Queen of Castile from 1474, daughter of King Juan II. The marriage of Isabella in 1469 with Ferdinand, who became king of Aragon from 1479, led to the dynastic union of Castile and Aragon (and to the actual unification of Spain). With the help of the union of cities (hermandade), Isabella broke the resistance of the feudal nobility, further limited the city's liberties, laying the foundations for a system of centralized government. Under Isabella, the Reconquista was completed (Granada was recaptured), the expeditions of Columbus were equipped.


On October 19, 1469, Isabella of Castile and Ferdinand of Aragon married in Valladolid. The marriage was secret, as it took place without the consent of the ruling king. The organizers of this marriage can be considered John of Aragon, the father of the groom, and the Archbishop of Carillo. Having officially announced the visit of her mother, Isabella secretly went to Valladolid. Yes, and the groom had to get there incognito, because in Castile he was an unwanted guest.

What's the matter? Isabella at that time was an infanta, that is, the daughter of the deceased king of Castile, not recognized by her half-brother Henry as heir to the throne. In addition, she bore the official title of Princess of Asturias. Henry IV, King of Castile (1454-1474), was only informed on September 8, 1469, shortly before his half-sister's decision to marry Ferdinand of Aragon. It was a rude arrogance, which meant the collapse of all marriage plans cherished by the king in relation to Isabella. The opposition party in Castile, grouped around the Archbishop of Carillo, clearly strengthened at the expense of the princess and heiress to the throne. The opponents of Isabella and her party immediately revived. It was desirable for some to see Juana as the legitimate heiress, pushed aside as an illegitimate child and nicknamed after her supposedly father Beltraneja (la Beitraneja). The betrothed and their supporters therefore had to act very quickly.

The bridegroom's retinue arrived in Castile disguised as harmless merchants. This amazing trip for the bride was not without dangerous adventures. So, in front of the gates of Ortes Burgo de Osma, travelers were bombarded with a hail of stones, mistaking them for vagabonds. Finally, on October 14, 1469, Ferdinand reached Valladolid safely. There, in the house of Juan de Vivero, the bride and groom met for the first time in the presence of Carillo. Of course, this was not a romantic date, but a business meeting. Five days later, the Archbishop of Arillo performed the wedding ceremony, without royal pomp, in a close circle.

Since Isabella and Ferdinand were each other's cousin and cousin, marriage required special papal permission. But Pope Paul II (1464-1471) did not dare to give it, so the envoy of King John returned with nothing, having not settled the matter. However, the initiators of the marriage, on which such great hopes were placed and for which great plans were made, were not at all embarrassed by this. Without hesitation, they fabricated required document in order to receive the papal seal retroactively. So it, however, happened on December 1, 1471, in the papacy of Sixtus IV (1471-1484).

Why did the ambitious but pious Isabella agree to the wedding under such circumstances? Completely different marriage projects were built for the princess who had not yet matured: it was planned, among other things, to marry the thirteen-year-old Isabella to the aged Portuguese king Alfonso V. However, this marriage never took place. Another marriage project, undesirable for Isabella herself, fell through in 1466 due to the sudden death of her fiancé, Don Pedro Giron Pacheco, Grand Master of the Order of Calatrava. After that, the English king Edward IV offered his brother as a possible spouse of Isabella.

The French king did not stand aside, who immediately proposed his brother, Charles of Guyenne, Duke of Berry, as a candidate. All of them, however, were preferred by the Aragonese prince Ferdinand (who was a year younger than the bride). Isabella's biographer, Leucht, believes that decisive reason this was Isabella's vision of her future mission. The princess wanted to avoid the political tutelage of her old and experienced husband, and in Ferdinand she saw a husband who was unable to challenge her right to independent government: Isabella wanted to become an autocratic queen of Castile.

Even before the wedding, on January 7, 1469, Ferdinand signed an agreement under which he pledged to work closely with Isabella in everything, make all decisions together with her, sign all decrees with the queen and recognize only Isabella as the legitimate bearer of the crown. Thus, Ferdinand of Aragon was given the role of prince consort in Castile.

Even at a young age, perseverance, thoroughness and God-fearing, but at the same time arrogance, were noted in the character of Isabella. In her appearance, her greenish-blue eyes, characteristic of representatives of the Trastamara clan, were especially distinguished. Delicate complexion and golden hair made you forget about short stature and not particularly graceful physique. Probably, in her appearance there was an innate nobility and dignity, which attracted her.

