Isabella of Castile

Isabella of Castile (Spanish: Isabel, Ysabel or Isabela — only Isabel is used in modern Spanish; the equivalent English name is Elizabeth, but she has always been known as Isabella in English) (April 22, 1451 – November 26, 1504) was Queen of Castile and Leon. With her husband Ferdinand II of Aragon she was the co-ruler of a unified Spain. This monarch is known by a variety of other names including Isabel I of Castile and Isabel La Católica ("the Catholic"). Image File history File links From en. ... Image File history File links From en. ... The English language is a West Germanic language that originates in England. ... April 22 is the 112th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (113th in leap years). ... // Events February 3 - Murad II, Sultan of the Ottoman Empire dies and is succeeded by his son Mehmed II. April 11 - Celje acquires market-town status and town rights by orders from the Celje count Frederic II. June 30 - French troops under the Comte de Dunois invade Guyenne and capture... November 26 is the 330th day (331st on leap years) of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... Events January 1 - French troops surrender Gaeta to the Spanish under Cordoba. ... This is a list of kings and queens of Castile. ... Ferdinand and his wife Isabella of Castile Ferdinand II (Fernando de Aragón in Spanish and Ferran dAragó in Catalan), nicknamed the Catholic (March 10, 1452 – June 23, 1516) was king of Aragon, Castile, Sicily, Naples, Valencia, Sardinia and Navarre and Count of Barcelona. ...

Genealogy

She was great-great-granddaughter of both Henry II of Castile and his half-brother Peter I of Castile and their respective wives Joan of Villena and Maria de Padilla. She was also great-great-granddaughter of Peter IV of Aragon and his wife Leonor of Portugal, daughter of King Afonso IV of Portugal, as well as of her half-brother Peter I of Portugal and his mistress Teresa Lourenço. Through John of Gaunt she was great-great-granddaughter of King Edward III of England and his wife Philippa of Hainault and through his first wife of Henry of Grosmont, Duke of Lancaster and his wife Isabel de Beaumont. Finally she was great-great-granddaughter to Nuno Alvares Pereira, Count de Barcelos and his wife Leonor Alvim, Countess of Barcelos. Henry of Trastamara (January 13, 1334 Sevilla - May 29, 1379 Santo Domingo de la Calzada) (Enrique de Trastámara), was the illegitimate son of Alfonso XI of Castile and Leonora de Guzman, and half brother to Pedro I the Cruel (or the Lawful, depending on who wrote the history). ... Pedro of Castile Peter I (August 30, 1334 – March 23, 1369; Spanish: Pedro I), sometimes known as Peter the Cruel or Peter the Lawful was the king of Castile from 1350 to 1369. ... Maria de Padilla was the mistress of the Peter I, King of Castille. ... Peter IV of Aragon (1319-1387), king of Aragon (1336-1387), the Ceremonious or el del punyalet (the one of the little dagger). ... Leonor of Portugal is the name of three Portuguese Princesses. ... Afonso IV of Portugal (English Alphonzo), or Affonso (Archaic Portuguese), Alfonso or Alphonso (Portuguese-Galician) or Alphonsus (Latin version), (February 8, 1291 - May 28, 1357), known as the Brave (Port. ... Pedro I of Portugal (April 8, 1320 – January 18, 1367) was the eighth king of Portugal (in English, Peter I), known as the Cruel (not to be confused with Pedro I of Castile, also known as Pedro the Cruel) or as the Lawful (Port. ... Edward III (13 November 1312 – 21 June 1377) was one of the most successful English kings of medieval times. ... Philippa of Hainault Philippa of Hainault (~1314 - August 15, 1369) was the Queen consort of Edward III of England. ... Henry of Grosmont, Duke of Lancaster (c. ... There were several Dukes of Lancaster in the 14th and early 15th Centuries. ... Blessed Nuno Álvares (also spelled NunÁlvares) Pereira was a Portuguese general of great success with an decisive role in the 1383-1385 Crisis that assured Portugals independence of Castile. ...

