Misplaced Pages

#22977

70-415: Majaelrayo is a municipality located in the province of Guadalajara , Castile-La Mancha , Spain. According to the 2004 census ( INE ), the municipality had a population of 72 inhabitants. This article about a location in the autonomous community of Castilla–La Mancha, Spain is a stub . You can help Misplaced Pages by expanding it . Guadalajara (province) The province has been inhabited since

140-754: A decree of expulsion of Jews, known formally as the Alhambra Decree , which gave Jews in Spain four months to either convert to Catholicism or leave Spain. Tens of thousands of Jews emigrated to other lands such as Portugal, North Africa, the Low Countries, Italy and the Ottoman Empire . Although the Catholic Monarchs pursued a partnership in many matters, because of the histories of their respective kingdoms, they did not always have

210-486: A few ways. One of those is that they traveled from town to town throughout the kingdom to promote loyalty, rather than possessing any single administrative center. Another is that each community and region was connected to them via loyalty to the crown, rather than bureaucratic ties. Along with the desire of the Catholic Monarchs to extend their dominion to all the kingdoms of the Iberian Peninsula, their reign

280-490: A range of different weather conditions, although generally it may be classified as a typical Mediterranean Continental climate of the Central Plateau. Long, dry and hot summers, with equally long and harsh winters give way to milder weather conditions in spring and later in autumn. The climatic diversity produces a range of vegetation and ecosystems, and trees such as oaks, juniper, pine, beech, etc. can all be found in

350-656: A traditional rivalry with France , which had been a traditional allies with Castile. Castile's foreign interests were focused on the Atlantic, making Castile's funding of the voyage of Columbus an extension of existing interests. Castile had traditionally had good relations with the neighboring Kingdom of Portugal, and after the Portuguese lost the War of the Castilian Succession , Castile and Portugal concluded

420-870: A unified viewpoint in foreign policy. Despite that, they did have a successful expansionist foreign policy due to a number of factors. The victory over the Muslims in Granada allowed Ferdinand to involve himself in policy outside the Iberian peninsula. The diplomatic initiative of King Ferdinand continued the traditional policy of the Crown of Aragon, with its interests set in the Mediterranean, with interests in Italy and sought conquests in North Africa. Aragon had

490-497: A week. From the start, they had a close relationship and worked well together. Both knew that the crown of Castile was "the prize, and that they were both jointly gambling for it". However, it was a step toward the unification of the lands on the Iberian peninsula , which would eventually become Spain. They were second cousins; to marry they needed a papal dispensation . Pope Paul II , an Italian pope opposed to Aragon's influence on

560-469: Is still in a state of ruin. Catholic Monarchs The Catholic Monarchs were Queen Isabella I of Castile ( r.  1474–1504 ) and King Ferdinand II of Aragon ( r.  1479–1516 ), whose marriage and joint rule marked the de facto unification of Spain . They were both from the House of Trastámara and were second cousins, being both descended from John I of Castile ; to remove

630-620: Is the Tajuña River with an area of 2,015 square kilometres, and the Ebro River , forming a basin area of 996 square kilometres. Other features of note are the Parque Natural del Alto Tajo , Hayedo de Tejera Negra , Lagunas de Puebla de Beleña , Cerros Margosos de Pastrana y Yebra , Cerros Volcánicos de La Miñosa and Prados Húmedos de Torremocha del Pinar . The province, given its wide and varied geographical features, has

700-612: The Council of Castile established in 1480. The Council of Castile was intended "to be the central governing body of Castile and the linch-pin of their governmental system" with wide powers and with royal officials who were loyal to them and excluded the old nobility from exercising power in it. The monarchs created the Spanish Inquisition in 1478 to ensure that individuals converting to Christianity did not revert to their old faith or continue practising it. The Council of

770-518: The Council of the Indies , the Council of Finance , and the Council of State . The Catholic Monarchs set out to restore 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 Castile, as well as to attempt to keep Castilian nobles in check. To establish a more uniform judicial system ,