Presumably, Isabella was born on April 22, 1451 in Madrigal-le-las-Atlas Torres, near Avila, and was the third daughter of King John II and his second wife, Isabella of Portugal. At the age of four, she lost her father. Therefore, Isabella spent her childhood in an almost monastic seclusion in Arevalo, in the mountainous Castile, together with her mother and younger brother Alfonso. The queen dowager dedicated herself social activities, charity of the poor and sick. However, from time to time Isabella's mother plunged into black melancholy, which eventually completely took possession of her. Since Isabella was not considered as the heir to the throne, her upbringing was not accompanied by a purposeful education. Life proceeded in a calm, religious atmosphere. The Infanta was instructed in reading, writing and good manners. Embroidery, which she mastered best, later became her favorite Rest from exhausting state affairs. There were a lot of gaps in her education, so she had to make up a lot later on herself.

In 1464, Isabella is called to his court in Segovia by her half-brother, King Henry. And this radically changes the measured and modest life of the girl Otyne, she learns to navigate court life and assert herself. In addition, the princess discovers a beautifully stocked library left behind by her book-loving father. Isabella diligently studies the works of ancient classics. But Latin, the language of diplomacy of that time, she learned only in 1482 from her teachers: the Dominican monks Diego de Deza, Pascual de Ampudia and Andres de Miranda.

Apparently, at the court of Henry IV, who was distinguished by very frivolous morals, Isabella had to lock herself in her cell so as not to be drawn into rampant orgies and dangerous intrigues. The impressions received in her youth from the hopelessly degrading monarchy must have left a deep imprint in her memory for a long time.

Ferdinand, who was born on March 10, 1452 in the Aragonese town of Soe in the family of John II and his second wife Juana Enriquez, daughter of the admiral of Castile, was thin, shorter than Isabella, and besides, she was a year younger. He had a swarthy face Brown eyes and black hair. His rather exotic appearance, apparently, almost magnetically attracted to him, and especially the female sex. Already in adolescence, Ferdinand was known as a womanizer. Even before marriage, he had two illegitimate children, and after his marriage, two more were added to them. He made his illegitimate son, Alfonso of Aragon, Bishop of Zaragoza, and his daughter, Juana of Aragon, he married Don Bernardino Fernandez de Velasco, constable of Castile. Two of his other daughters, both called Maries of Aragon, were assigned to the monastery of Santa Maria de Grazia near Madrid.

The relationship between Isabella of Castile and Ferdinand of Aragon is one of the most famous stories love. This royal couple entered into an official marriage in 1469. Ten years later, Ferdinand became King of Aragon, leading to an important dynastic union. The rulers of Castile and Aragon actually became one family, in fact, this is what led to the unification of Spain.

Ferdinand of Aragon

Isabella of Castile and Ferdinand of Aragon lived together from 1469. Ferdinand was born in the town of Sos in 1452.

He reigned for forty years, and thanks to happy circumstances, as well as his own talents, he played key role in medieval European politics. He achieved official association Aragon and Castile, during his reign the Reconquista ended, the discovery of America took place.

It was under him that Spain entered the time of true prosperity. Together with his matchmaker, Maximilian I, he became one of the architects of the "World Empire", which his grandson would later build.

The result of his reign was the formation of a strong power in Spain. He had many enemies, whom he was able to defeat not only with his strength, but also with cunning. He prepared for his heir a colossal state that retained its traditions, laws, and complete autonomy.

Isabella of Castile

Isabella of Castile became one of the founders of the Spanish state. She was a fanatical Catholic, having managed to establish Christianity in a country in which completely different, including hostile, religions existed for many years.

She was a fairly strong ruler, at times showing unjustified cruelty, but there were also deeds that adorned her reign. But in general, historians perceive her as a very controversial woman who was a very influential person in European politics.

She was born in the family of Juan II - the Castilian king. When she was born, Spain experienced not better times. The country consisted of scattered independent kingdoms. Moreover, if Aragon and Castile were Christian states, then in their neighboring Granada, the Muslim religion prevailed, since the Moors predominantly lived there. Isabella was brought up as a true Christian, the rejection of non-Christians was cultivated in the family. Therefore, even as a child, she began to dream of expelling them from the country.

At the age of four, she lost her father, her mother was forced to leave the palace, because her stepson, who was a greedy and mercenary man, took the throne.