She was great-granddaughter of John I of Castile and his wife Eleanor of Aragon, a sister of Kings John I of Aragon and Martin I of Aragon. She was also great-granddaughter of John of Gaunt, Duke of Lancaster and his second wife Constanza of Castile, a daughter of Peter I of Castile. Her third set of great-grandparents were King John I of Portugal and his wife Philippa of Lancaster, daughter of John of Gaunt from his first wife Blanche of Lancaster. Her final set of grandparents were Afonso, Duke de Braganza, a son of John I of Portugal by Inez Perez, and his wife Beatriz Pereira, countess of Barcelos. John I (August 24, 1358 – 1390) (in Spanish: Juan I) was the king of Castile, was the son of Henry II and of his wife Joan, daughter of John Manuel of Villena, head of a younger branch of the royal house of Castile. ... Eleanore of Aragon (20 January 1358 - 13 August 1382) was the daughter of Pedro IV, King of Aragon (1319-1397) and his wife Eleanore of Sicily (~1325-1374). ... John I (1350-1395), king of Aragon, was the son of Peter IV. and his third wife Eleanor of Sicily. ... Martin I (1356—1410), the Elder, the Humane, the Ecclesiastic, King of Aragon (1396 - 1410), King of Sicily (1409 - 1410) was the last direct descendant in legitimate male line of Wilfred the Hairy, Count of Barcelona, to rule Aragon. ... John of Gaunt, 1st Duke of Lancaster (June 24, 1340 - February 3, 1399), the third surviving son of King Edward III of England, gained his name because he was born at Ghent in 1340. ... There were several Dukes of Lancaster in the 14th and early 15th Centuries. ... Constance of Castile (1354 – June 1394) was claimant of the Castilian throne after the death of her father Pedro the Cruel. ... Pedro of Castile Peter I (August 30, 1334 – March 23, 1369; Spanish: Pedro I), sometimes known as Peter the Cruel or Peter the Lawful was the king of Castile from 1350 to 1369. ... João I, tenth king of Portugal (in English, John I) (the Good or sometimes, the Great or even the One With Good Memory), was born in Lisbon on April 11, 1357 and died in the same city on August 14, 1433. ... Philippa Plantagenet, (16 August 1355 - 5 January 1380/1381), Countess of Ulster suo juris, was the daughter and only child of Lionel of Antwerp, 1st Duke of Clarence and Elizabeth de Burgh, 4th Countess of Ulster. ... Blanche of Lancaster (March 25, 1345 - September 12, 1369) was an English noblewoman, daughter of Henry of Grosmont, 1st Duke of Lancaster by his wife Isabel de Beaumont. ...

Her paternal grandparents were King Henry III of Castile and Catherine Plantagenet of the House of Lancaster, a half sister of King Henry IV of England. Her maternal grandparents were Prince João of Portugal, Grand Master of Santiago, who was a brother of Henry the Navigator, and his wife Isabella de Bragança. Henry III (October 4, 1379 — 1406), sometimes known as Henry the Sufferer or Henry the Infirm (Spanish: Enrique el Doliente) was the son of John I and succeeded him as King of Castile and León in 1390. ... Katherine of Lancaster (also known as Catherine Plantagenet and as Queen Catalina of Castile and Leon) (1372/1373-2 June 1418) was the daughter of John of Gaunt and his second wife, Constance of Castile. ... A cobblestone mosaic showing heraldic devices associated with the House of Lancaster The House of Lancaster is a dynasty of English kings. ... Henry IV (April 3, 1367 – March 20, 1413) was born at boilingbroke Castle in Lincolnshire, -=hence the other name by which he was known, Henry of boilingbroke. His father, John of Gaunt was the third and oldest surviving son of King Edward III of England, and enjoyed a position of... John of Portugal (Santarém, January 13, 1400 - Alcácer do Sal, October 18, 1442) was a Prince of Portugal of the House of Aviz, son of King John I of Portugal and his wife Philippa of Lancaster. ... Infante D. Henrique, duke of Viseu, nicknamed o Navegador and generally known in English by Henry, the Navigator, (March 4, 1394 – November 13, 1460), a prince of Portugal, looms large as an important figure in the early days of European colonial expansion. ...

