance of the first human populations until the arrival of the Phoenicians and the first recorded contacts with other European cultures. ... It has been suggested that this article or section be merged into Iberian Peninsula. ... After the disorders of the passage of the Vandals and Alans down the Mediterranean coast of Hispania from 409, the history of Medieval Spain begins with the Iberian kingdom of the Arian Visigoths (507 – 711), who were converted to Catholicism with their king Reccared in 587. ... Migrations The Visigoths were one of two main branches of the Goths, an East Germanic tribe (the Ostrogoths being the other). ... The Suebi or Suevi were a Germanic people whose origin was near the Baltic Sea . ... Al-Andalus is the Arabic name given the Iberian Peninsula by its Muslim conquerors; it refers to both the Caliphate proper and the general period of Muslim rule (711–1492). ... Conquista redirects here. ... During the reign of Emperor Charles V (Carlos I of Spain), who ascended the thrones of the kingdoms of Spain after the death of his grandfather Ferdinand, Habsburg Spain controlled territory ranging from Philippines to the Netherlands, and was, for a time, Europes greatest power. ... The Age of Enlightenment came to Spain in the eighteenth century with the accession of King Philip V, the first Spanish king of the French Bourbon dynasty. ... History of Spain series Prehistoric Spain Roman Spain Medieval Spain - Visigoths - Al-Andalus - Age of Reconquest Age of Expansion Age of Enlightenment Reaction and Revolution First Spanish Republic The Restoration Second Spanish Republic Spanish Civil War The Dictatorship Modern Spain Topics Economic History Military History Social History Spain in the... Flag of the Spanish First Republic The First Spanish Republic lasted only two years, between 1873 and 1874. ... The Restoration was the name given to the period that began in December 29, 1874 after the First Spanish Republic ended with the restoration of Alfonso XII to the throne after a coup detat by Martinez Campos, and ended on April 14, 1931 with the proclamation of the Second... Anthem: El Himno de Riego The situation near the beginning of the Spanish Civil War Capital Madrid Language(s) Spanish Religion Roman Catholicism Government Republic President of the Government  - April 14, 1931-October 14, 1931 Niceto Alcalá-Zamora  - May 17 1937-January 30 1939 Juan Negrín Legislature Congress of... Combatants Spanish Republic With the support of: Soviet Union[1] Nationalist Spain With the support of: Italy Germany Commanders Manuel Azaña Francisco Largo Caballero Juan Negrín Francisco Franco Gonzalo Queipo de Llano Emilio Mola José Sanjurjo Casualties 500,000[2] The Spanish Civil War (Spanish: Guerra Civil Espa... The Spanish Civil War officially ended on 1 April 1939, the day Francisco Franco announced the end of hostilities. ... The Spanish transition to democracy or new Bourbon restoration was the era when Spain moved from the dictatorship of Francisco Franco to a liberal democratic state. ... To meet Wikipedias quality standards, this article or section may require cleanup. ... The Economic history of Spain covers the development of the Spanish economy over the course of its history. ... History of Spain series Prehistoric Spain Roman Spain Medieval Spain - Visigoths - Al-Andalus - Age of Reconquest Age of Expansion Age of Enlightenment Reaction and Revolution First Spanish Republic The Restoration Second Spanish Republic Spanish Civil War The Dictatorship Modern Spain Topics Economic History Military History Social History The military history... Image File history File links IsabellaofCastile05. ... Image File history File links IsabellaofCastile05. ... Image File history File linksMetadata Size of this preview: 800 × 600 pixel Image in higher resolution (2048 × 1536 pixel, file size: 765 KB, MIME type: image/jpeg) Picture made by Looi, 2006, Coffins of Queen Isabella I of Castile and King Ferdinand II of Aragon in Granada Cathedral File links... Image File history File linksMetadata Size of this preview: 800 × 600 pixel Image in higher resolution (2048 × 1536 pixel, file size: 765 KB, MIME type: image/jpeg) Picture made by Looi, 2006, Coffins of Queen Isabella I of Castile and King Ferdinand II of Aragon in Granada Cathedral File links... Isabella of Castile Isabella (April 22, 1451 – November 26, 1504) was Queen regnant of Castile and Leon. ... 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). ... Ferdinand II of Aragon. ... King of Aragons arms in 15th century The Crown of Aragon or Aragonese Empire was the regime of a large portion of what is now Spain, plus numerous Mediterranean possessions, for much of the later Middle Ages. ... The titles Catholic King and Catholic Queen are awarded by the Pope as head of the Roman Catholic Church to monarchs who in the eyes of the papacy embody Catholic principles in their personal lives and state policies. ... Pope Alexander VI (1 January 1431 – 18 August 1503), born Roderic Borja (Italian: Borgia), (reigned from 1492 to 1503), is the most controversial of the secular popes of the Renaissance and one whose surname became a byword for the debased standards of the papacy of that era. ... Plaza Mayor and city hall, Valladolid Valladolid is an industrial city and its municipality in central Spain, upon the Rio Pisuerga and within the Ribera del Duero region. ...