Engagement to Ferdinand

An important landmark event in her life was her engagement to the young heir to the throne of Aragon. Isabella of Castile and Ferdinand of Aragon first met in 1469. They immediately liked each other. The future queen was initially told a lot about the future groom, so she managed to fall in love with him in absentia. What happens infrequently, reality did not deceive her. Ferdinand was tall and charming, very self-confident.

The first years of family life

Their beginning family life was very successful. Isabella of Castile and Ferdinand of Aragon, whose biography is given in this article, already in 1470 had their first child. It was a girl. Four years later, Isabella's brother Heinrich died. After that, she officially became Queen of Castile. It was after this that the two largest Spanish states were reunited. There was a favorable occasion to oppose the Muslim Granada, which frankly annoyed many, including those in the royal palace.

A brief biography of Isabella of Castile and Ferdinand of Aragon confirms that they hastened to make the most of this opportunity. Their interests and life values ​​completely coincided, therefore, from 1480, the united army waged war against the Moors.

War with the Moors

Contemporaries of Isabella of Castile and Ferdinand of Aragon noted that it was not possible to participate in wars for a long time because of the rulers' addiction to campaigns and risky adventures. Isabella herself endured, along with men, many hardships of military life, but at the same time she managed to give birth to ten children from her husband. Five of them died in infancy, but the rest were able to survive.

At the same time, outwardly, the queen did not at all resemble a warlike lady. On the contrary, she was a rather frail woman with pale skin and attractive brown hair.

royal offspring

The children of Isabella of Castile and Ferdinand of Aragon constantly accompanied their parents on all military campaigns. They lived modestly, the younger ones wore the clothes of the elders, they did not bathe in luxury at all.

The queen did not leave them in the palace, accustoming them to hardships and hardships from an early age. She herself devoted a lot of time to their upbringing, especially religious, as she was fanatically devoted to God. Especially the royal couple pinned their hopes on their son Juan, foreseeing that he would become their successor.

Isabella also sincerely loved her daughter Juana, who often reminded her of her mother. The girl was just as nervous and quick-tempered. But her fate was tragic. Juana became the wife of Philip of Burgundy, bore him a son, but then mental problems made themselves felt, she lost her mind. When her husband died, she was taken to a remote castle, where she died in complete oblivion.

Tragically died and the son of Isabella - Juan. At the age of 19, his life unexpectedly ended for everyone. After that, Isabella became especially irritable and gloomy. Yes, and relations with Ferdinand went wrong.

Problems in family life

The marriage of Isabella of Castile and Ferdinand of Aragon was only at first unclouded. Over time, two strong natures began to compete, conflicts constantly arose. After the death of their son, the couple became very distant from each other. Ferdinand had a mistress, whom he practically did not hide from his wife, and Isabella began to devote herself completely to religion, turning into a real man-hater.

Until the end of her life, she did not recover from grief. Therefore, the love story of Ferdinand of Aragon and Isabella of Castile, which began so rosy, has a sad ending. Heartbroken for her dead children, she turned into a decrepit woman who was completely uninteresting and unneeded by her husband.

The only consolation she found was that her romantic dream, which she dreamed of as a child, had come true.

Victory over Granada

On January 2, 1492, a landmark event in Spanish history took place. The Moors surrendered Granada. Ferdinand and Isabella solemnly entered the palace, located in the Alhambra. From that day began the history of a single Spanish nation.

Moreover, the queen managed to destroy the religious diversity she hated. Catholicism finally entrenched itself on Spanish soil. An edict was issued according to which the entire non-Christian population had to leave Spain as soon as possible. Jews and Muslims then found themselves under the heavy yoke of the Inquisition.

By the way, the revival of the Inquisition in 1480 became the darkest page of her reign. Since then, for several hundred years, Spain has been known as a country that is irreconcilable to other faiths, all non-Catholics were subjected to repression.

Money for the expeditions of Columbus

Another great achievement of this married couple was the support of the adventurous traveler Christopher Columbus, who discovered America. They supported his expedition, in which he sought to prove to everyone that the earth is not flat, but spherical, so you can swim to India if you sail west.

He traveled to all European courts in search of help, but none of the monarchs wanted to spend money on this project. Columbus first appeared at the reception of Isabella in 1485. But at that time the war with the Moors was in full swing, the outcome of which interested her more than anything else. She invited him to return when she won the war.

When Columbus returned, Isabella, being an adventurer by nature, caught fire with his ideas. But the more cold-blooded and prudent Ferdinand only calculated how much this expedition could cost. He declared that this was too expensive a project, but Isabella sharply objected to him. She was ready to take on all the expenses. IN Lately they often disagreed on a variety of issues.