Her parents were King John II of Castile and his second wife Queen Isabella of Portugal. John II (March 6, 1405 – July 20, 1454) was King of Castile from 1406 to 1454. ...

She belonged to the House of Trastamara that had been established by Henry II of Castile. Henry of Trastamara (January 13, 1334 Sevilla - May 29, 1379 Santo Domingo de la Calzada) (Enrique de Trastámara), was the illegitimate son of Alfonso XI of Castile and Leonora de Guzman, and half brother to Pedro I the Cruel (or the Lawful, depending on who wrote the history). ...

Early years

Isabelle was born in Madrigal de las Altas Torres on April 22, 1451, her brother Alfonso came three years later. When her father John II died in 1454, her much older half-brother Henry IV became king. As soon as he ascended to the throne, he sequestered both his half-siblings and his stepmother to Arevalo, a virtual exile. Henry IV, whose first marriage to Blanca of Navarre was not consumated and had been annulled, remarried to have his own offspring. His wife gave birth to Joanna, her nickname "La Beltraneja" however indicating the problem of her paternity. When Isabel was about ten, she and her brother were summoned to the court, obviously to be under more direct supervision and control by the king. Henry proved to be a poor ruler and his nobles were restless. In the Representation of Burgos the nobles challenged the King and among other items demanded that Alfonso, Isabelle's brother, should be named the heir to the kingdom. Henry agreed, provided Alfonso would marry Joanna. A few days later, he changed his mind. The nobles, now in control of Alfonso and claiming him to be the true heir, clashed with the forces of Henry in the battle of Olmedo in 1467. It was a drawn battle. One year later Alfonso died at the tender age of fourteen, and Isabelle became the hope of the rebelling nobles. But she refused their advances, instead she acknowledged Henry as king, and he, in turn, recognized her as the legitimate heir. Henry tried to get Isabelle married to a number of persons of his choice, yet she evaded all these propositions. Instead she chose Ferdinand II of Aragon. They were married October 19, 1469 in Ocaña; another source suggests Valladolid (perhaps the place of betrothal). April 22 is the 112th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (113th in leap years). ... // Events February 3 - Murad II, Sultan of the Ottoman Empire dies and is succeeded by his son Mehmed II. April 11 - Celje acquires market-town status and town rights by orders from the Celje count Frederic II. June 30 - French troops under the Comte de Dunois invade Guyenne and capture... John II (March 6, 1405 – July 20, 1454) was King of Castile from 1406 to 1454. ... Henry IV of Castile, nicknamed the Impotent (ruled 1454-1474), was not a strong king. ... There are several persons named Blanca of Navarre: Blanca of Navarre (daughter of Garcia VI), wife of King Sancho III of Castile, died 1156 Blanca of Navarre (daughter of Sancho VI), also Blanche de Navarre, died 1229 This is a disambiguation page — a navigational aid which lists other pages that... Portrait of Joan the Beltraneja. ... Burgos coat of arms A city of northernwestern Spain, at the edge of the central plateau, Burgos has 166,000 inhabitants in the city proper and another 10,000 in its suburbs. ... Ferdinand and his wife Isabella of Castile Ferdinand II (Fernando de Aragón in Spanish and Ferran dAragó in Catalan), nicknamed the Catholic (March 10, 1452 – June 23, 1516) was king of Aragon, Castile, Sicily, Naples, Valencia, Sardinia and Navarre and Count of Barcelona. ... October 19 is the 291st day of the year (292nd in leap years) in the Gregorian Calendar. ... Events July 26 - Battle of Edgecote Moor October 17 - Prince Ferdinand of Aragon wed princess Isabella of Castile. ... Ocaña, a town of central Spain, in the province of Toledo; on the extreme north of the tableland known as the Mesa de Ocaña, with a station on the railway from Aranjuez to Cuenca. ... Plaza Mayor and city hall, Valladolid The unfinished cathedral and the Plaza de Cervantes, near the University of Valladolid The church of Santa María la Antigua, Valladolid Valladolid is an industrial city in central Spain, upon the Rio Pisuerga. ... Betrothal is a formal state of engagement to be married. ...