Isabella ensured long-term political stability in Spain by arranging strategic marriages for each of her five children; political security is important for a country to be considered a great power. Her firstborn, a daughter named Isabella, married Alfonso of Portugal, forging important ties between these two neighbouring countries and hopefully ensuring peace and future alliance. Juana, Isabella’s second daughter, married Philip the Handsome, the son of the Holy Roman Emperor Maximilian I. This ensured alliance with the Holy Roman Empire, a powerful, far-reaching territory which assured Spain’s future political security. Isabella’s first and only son, Juan, married Margaret of Austria, maintaining ties with the Habsburg dynasty, on which Spain relied heavily. Her fourth child, Maria, married Manuel I of Portugal, strengthening the link forged by her older sister’s marriage. Her fifth child, Catherine, married Henry VIII, King of England and was mother to Queen Mary I. Isabella of Asturias (1470–1498) was the Queen Consort of Portugal and the eldest daughter and heiress presumptive of King Ferdinand II of Aragon and Queen Isabella of Castile. ... Prince Afonso of Portugal (Portuguese pron. ... Joanna of Castile Joanna (Spanish: Juana) (November 6, 1479 – April 11, 1555), called the Mad (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 November 6... The extent of the Holy Roman Empire in c. ... Francisco Pradilla Ortizs painting Cortejo del bautizo del Príncipe Don Juan, hijo de los Reyes Católicos, por las calles de Sevilla (Retinue of the Baptism of Don Juan, son of the Catholic Monarchs, Along the Streets of Seville), 1910 Infante don Juan de Trastamare de Aragon y... The name Margaret of Austria belongs to several notable historical figures, including the following: Margaret of Austria (d. ... Maria of Aragon, Queen of Portugal Maria of Aragon (Mary of Aragon or Mary of Spain or even Mary of Castile) (June 29, 1482 - March 7, 1517) was an Aragonese princess, second wife of Portuguese King Manuel I and because of that queen consort of Portugal from 1500 until her... Manuel I of Portugal (pron. ... Catherine of Aragon, born Infanta Catherine of Aragon (Castilian: Catalina de Aragón y Castilla; 16 December 1485 – 7 January 1536) was the first wife of Henry VIII of England. ... Henry VIII (28 June 1491 – 28 January 1547) was King of England and Lord of Ireland (later King of Ireland) from 22 April 1509 until his death. ... Mary I Queen of England and Ireland Mary I (18 February 1516–17 November 1558) was Queen of England and Queen of Ireland from 6 July 1553 (de jure) or 19 July 1553 (de facto) until her death. ...

Isabella, the named heir to the throne of Castile by her father, became Queen in 1469. Her husband Ferdinand became the King of Aragon in 1479 and their marriage united the two kingdoms. 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). ...