Discovery of new lands by the navigator

However, it was not easy to find money. The Spanish treasury was heavily devastated after the war. For a long time she could not decide to get involved in this risky venture. The last argument of Columbus was the desire to turn to the French king if she refuses. True, Isabella did not know that he had already contacted him, and he refused.

According to legend, Isabella had to pawn her own jewels in order to raise money to finance the expedition. But, most likely, this is just a beautiful fiction. As a result, the money was found, and on August 3, 1492, Columbus set sail on three ships with a crew of 90 people. As we all know, instead of India, he discovered America, which became an even more significant milestone in history. True, Columbus himself did not know about this until the very end of his life.

He returned to Spain without the promised riches, but Isabella was so impressed by his stories about new lands that she agreed to finance all his subsequent expeditions. As a result, it was possible to organize a colony on the island of Hispaniola. So the Europeans entrenched themselves on the new continent. He named the colony after Queen Isabella. After all, it was she who helped him realize his dream.

These are the main achievements of Isabella of Castile and Ferdinand of Aragon. You will find the years of life of the rulers in this article. Isabella, born in 1451, died in 1504 when she was 53 years old. Ferdinand was born in 1452. He died in 1516, when he was 68 years old. This is one of the most famous married royal couples in world history.

Death: November 26
Medina del Campo, Spain Dynasty: Trastamara Father: Juan II of Castile Mother: Isabella of Portugal Spouse: Ferdinand II of Aragon Children: 1. Isabella of Asturias
2. Juan of Asturias
3. Juana the Mad
4. Mary of Aragon
5. Catherine of Aragon

Isabella I of Castile, Also Catholic(Spanish) Isabel I la Católica listen)) (April 22 - November 26) - Queen of Castile and Leon. Wife of Ferdinand II of Aragon, whose dynastic marriage marked the beginning of the unification of Spain into a single state.

life path

Origin and question of succession

Marriage to Ferdinand

F. Gallego, "Madonna of the Catholic Monarchs" depicts Ferdinand and Isabella with children standing before the Mother of God

The marriage with Ferdinand was concluded on October 19, it is assumed that in Valladolid (although there is a version that he was concluded in the Alcazar of Segovia). The marriage was secret, since King Enrique did not give his permission for it. The bridegroom's retinue arrived in Castile disguised as merchants. In addition, since the bride and groom were cousins, permission from the pope was required. The required document was fabricated and permission was granted retroactively.

Ferdinand, heir to the throne of Aragon, by virtue of the marriage contract, was obliged to live in Castile, observe the laws of the country and do nothing without the consent of Isabella, thus becoming a prince consort with the future queen.

Enrique declared his sister violated the contract and deprived of the throne. But Isabella's supporters rose up in defense of her rights, and civil strife resumed; among them, Enrique died, and the Cortes, in the city, recognized Isabella as queen.

Dynastic Union of Castile and Aragon

At the same time, the Cortes decided that the government of the state should exclusively belong to Isabella, that Ferdinand could participate in it only as her authorized representative, that acts of appointment to office and pronouncement of court sentences should be made on behalf of both spouses, that their names should be minted on coins, but the treasury and the army of Castile and León must be at the exclusive disposal of Isabella.

However, both kingdoms continued to maintain autonomy - their institutions of power, as well as other social and economic structures, were completely separate, in Castile and Aragon they even spoke different languages.

Fight with Portugal

First of all, they suppressed the ongoing civil strife over the succession to the throne, which was complicated by the invasion of Castile by the Portuguese king Alfonso V, who supported the rights of his niece and, at the same time, the bride - Juana Beltraneja. This struggle continued until October. Alphonse V, who was defeated at Toro, was forced to make peace and renounce his claims to the Castilian throne.

During her almost 30-year reign, rich in events, Isabella managed to raise the royal power of Castile to an unprecedented height. The arbitrariness of the Castilian grandees and the independence of the cities were severely curtailed by the introduction of the hermandade; Cortes increasingly lost their independence and submitted to royal absolutism. The same fate was experienced by 3 spiritual and knightly orders of Castile (Santiago, Calatra and Alcantara), after Isabella made her husband their grand master. In religious matters, Isabella sought to limit the dependence of the Castilian church on the Roman curia and further subordinate it to royal authority.