Ascend

At this stage, the royal couple was only King and Queen of Sicily, all the Spanish realms were in the hand of others. Worse yet, Henry, upset that Isabelle had married Ferdinand, replaced Isabelle as heir with Joanna. Fortunately, the Cortes supported Isabelle's legitimacy. When Henry IV died on December 10, 1474, Isabelle acted quickly. Three days later, she had herself crowned Queen of Castile at Segovia. While she and Fernando started to reorganize the court, Alfonso of Portugal crossed the border and declared Joanna the rightful heir and his intended bride. Ferdinand beat the invaders back at the battle of Toro in 1476, and the challenge to the crown of Castile was rejected. In a series of separate marches Ferdinand and Isabelle went on to subjugate renegate and rebellious towns, fortresses, and points of power that had developed over time. In 1479 Fernando's father died, and they ascended to become King and Queen of Aragon. In 1480, the couple assembled the Cortes of Toledo where under their supervision five royal Councils and 34 civilian representatives produced a codex of laws and edicts as the legal groundwork for the future Spain. This established the centralization of power with the royals and set the basis for economic and judicial rehabilitation of the country. As part of this reform, and in their attempt to unify the country, Ferdinand and Isabelle solicited the Pope Sixtus IV to authorize the inquisition. In 1483, Tomás de Torquemada became the first Inquisitor General in Seville. Sicily (Sicilia in Italian) is an autonomous region of Italy and the largest island in the Mediterranean Sea, with an area of 25,700 sq. ... ... Events December 12 - Upon the death of Henry IV of Castile a civil war ensues between his designated successor Isabella I of Castile and her sister Juana who was supported by her husband, Alfonso V of Portugal. ... The Alcázar of Segovia For the Spanish classical guitarist, see Andrés Segovia. ... Afonso V of Portugal - Alfonso, Alphonso -, the African (Port. ... Events March 2 - Battle of Grandson. ... Events March 6 - Treaty of Toledo - Ferdinand and Isabella of Spain recognize African conquests of Afonso of Portugal and he cedes the Canary Islands to Spain Great standing on the Ugra river - Muscovy becomes independent from the Golden Horde. ... Sixtus IV, born Francesco della Rovere (July 21, 1414 - August 12, 1484) was Pope from 1471 to 1484, essentially a Renaissance prince, the Sixtus of the Sistine Chapel where the team of artists he brought together introduced the Early Renaissance to Rome with a masterpiece. ... Grand Inquisitor Torquemada Tomás de Torquemada (1420 - September 16, 1498) was a fifteenth century Spanish Dominican, and an Inquisitor General. ... A translation of the Latin Inquisitor Generalis, meaning the leading official of an Inquisition. ... Seville (Spanish: Sevilla, see also different names) is the artistic, cultural, and financial capital of southern Spain, crossed by the river Guadalquivir (37°22′38″ N 5°59′13″ W). ...

