Isabella I of Castile.

The Catholic Queen

Index

-BiographyHistorical situation- Important events- Interesting images

Biography

Isabella was born on the 22nd of April of 1451 in Madrigal de las Altas Torres. Her parents were Juan ll and his second wife, Isabella of Portugal. When her father died, her step-brother Enrique lV became king. In 1468, Enrique recognized Isabella as the successor to the kingdom.On 19th October, 1469, she got married with Fernando, son of Juan ll of Aragón and Juana Enríquez. The matriarch had 5 children. The consanguinity of both of them (they were cousins), was accepted by Pope Calixto. When Enrique realized that the matriarch had been consumed without his permission, he declared his daughter Juana Beltraneja, as the heiress to the throne. When Enrique lV died, the nobility was against Juana Beltraneja’s duty. Isabella established a war with her niece Juana, and her victory coincided with the union of Castile and Aragón, that same year, in October 1469. Isabel and Fernando inaugurated the Modern State of Spain.

With this marriage, she had 5 children. Juana, Isabel, Juan, Maria and Catalina. Juana was the heiress of the kingdom of Castile.Then Joana got married with the Bogoñas duke Felipe “el hermoso”.

Summing up…She was born in Madrigal de las Torres the 22 of April in 1451, daughter of Juan ll and his second wife, Isabel of Portugal.

In 1468 her step-brother Enrique IV recognized Isabel as the successor of the kingdom.

But In 1469 Enrique IV disinherited Isabel and declared his daughter Juana Beltraneja, as the heiress to the throne.

When her step-brother died in 1474, Isabel established a war with her niece Juana for the crown of Castile. Finally Isabel

won that war. In that same year she got married to Fernando de Aragon.Both kingdoms (Castilla and Aragon)  joined.

She died the 26 of November , 1504 at the age of 53 years.

Isabel’s Family tree

1504- Isabel’s death

1400-1425

1425-1450

1450-1475

1475-1500

1474- Isabel I got married to Fernando of Aragon

1479- Territori

al Union

1492- Arrival

in Americ

a

1451- Isabel I was born

1474- step-brother died

To sum up…

Historical situation

Context• In the XV century, Spain was divided in kingdoms: Kingdom of

Castile and Crown of Aragon, The Muslim kingdom of Granada, Navarra and Portugal.

• In 1472 one of the most important Queens of the Kingdom of Castile and Crown of Aragon, Isabella I the Catholic queen was born.

• There were lots of problems with religion and the Holy Inquisition appeared to fight the Protestants. Few of new derivations of Christian religion appeared, like Anglicans, Calvinists and Lutherans too

• Queen Isabella I and her husband Fernando, the Catholic king and Queen, added new territories to the Kingdom of Castile:

• Navarra, that was part of France, was conquered.• The Muslim kingdom of Granada, that was the only part of Spain

that was in power of the Muslim authorities since 711, was conquered.

• Portugal was added because of marriages too.

Context

• In 1492, Christopher Columbus, with the help of the Catholic King and Queen, got enough money to be able to travel through the Atlantic Ocean, and thanks to that he arrived in what is now America.

• This new territory brought lots of benefit like silver and gold to the kingdom. The Crown of Castile was bigger than ever, and there is a famous sentence that says: ‘In the kingdom of Castile the sun never sets’. It was so big that when it was night time in Europe it was day time in America, and the other way round

•  

Context

• Time line • In 1451 Isabella the first was born.• In 1474 she married Fernando of

Aragon, who helped her to conquer territories.

• In 1479 the territorial union was produced.

• In 1492 Columbus arrived in America• Isabel died in 1504.

• Population growth (agricultural improvements, less epidemics)

• Growth of cities and increase in commerce and crafts.

+ commerce

The Holy Inquisition

The Holy Inquisition

• The Tribunal of the Holy Office of the Inquisition (Spanish: Tribunal del Santo Oficio de la Inquisición), commonly known as the Spanish Inquisition (Inquisición española), was established in 1478 by Catholic Monarchs Ferdinand II of Aragon and Isabella I of Castile. It was intended to maintain Catholic orthodoxy in their kingdoms and to replace the Medieval Inquisition which was under papal control

Conquests

Arrival in America

Important events

When Isabel of Castile married Fernando of Aragón, the kingdoms of Castilla and Aragón joined .This was like the beginnings of Spain like it is today although Spain, as a kingdom, did not exist yet.

She also completed the reconquest of Spain, expelled the jews and made laws for the protection of the native population of America and started its expansion together with Colombus.

Isabel agreed to sponsor Cristopher Columbus on an expedition to reach the Indies . He arrived in what is now known as Watling Island

To sum up• The two most important things Isabel did I are• - First of all, she promoted and gave money to Cristobal

Columbus for being able to travel across the ocean and discover America. This was the most important hit in the 15 century. A new world of possibilities, to obtain wealth and to acquire knowledge of a new culture were the greatest consequences of this event for the kingdom of Castile.

• - On the other hand, she completed the ‘Reconquista’ of Spain expelling the Jews and making laws for the protection of the native population.

• On November 26, 1504 she died at age 53 in Probate Castile Palace because of uterine cancer. Her daughter Juana I, better known as La Loca (the mad one) was the one who replaced her in the crown.

Interesting Images

Isabel’s WillCoins and

notes with the faces of Isabel and Fernando