1492

Ferdinand of Aragon, portrait by Master of the Magdalene legend

Notes


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See what "Isabella of Castile" is in other dictionaries:

    Also the Catholic daughter of John II, King of Castile, and his second wife, the Infanta of Portugal, b. in 1450. Her childhood passed among the struggle of the parties that accompanied the reign of her father and especially her brother, Henry IV (1454 74), nicknamed ... ... encyclopedic Dictionary F. Brockhaus and I.A. Efron

    Isabella of Castile- (1451 1504) Queen of Castile from 1474, daughter of King Juan II. She was raised away from the court of her reigning brother Henry IV. Distinguished by religiosity and beauty; rumors of her lofty virtues drew crowds of admirers. In 1469… … Medieval world in terms, names and titles











Isabella was born on April 22, 1451 (this is the estimated date of her birth) in Madrigal de las Altas Torres, in the province of Avila. She belonged to the house of Trastamara, who then ruled, in addition to Castile, in Aragon, Navarre and, a little later, in the Kingdom of Naples. Her father, Juan II of Castile, was king of Castile and León until his death on July 20, 1454. Mother - Isabella of Portugal. Juan II of Castile was married twice, Isabella I of Castile was the daughter of his second marriage. And from her father's first marriage she had one half-brother - Enrique IV the Powerless, his other three children (Catalina, Leonor, Maria) died in infancy. And from the second marriage, Isabella had a younger brother- Infante Alfonso of Castile.

From the very beginning, Isabella was not prepared to rule Castile, it was assumed that the line of the eldest son Enrique would rule, that is, after his death, his children would become the owners of the Castilian crown. If the Enrique family had not been continued, then the younger brother of Isabella Ferdinand would have ascended the throne, since men were given primacy regardless of seniority. Based on this, little Isabella was not raised as a future queen. Her father died when the infanta was 3 years old, she grew up with her mother, Isabella of Portugal. They lived in the town of Arevalo, which is also in the province of Avila, not far from her hometown Madrigal de las Altas Torres. But the fact that she was not prepared for the throne does not mean that she was not given an education. She was literate, well-mannered, after all, the Infanta of Castile. The fact that her mother was very pious also influenced Isabella's upbringing, the environment around the Infanta was religious, and she herself grew up as such. Contemporaries noted that Isabella was God-fearing. In this seclusion, her mother went crazy, so the change of scenery that soon occurred was still to Isabella's benefit.

In 1461, her life changes dramatically. King Enrique IV of Castile, her half-brother, wished to see Isabella at the royal court. The court was then based in Segovia. Enrique intended to marry his sister for political reasons. But main reason When Isabella and her brother Alfonso moved to Segovia, the pregnancy of Enrique's second wife became the reason, so, just in case, he placed possible rivals in the future struggle for the throne in his field of vision. In a new world for herself, Isabella learns court life. She is also enlightened in the library of her father Juan II, who was famous for his love of books; Of course, the ancient classics are most valuable, but in the first place for them are books on religious subjects, first of all, this is the Gospel. The situation in the country, and even at the court of Enrique, was not the best, and, probably, Isabella, contemplating all this, thought how she should not rule.

Under Enrique, quite a serious opposition developed in Castile. Wanting to remove the legitimate monarch, she proclaimed Alfonso king, but he suddenly died. There is a version that he was poisoned, but in this article we will not analyze it. And that's what happened then. For the coup d'etat, the opposition needed a candidate for the post of monarch, having lost Alfonso, they turned their eyes to Isabella, who was then in Segovia. And the wise Isabella refused. Even then, at such a young age, she understood that this would lead to civil strife. She stated that she would not claim the throne with the living legitimate monarch - her half-brother Enrique IV.

The struggle of the opposition did not end there. The camp around Isabella worked for the future, and even then an agreement was concluded on her marriage with Infante Ferdinand II of Aragon. It is worth mentioning the camp of opponents. Many in Castile desired the accession to the throne of the daughter of Enrique IV - Juana. And it would be quite legal, if not for one thing. Literally all of Castile knew that Enrique was impotent, they even called him Enrique the powerless - Enrique el impotent. So if he is impotent, then what kind of daughter does he have? Everything revolved around it. His first wife, Blanca I of Navarre, never had children by him, their marriage was annulled, and her virginity was officially confirmed. And he allegedly had a daughter from his second marriage with Juana of Portugal. They said that this daughter was with Juana of Portugal from the favorite of King Beltrán de la Cueva. She was nicknamed - Juana Beltraneja (Juana la Beltraneja). There was too much evidence that Enrique was infertile. Isabella will not doubt the honesty of her installation on the Castilian throne.