1492

Granada

The Capitulation of Granada by F. Padilla: Boabdil before Ferdinand and Isabella

The conquest of Granada took ten years. This kingdom had been held by the Moors since their invasion of Spain in the 8th century. Protected by natural barriers and fortified towns it had withstood the long process of the reconquista. But, in contrast to the determined leadership by Isabelle and Ferdinand, Granada's leadership was divided and never presented a united front. When the Spaniards early on captured Boabdil, one of the rulers, they set him free - for a ransom -, so he could return to Granada and resume his reign. The Spanish monarchs recruited soldiers from many European countries and improved their artillery with the latest and best cannons. Systematically, they proceeded to take the kingdom piece by piece. In 1485 they laid siege to Ronda which surrendered after extensive bombardment. The following year, Loja was taken, and again Boabdil was captured and released. One year later, with the fall of Málaga, the western part of the Moorish kingdom had fallen into Spanish hands. The eastern province succumbed after the fall of Baza in 1489. The siege of Granada began in the spring of 1491. When the Spanish camp was destroyed by an accidental fire, the camp was rebuilt, in stone, in the form of a cross, painted white, and named Santa Fe (i.e. 'Holy Faith'). At the end of the year, Boabdil surrendered. On January 2, 1492 Isabel and Ferdinand entered Granada to receive the keys of the city. The Treaty of Granada signed later that year was to assure religious rights to the Islamic believers. Spain was united and in Isabel and Ferdinand's hands. The Capitulation of Granada, by F. Padilla: Boabdil confronts Ferdinand and Isabella The two-dimensional work of art depicted in this image is in the public domain in the United States and in those countries with a copyright term of life of the author plus 100 years. ... The Capitulation of Granada, by F. Padilla: Boabdil confronts Ferdinand and Isabella The two-dimensional work of art depicted in this image is in the public domain in the United States and in those countries with a copyright term of life of the author plus 100 years. ... Granada is a city and the capital of the province of Granada, in the community of Andalusia, Spain. ... For other uses, see Reconquista (Disambiguation). ... The Capitulation of Granada by F. Padilla: Boabdil confronts Ferdinand and Isabella Boabdil (a corruption of the name Abu Abdullah, or, in full, Abu abd Allah Muhammad Xi) (1460?-1527) was the last Moorish king of Granada (of the Nasrid dynasty). ... Ronda sits at the edge of a canyon Ronda city view Ronda is a city in the Spanish province of Málaga. ... Loja is a toponym in Ecuador. ... Málaga is a port city in Andalucia, southern Spain, on the Costa del Sol coast of the Mediterranean. ... Baza is a town in the province of Granada in southern Spain, in the autonomous region of Andalusia. ... January 2 is the 2nd day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar. ... Events January 2 - Boabdil, the last Moorish King of Granada, surrenders his city to the army of Ferdinand and Isabella after a lengthy siege. ...

Columbus

Columbus before Isabella and Ferdinand

After two failed attempts, Columbus approached the Queen again after the fall of Granada. Again she send him home empty-handed, but possibly after intervention of Ferdinand (that is what he claimed later), she changed her mind. Her guard called him back and his request for support to explore the transatlantic route to India was granted. His conditions, the position of Admiral, governorship for him and his descendants for lands to be discovered, and ten percent of the profits, were met. On August 3 his expedition sailed off. He returned the next year and presented his findings to the monarchs, bringing natives and gold under a hero's welcome. Spain entered its Golden Age of exploration and colonization. In 1494, by the Treaty of Tordesillas, Isabel and Ferdinand divided the Earth - outside of Europe - with Portugal. Isabel tried to defend the American aborigines against the abuse of the colonists. In 1503, she established the Secretariate of Indian Affairs, which later became the Supreme Council of the Indies. Image File history File links Columbus in front of Isabelle and Ferdinand announcing his discovery. ... Image File history File links Columbus in front of Isabelle and Ferdinand announcing his discovery. ... No authentic contemporary portrait of Columbus has been found; this late 19th-century engraving is one of many conjectural images For information about the director, see the article on Chris Columbus. ... August 3 is the 215th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar (216th in leap years), with 150 days remaining. ... A golden age is a period in a field of endeavour where great tasks were accomplished. ... Exploration is the act of searching or traveling for the purpose of discovery, e. ... Spanish conquest and colonization of the Americas began with the arrival in America of Christopher Columbus in 1492. ... Events January 25 - Alfonso II becomes King of Naples. ... The Treaty of Tordesillas signed at Tordesillas (Castile), June 7, 1494) divided the world outside of Europe in an exclusive duopoly between the Spanish and the Portuguese along a north-south meridian 370 leagues (1770 km; 1100 miles) west of the Cape Verde Islands (off the west coast of Africa...

Expulsion of the Jews

With the institution of the inquisition, Isabelle and Ferdinand set a policy of "religious cleansing". On March 31, they issued the Alhambra decree for the expulsion of the Jews (See main article on Spanish Inquisition). Approximately 200,000 people were forced to leave, others converted, often only to be persecuted further by the inquisition eager to uncover Marranos. The Muslims of the newly conquered area had been initially granted religious freedom, but pressure to convert increased, and after some revolts, a policy of forced expulsion or conversion was also instituted after 1500 ( see article on Moriscos). March 31 is the 90th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar (91st in Leap years), with 275 days remaining, as the final day of March. ... Alhambra Decree was issued in 1492 by the Catholic monarchs, (Isabella of Castile married to Ferdinand II of Aragon in 1469), of Spain, following the final triumph over the Moors after the fall of Granada. ... The Spanish Inquisition was the Inquisition acting in Spain under the control of the Kings of Spain. ... The term marrano refers to the Sephardim, Jews from the Iberian peninsula, who were forced to adopt the identity of Christians, either through coercion as consequence of the cruel persecution of Jews by the Spanish Inquisition, or for forms sake, and became Catholic converts. ... Morisco (Spanish Moor-like) or mourisco (Portuguese) is a term referring to a kind of New Christian in Spain and Portugal. ...