Ferdinand and Isabella were noted for being the monarchs of the newly-united Spain at the dawn of the modern era. They oversaw the final stages of the Reconquista of Iberian territory from the Moors with the conquest of Granada & expelled the Jews from Spain under the Alhambra decree. They authorized the expedition of Christopher Columbus, who became the first European to reach the New World in 500 years (since the time of Leif Erickson), which led to an influx of wealth into Spain, filling the coffers of the new state that would prove to be the hegemon of Europe for the next two centuries. Conquista redirects here. ... The Iberian Peninsula, or Iberia, is located in the extreme southwest of Europe. ... Moorish Ambassador to Queen Elizabeth I of England The Moors were the medieval Muslim inhabitants of al-Andalus (the Iberian Peninsula including present day Gibraltar, Spain and Portugal) as well as the Maghreb and western Africa, whose culture is often called Moorish. ... Coordinates: Country Spain Autonomous community Andalusia Settled since 7th century BC Area  - City 88 km²  (34 sq mi) Elevation 738 m (2,421. ... A signed copy of the Edict of Expulsion The Alhambra Decree was issued in 1492 by the Catholic Monarchs of Spain (Isabella of Castile and Ferdinand II of Aragon, married in 1469), following the final triumph over the Moors after the fall of Granada. ... Christopher Columbus (1451 – May 20, 1506) was a navigator and maritime explorer credited as the discoverer of the Americas. ... Carte dAmérique, Guillaume Delisle, c. ...

In 1476 the Catholic Monarchs set out to establish royal authority in Spain. To accomplish their goal, they first created a group named the Holy Brotherhood. These men were used as a judicial police force for Spain. To replace the courts, the Catholic Monarchs created the Royal Council, and appointed chief magistrates (judges) to run the towns and cities. This establishment of royal authority is known as The Pacification of Castile. This article is about courts of law. ...

Their joint motto was Tanto monta, monta tanto ("It amounts so much, so much it amounts"). The motto was created by Antonio de Nebrija and was either an allusion to the Gordian Knot: Tanto monta, monta tanto, cortar como desatar ("...cutting as untying"), or an explanation of the equality of the monarchs: Tanto monta, monta tanto, Isabel como Fernando ("..., Isabella as Ferdinand") Statue of Antonio de Nebrija, outside of the Biblioteca Nacional de España, in Madrid. ... Alexander cuts the Gordian Knot, by Jean-Simon Berthélemy (1743–1811) The Gordian Knot is a legend associated with Alexander the Great. ...

Ferdinand and Isabella were strong leaders who worked to unify Spain physically as well. This was largely achieved after the conquest of Granada in 1492. The birth of Isabella’s son in 1478 consolidated the political stability as it meant a clear line of succession for the Spanish throne. The Conquest of Granada was a play written by John Dryden and acted in 1670. ...

The yoke and arrows as a symbol of the Falange predecessor, JONS.

Their symbol was el yugo y las flechas, a yoke and a fasces of arrows. The yoke is another allusion to the Gordian knot. Y and F are the initials of Ysabel (archaic spelling) and Fernando. This symbol was later used by the fascist Spanish political party Falange, which claimed to represent the inherited glory and the ideals of the Reyes Católicos. Image File history File links Elfas14b. ... Image File history File links Elfas14b. ... Agriculture Oxes wearing yokes A yoke is a shaped wooden crosspiece bound to the necks of a pair of oxen, occasionally horses. ... Roman fasces. ... Fascism is an authoritarian political ideology (generally tied to a mass movement) that considers individual and other societal interests inferior to the needs of the state, and seeks to forge a type of national unity, usually based on ethnic, religious, cultural, or racial attributes. ... Yoke and Arrows. ...

In popular culture

• Roland Orzabal of the music group Tears for Fears wrote a song about Los Reyes Católicos in their 1995 album Raoul and the Kings of Spain.