This confidence of Isabella was also reinforced by an agreement with her half-brother. On April 14, 1458, it was signed by the "bulls of Guisando" and stated that Isabella was officially the heir to the throne of Castile.

But while Enrique had not yet died, he hatched his plans for Isabella, wanted to marry her. The first among the contenders was the King of Portugal Alfonso V the African, Isabella immediately rejected him at the meeting, due to the big difference in age (at the time of their meeting in the royal monastery of St. Mary of Guadalupe in 1464, she was 13 years old, and Alfonso 32 years old). And before that, Enrique broke the agreement on the possible marriage of Isabella with Carlos de Viana, the son of Juan II of Aragon. Next came the Grand Master of the Order of Calatrava, Don Pedro Giron Pacheco, a childhood friend of Enrique IV. Isabella, then she was 16 years old, prayed that this upcoming marriage would not take place, the groom died in 1466 from an inflammation of appendicitis ... Edward IV, King of England, offered Isabella his brother as a husband, and the French king Louis XI his - Charles of Guyenne , Duke of Berry. All options were rejected by Isabella herself. The character of the future Queen of Castile makes itself felt with early age. It is worth noting that this was not some kind of stubbornness, but the reasonable actions of the little infanta. According to Leucht, Isabella's biographer, from the very beginning she believed that if her husband was the same age as her, only then would she be able to independently rule Castile, while avoiding the undesirable influence of her husband.

On September 18, 1468, Isabella received the official title of Princess of Asturias. This also confirmed Isabella's right to inherit the Castilian throne. And Beltraneja was given to Enrique for the Portuguese king Alfonso.

At the head of the opposition that rallied around Isabella was Archbishop Carillo. The organization of the marriage of Isabella with Ferdinand was carried out by him from the Castilian side, and from the side of Aragon - by the king, Ferdinand's father, Juan II of Aragon. Isabella weighed everything, thought it over and agreed - this option suited her the most. At the same time, on January 7, 1469, Ferdinand signed an agreement under which he gave an obligation to closely cooperate with Isabella in everything, make all decisions together with her, sign all decrees together with the queen and recognize only Isabella as the legitimate bearer of the crown. Thus the Castilian side, Isabella herself in the first place, insured against Ferdinand's undue influence in Castile. Isabella's influence in Aragon was not considered at all.

When all the contracts were signed, an approximate wedding date was set, only then, in September 1469, Enrique IV was informed. At the same time, his plans for the marriage of Isabella collapsed. To avoid trouble, it was necessary to get married secretly. Ferdinand himself, with his retinue, under the guise of merchants, reached Valladolid. Isabella also arrived there incognito, it happened on October 14, 1469 and this was the first meeting of future Catholic kings. Five days later, on October 19, Archbishop Carillo married Isabella and Ferdinand. But since the spouses were related to each other (their grandfathers, Enrique III of Castile and Ferdinand I of Aragon, were brothers), the permission of the pope was required. In order to settle this issue, Juan II of Aragon sent his people to Pope Paul II. But they failed to resolve this issue, the pope refused to give permission, fearing a sharp condemnation from the current king of Castile, as well as France and Portugal. However, the wedding took place, and the necessary document was fabricated. On December 1, 1471, it was signed by the next pope, Sixtus IV, and the number was set as required.

Meanwhile, on October 2, 1470, Isabella and Ferdinand have their first child. Isabella of Aragon and Castile, future Queen of Portugal.

On December 11, 1474, Enrique IV dies in Madrid. And on December 12, Isabella, who is in Segovia, finds out about this, and begins to act actively. She takes power into her own hands, orders a mass to be celebrated for her deceased brother. And on December 13, Isabella is crowned. The city council of Segovia proclaims her queen. In the main city square, she swears allegiance to Castile during her ministry before God, all the saints and before the Holy Church. On December 16, the Cortes were asked to come to Segovia to take the oath of allegiance to the new queen. At the same time, Isabella relied on an act signed by Enrique, in which he officially recognized her as the rightful heir to the throne. These days, she showed real determination, firmness of her character, the ability to make decisions clearly, quickly and at the same time thoughtfully.

Despite this, the War of the Castilian Succession begins. The Portuguese king, married to Juan, daughter of the late Enrique, makes an attempt to seize the Castilian throne. Unrest also began in some provinces - Extremadura and Andalusia.