Later years

Queen Isabella's Will, by E.Rosales. On the left: Juana and Ferdinand, on the right: Cardinal Cisneros (black cap)

Isabella, a very religious person, received with her husband the title of Catholic monarchs by Pope Alexander VI, a pope whose secularism won no approval by her. Along with the physical unification of Spain, Isabella and Ferdinand embarked on a process of spiritual unification, trying to bring the country under one, their faith. As part of this process, the inquisition became institutionalized. After an uprising in 1499, the Treaty of Granada was broken in 1502 and Muslims forced to either get baptized or to be expelled. Isabella's confessor, Cisneros was named Archbishop of Toledo and instrumental in a program of rehabilatation of the religious institutions of Spain, laying the groundwork for the later counter-reformation. As chancellor he exerted more and more power. Image File history File links QueenIsabellasWill. ... Image File history File links QueenIsabellasWill. ... The Catholic monarchs (Spanish: Reyes Católicos) is the collective title used in history for Queen Isabella I of Castile and King Ferdinand II of Aragon. ... Alexander VI, né Rodrigo Borgia (January 1, 1431 - August 18, 1503) pope (1492-1503), is the most memorable of the secular popes of the Renaissance. ... Cisneros visits the construction of the Hospital of the Charity. ... This article is about the city in Spain named Toledo. ... The Counter-Reformation or the Catholic Reformation was a strong reaffirmation of the doctrine and structure of the Catholic Church, climaxing at the Council of Trent, partly in reaction to the growth of Protestantism. ...

She and her husband had created an empire and later years are consumed with administration and politics, also in part to assure succession and to link to the other rulers in Europe. Politically this can be seen as attempts to outflank France and to unite the Iberian peninsula. By early 1497 all the pieces seemed to be in place: Juan, the crown prince got married to Margaret of Austria, establishing the connection to the Habsburgs, the oldest daughter, Isabelle, was married to the Manuel I of Portugal, and Juana was to get married to another Habsburg prince. However, her plans for these children did not work out. Juan died shortly after his marriage. Isabella died in childbirth and her son Miguel died at the age of two. Queen Isabella's titles passed to her daughter Juana the Mad ('la Loca,') whose marriage to Philip the Handsome was troubled. Isabella died in 1504, before Philip and Ferdinand became enemies. World map showing Europe (geographically) When considered a continent, Europe is the worlds second-smallest continent in terms of area, with an area of 10,600,000 km² (4,140,625 square miles), making it larger than Australia only. ... The name Margaret of Austria belongs to several notable historical figures, including the following: Margaret of Austria (d. ... Habsburg (sometimes spelled Hapsburg, but never so in official use) was one of the major ruling houses of Europe. ... Manuel I of Portugal (Archaic Portuguese: Manoel I, English: Emanuel I), the Fortunate (Port. ... Joanna of Castile Joanna (Spanish: Juana) (November 6, 1479 – April 12, 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... Philip I (July 22, 1478 — September 25, 1506), sometimes called Philip the Handsome (Felipe el Hermoso) was king of Castile, son of the Holy Roman Emperor Maximilian I, and husband of Joanna the Mad, daughter of Ferdinand and Isabella, was the founder of the Habsburg dynasty in Spain. ...

She is entombed in Granada in the Capilla Real, which she ordered built, alongside her husband, her daughter Juana and her husband Philip, and her grandson Miguel. The museum alongside the Capilla Real contains her crown and scepter. Granada is a city and the capital of the province of Granada, in the community of Andalusia, Spain. ...