Soon, Ferdinand, who has been in Barcelona all this time, learns about the accession of his wife. He immediately declares himself king of Castile, says that the crown is rightfully his, and rushes to Segovia. He arrives on January 2, 1475, Isabella gives him a festive reception. Disputes begin about the rights of the spouses about their power in Castile, Ferdinand, dissatisfied with the fact that he is deprived, as it seems to him, threatens to leave. As a result, an agreement was signed between the parties, drawn up by the Archbishop of Carillo (Castile) and Cardinal Mendoza (Aragon). The "Treaty of Segovia" stated that Ferdinand was guaranteed the royal title, but Isabella was declared queen and "owner" of Castile. The right to inherit is also assigned to her. Domestic politics Castile was determined by both spouses, they preferred to act in business as one person. Foreign policy remained the prerogative of Ferdinand alone.

During the reign of Isabella and Ferdinand, the power of the monarchy was able to suppress the strong influence of the nobility. Having actually seen enough of the coups, in particular, the situation with her brother Alfonso, whom the nobility proclaimed king while the legitimate monarch was alive, even on the experience of her own accession, she bent all the structures and layers of society under her. As a result, the nobility lost its influence. The church was also under the rule of monarchs - the Catholic kings were able to achieve the right to appoint archbishops. The Cortes met rarely, and did not influence anything in particular.

In October 1479, Portugal was defeated at Toro, Alphonse V renounced his claims to Castile, his marriage to Juana Beltraneja was annulled. In 1478, the Holy Inquisition was introduced, headed by Thomas Torquemada. Isabella was a supporter of the nationalization of the state, which began with her. The highest church posts were inaccessible to foreigners. Since the Holy Inquisition could not influence other religions, a condition was set before Jews and Muslims - either you accept Christianity or you are expelled from the country. So the absolute power of the monarch, or rather the two monarchs, was slowly formed.

In 1492, the last caliphate on the Iberian Peninsula fell. On January 2, the monarchs solemnly entered Granada. The conquest of Granada was expensive for the state, but the treasury was constantly replenished with money stolen by the Inquisition from the population. These military successes were not backed up by the good economy of the state. Despite this, the Catholic kings also began the expansion of North Africa. The economy was just weak. Castile and Aragon sold wool - this was the main item in their budget. The present strong state with a good economy will never be a raw material appendage. And the subsequent prosperity is associated with the discovery of America. By the way, the title of "Catholic Kings" was granted to them by the pope for the completion of the Reconquista.

Also in 1492, Isabella approved Columbus' plans. She understood that there was no guarantee, the scientific council that she gathered to discuss the Columbus plan subjected him to harsh criticism. But still, Isabella believed Columbus and this ensured the future short rise of Spain.

Enlightenment received a good boost under Isabella. She herself loved books and collected a good library, which contained many priceless books and manuscripts. Publishing developed, the first poets and playwrights appeared. Due to the fact that art and literature in Castile enjoyed the patronage of Isabella, the Castilian language became the main language for Spain, it was in it that all works were written. The people were mostly illiterate, and literature reached them through storytellers and small street theatres. On the other hand, the intellectual potential of the state suffered greatly from the developed nationalism. Jews made up a large percentage of the literate population of Castile. Moriscos (the so-called baptized Muslims) also had a great cultural and historical influence on the country. By undermining a culture that has been established for centuries, only false and short-term prosperity can be achieved. What happened to Spain.

In total, Isabella and Ferdinand had 5 children. In addition to the already mentioned Isabella, this is the son of Juan (1479 - 1497), the daughter of Juan (1479 - 1555), the daughter of Maria (1482 - 1536), the daughter of Catherine (1485 - 1536).

Assessing this period in the history of Spain, they always compare Ferdinand and Isabella with each other, who had more power, and so on. Machiavelli preferred Ferdinand, Leucht - Isabella. I think Ferdinand played prominent role in the history of Spain, but he was an ordinary European king of his time with a full range of all the qualities present and the actions performed, it is difficult to single him out somehow. But Isabella, although she was less active than Ferdinand, surpassed him in potential. Her decisions that she made throughout her life are wise and insightful. She always knew how to get her way, of course, she is taller than Ferdinand. The only question is that she did not always use all her strength and power. Isabella is a very controversial figure, it is impossible to evaluate her somehow unambiguously.

During her lifetime, Isabella made a will. Since the first two of her children died within a few years, Isabella indicated her daughter Juana as her heiress in her will. She had previously been married to the Archduke Philip I of Austria the Handsome and lived with him in Burgundy. When visiting her mother in 1502, Isabella noticed in her signs of mental insanity, rumors of which had reached her before. Given this, Isabella pointed out that if her daughter was unable to occupy the Castilian throne, her father Ferdinand II of Aragon would remain regent. And Isabella did not even mention her husband Juana in her will.

In Isabella's appearance, the following can be noted: her eyes, like those of many other representatives of the Trastamara dynasty, were greenish-blue, she was short in stature, and her hair was blond. Contemporaries noted in her a certain innate nobility.

Death came to Isabella early, she died at the age of 53 in Medina del Campo on November 26, 1504. Her will was not fulfilled. She was buried in cathedral Granada, in the Royal Chapel. It was recently built on the orders of the Catholic kings, and it belonged to the Franciscan order, of which Isabella was an adherent all her life.

The Renaissance was just approaching Spain when the "new inquisition" began to operate in it, the second wave of tough religious struggle.

It is generally accepted that the “holy host” has always been led by male priests, Catholics who have never known women and hate them in their own way. But in Spain, the “new inquisition” was started by the queen, who managed to remove all male relatives from government, including her beloved husband, and become the sole monarch.

blood princess

Isabella was youngest daughter Castilian king Juan II, born in his second marriage and raised away from the court and royal intrigues. Spain at that time, as a country, did not exist. The Iberian Peninsula was divided into several large and medium-sized states. The heir of Castile was Isabella's half-brother, Enrique, and he turned out to be a very warlike king who began to expel the Moors from his land. But it was not enough to be a noble warrior, one should still become the successor of the dynasty, but Enrique was not lucky with this. He turned out to be impotent, and he had no heirs, in any case, heirs. It was then, not without the help of Catholic priests, that the elite of Castile started talking about a possible dynastic succession, which was claimed by Princess Isabella. King Enrique had to agree. He himself wanted to pick up a husband for his sister and, accordingly, a future pretender to the throne of Castile, but Isabella refused. She was already involved in the intrigues led by the Archbishop of Toledo. A high-ranking priest decided that the prince of Aragon should become the spouse of the future queen. And then a dynastic marriage in the future would allow Castile and Aragon, as well as Valencia, Majorca and Sardinia, dependent on it, to unite into one state - the future Spain. And so it happened.

Fellow believers and strangers

After Isabella declared herself Queen of Castile, her husband turned out to be just ... a co-ruler, he did not receive any real power. The elite of the state did not want to come under the power of a stranger. This nearly jeopardized the royal marriage, but the Archbishop of Toledo managed to convince the Aragonese. All the same, Christians, co-religionists. But it was not enough to calm the elite and the entourage of the queen's husband, it was necessary to show the people of the country that the queen cares about them.

At that time, not only the Castilians and Aragonese, who considered themselves local, lived on the Iberian Peninsula, the Moors had magnificent palaces, the Jews were the richest usurers and merchants. And none of them praised Jesus Christ. The Archbishop of Toledo, together with Queen Isabella, decided to fix this.

Just like her brother, the queen continued to expel the Moors from Spanish soil and was very successful in this. She was well aware of how she had increased her influence over the past decades. Ottoman Empire, which recently swept the beautiful Byzantium off the face of the earth and occupied its territory. Isabella considered the residence of Muslims in her state to be very dangerous. And soon she and her husband announced the Edict of Granada. According to this decree, all the Jews of Spain had to either convert to Christianity or leave the kingdom within a three-month period. Otherwise, they were outlawed.

Baptism or death

The Edict of Granada did not specify what would happen to the Jews if they remained in Spain and did not wish to be baptized. But being “outlawed” means that the crown does not protect you and anyone can attack. After several waves of pogroms deaths Jews began to massively convert to Christianity, but continued to secretly practice their religion. The Moors who remained in the state, loyal to the queen, did the same, and did not want to stop honoring Allah. So that the Spaniards would not inform on their wealthy neighbors of other faiths, the Moors and Jews settled only among their own, forming their own enclaves. But this saved few people from the accusation of religious deceit, and the Jews, along with the Moors, increasingly found themselves on the bench of the Inquisition. Perjury was punishable long terms imprisonment and confiscation of property, and repeated accusations of this threatened with burning at the stake.

Only during the reign of Queen Isabella, about 2 thousand perjurers were destroyed. During the entire period of the Inquisition, which began in some Spanish lands at the end of the 13th century and ended only in 1834, more than 100 thousand people were executed.