Children

Isabelle had five children with Ferdinand.

• Isabella of Aragon (* October 1, 1470; † August 23, 1498) - married first Afonso of Portugal, after his death Manuel I of Portugal, died in childbirth, her child died 2 years later.
• Juan of Aragon (* June 28, 1478; † October 4, 1497)- married Margaret of Austria (1480-1530), died after 6 months marriage without offspring
• Juana of Castile, "La Loca" (* November 6, 1479; † April 13, 1555) - married Philip the Handsome
• Maria of Aragon (* June 29, 1482; † March 7, 1517) - married Manuel I of Portugal
• Catherine of Aragon (* December 15, 1485; † January 7, 1536) - married first Arthur Tudor, Prince of Wales, after his death his brother Henry VIII, King of England

A number of famous people in history were named Isabella: Queen Isabella of Angouleme (1187-1246), wife of John of England Queen Isabella of Castile (1451-1504), Queen regnant of Castile Queen Isabella of France (1292-1358), wife of Edward II of England Queen Isabella of Jerusalem (1170-1205), Queen... Prince Afonso of Portugal was born in May 18, 1475 in Lisbon, Portugal, and died in a horse riding accident in the margins of the Tagus river on July 13, 1491, 16 years old. ... Manuel I of Portugal (Archaic Portuguese: Manoel I, English: Emanuel I), the Fortunate (Port. ... Juan of Aragon (* June 28, 1478; † October 4, 1497)- married Margaret of Austria (1480-1530), died after 6 months marriage without offspring ... The Archduchess Margaretha of Austria (10 January 1480 – 1 December 1530) was a Habsburg princess, the daughter of Maximilian I, Holy Roman Emperor and Mary of Burgundy. ... Joanna of Castile Joanna (Spanish: Juana) (November 6, 1479 – April 12, 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... Philip I (July 22, 1478 — September 25, 1506), sometimes called Philip the Handsome (Felipe el Hermoso) was king of Castile, son of the Holy Roman Emperor Maximilian I, and husband of Joanna the Mad, daughter of Ferdinand and Isabella, was the founder of the Habsburg dynasty in Spain. ... 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 death. ... Manuel I of Portugal (Archaic Portuguese: Manoel I, English: Emanuel I), the Fortunate (Port. ... The recently-widowed young Catherine of Aragon, by Henry VIIs court painter, Michael Sittow, c. ... Arthur, Prince of Wales Arthur Tudor (20 September 1486 _ 2 April 1502) was the eldest son of Henry VII 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. ...

Influence

Isabella and her husband established a highly effective coregency under equal terms. They utilized a prenuptial agreement to lay down their terms. During their reign they supported each other effectively in accordance to their joint motto of equality: Tanto monta, monta tanto, Isabel como Ferdinand ("same difference, I. like F.") Their achievements are remarkable - Spain was united, under the crown power was centralized, the reconquista was sucessfully concluded, a legal framework was created, the church reformed. Even without the benefit of the American expansion, Spain would have been a major European power. Columbus' discovery set the country on the course for the first modern world power.

The dark side of their reign also had long-term consequences. The inquisition and their intolerant treatment of religious minorities was harsh and cruel. A negative historic model was set. The brain drain hurt Spain as well.

The regime of Francisco Franco claimed the prestige of the Catholic Monarchs. As a result, Isabella was despised by opposers to Franco. Francisco Franco Francisco Paulino Hermenegildo Teódulo Franco y Bahamonde Salgado Pardo de Andrade (December 4, 1892 – November 20, 1975), abbreviated Francisco Franco Bahamonde and sometimes known as Generalísimo Francisco Franco, was Head of State of Spain from 1936 until his death in 1975. ...

Some Catholic Spaniards are trying to get Isabella declared as blessed and later saint. This has met opposition by Jewish organizations, Liberation theologists and Jean-Marie Cardinal Lustiger. She had many Moors killed after her entrance to Cordoba, but was a protector of the Spanish poor and the Native Americans against the rapacity of the Spanish nobility. At any rate, miracles have reportedly been attributed to her. In 1974, Pope Paul VI opened her cause for beatification. This places her on the path towards possible sainthood. In the Catholic Church, she is thus titled Servant of God. Blessed is a dancehall album by Jamaican musician Beenie Man, released in 1995 (see 1995 in music). ... Canonization is the process of declaring someone a saint and involves proving that a candidate has lived in such a way that he or she is worthy of sainthood. ... Liberation theology is an important and controversial school in the theology of the Roman Catholic Church after the Second Vatican Council. ... Cardinal Jean-Marie Lustiger His Eminence Jean-Marie Lustiger (French pronunciation: ) (born September 17, 1926), French clergyman, was archbishop of Paris from January 1981 to February 2005, and has been a Cardinal of the Roman Catholic Church since February 1983. ... See Córdoba for other places with the same name. ... For the U.S. hockey teams victory in the 1980 Winter Olympics, see Miracle on Ice, or Miracle (movie) According to many religions, a miracle is an intervention by God in the universe. ... 1974 is a common year starting on Tuesday (click on link for calendar). ... Pope Paul VI (Latin: ), born Giovanni Battista Enrico Antonio Maria Montini (September 26, 1897 – August 6, 1978), reigned as Pope and as sovereign of Vatican City from 1963 to 1978. ... In Catholicism, beatification (from Latin beatus, blessed, via Greek μακαριος, makarios) is a recognition accorded by the church of a dead persons accession to Heaven and capacity to intercede on behalf of individuals who pray in their name (intercession of saints). ... General definition of saint In general, the term Saint refers to someone who is exceptionally virtuous and holy. ... Servant of God is the title given to a person of the Roman Catholic Church upon whom a pope has opened a cause of sainthood. ...

Isabella was the first named woman to appear on a United States coin, an 1893 commemorative quarter, celebrating the 400th anniversary of Columbus's first voyage. In the same year she was the first woman to be featured on a U.S. postal stamp, also in celebration of Columbus. Commemorative coinage of the United States consists of coins that have been minted to commemorate a particular event, person or organization. ... Christopher Columbus (conjectural image) For information about the film director, see the article on Chris Columbus. ...

Isabella has been represented in film by actresses such as Lola Flores and Sigourney Weaver. Lola Flores, born February 21, 1923 in Jerez de la Frontera, Cadiz, Spain - died May 16, 1995, was a singer, dancer, and actress. ... Sigourney Weaver Susan Alexandra Weaver (born October 8, 1949 in New York, New York) is a 5 ft 11½ in tall American actress perhaps best known for her portrayal of Ripley in Alien (1979) and its sequels. ...

References

Miller T: The Castles and the Crown. Spain 1451-1555. Coward-mcCann, New york, 1963

See also

• Al-Andalus
• Cardinal Cisneros, Isabella and Ferdinand's famous and powerful Cardinal.
• History of Spain.
• Moors.
• Reconquista

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). ... Cisneros visits the construction of the Hospital of the Charity. ... The history of Spain is part of the history of Europe and of the present-day nations and states. ... The Moors were the medieval Muslim inhabitants of al-Andalus (the Iberian Peninsula including the present day Spain and Portugal) and the Maghreb, whose culture is often called Moorish. Juba II king of Mauretania // Origins of the name The name derives from the old Berber tribe of the Mauri and... For other uses, see Reconquista (Disambiguation). ...

External links

• A genealogical profile of her
• El obispo judío que bloquea a la "santa". A report in Spanish about the beatification at El Mundo.
• Isabella I in the Catholic Encyclopedia
• Music at Isabella's court

El Mundo is the largest newspaper in Spain, with a circulation of 350,297 copies (2003). ...

Henry IV of Castile, nicknamed the Impotent (ruled 1454-1474), was not a strong king. ... This is a list of kings and queens of Castile. ... Ferdinand and his wife Isabella of Castile Ferdinand II (Fernando de Aragón in Spanish and Ferran dAragó in Catalan), nicknamed the Catholic (March 10, 1452 – June 23, 1516) was king of Aragon, Castile, Sicily, Naples, Valencia, Sardinia and Navarre and Count of Barcelona. ... Joanna of Castile Joanna (Spanish: Juana) (November 6, 1479 – April 12, 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...