SECTION 10

#1732780778023

840-453: The Henares corridor. While new industries and improved communications brought prosperity to Guadalajara, Torrejón , Alcalá , Azuqueca and Yunquera de Henares , it also caused drastic decreases in population in rural areas. From 16 to 20 July 2005 the province was devastated by a forest fire , known as the incendio de Guadalajara . Eleven firefighters died after a blowup . The fire

910-586: The Holy Roman Empire , a powerful, far-reaching European territory which assured Spain's future political security. Their only son, John , married Margaret of Austria , seeking to maintain ties with the Habsburg dynasty, on which Spain relied heavily. Their fourth child, Maria , married Manuel I of Portugal , strengthening the link forged by Isabella's elder sister's marriage. Their fifth child, Catherine , married Arthur, Prince of Wales and heir to

980-665: The Knights Templar . Constructed of Alcarria limestone, the rectangular structure has three round towers and a cylindrical keep. In 1445, it was taken by the Navarran captain Juan de Puelles and was subsequently owned by Cardinal Pedro González de Mendoza (1428–1495). In the 19th century, it was occupied by the French under General Hugo, the father of Victor Hugo , until it was taken and destroyed by El Empecinado . Its restoration

1050-560: The Paleolithic as evidenced by stone tools found on the banks of the Henares and Linares rivers. There are also numerous prehistoric cave paintings in the Cueva de los Casares in Riba de Saelices while Megalithic tombs from the 4th millennium B.C. have been found at various sites in the province including Alcolea del Pinar . There are remains of several Bronze Age settlements along

1120-526: The Treaty of the Bulls of Guisando . Henry instead recognised Joanna of Castile , born during his marriage to Joanna of Portugal , but whose paternity was in doubt, since Henry was rumoured to be impotent. When Henry died in 1474, Isabella asserted her claim to the throne, which was contested by thirteen-year-old Joanna. Joanna sought the aid of her husband (who was also her uncle), Afonso V of Portugal , to claim

1190-543: The 16th century, his namesake Íñigo López de Mendoza, 4th Duke of the Infantado , (1493–1566) went on to found an academy in the city, attracting additional writers. Pastrana also prospered during the Renaissance under the leadership of Ruy Gómez de Silva (1516–1573) with the establishment of Latin and choir schools. By the end of the 16th century, the town was famous for its tapestries and its Carmelite convents. With

1260-472: The 1830s, it was devastated by fire and had to be abandoned. After being fully restored, the castle was opened as a Parador luxury hotel in 1976. Decorated with banners and suits of armour, the huge lounge is the castle's original dining room. The Castle of Molina de Aragón is located on a hill commanding the surrounding valley, and is formed by an external line of walls with four gates and six towers of which four are currently in good condition. Originally,

1330-565: The 6th and 7th centuries A.D., bringing Christianity and Germanic law into the region. In 578, King Leovigild founded Recópolis on the River Tagus with a basilica and a palace. The Moors arrived in the area in c. 711, establishing Islamic rule for some four centuries until the early 13th century. Their most important contribution was founding of the current-day provincial capital, Madinat-al-Faray ( Guadalajara , from Arabic وادي الحجارة wādi al-ħajāra , "streambed/valley of stones"), which

1400-595: The Catholic Monarchs an efficient army loyal to the Crown was created, commanded by Castilian Gonzalo Fernández de Córdoba , known as the Great Captain . Fernández de Córdoba reorganised the military troops on a new combat unit, tercios reales , which entailed the creation of the first modern army dependent on the crown, regardless of the pretensions of the nobles. Through the Capitulations of Santa Fe , navigator Christopher Columbus received finances and

1470-664: The Catholic Monarchs created the Royal Council , and appointed magistrates (judges) to run the towns and cities. This establishment of royal authority is known as the Pacification of Castile and can be seen as one of the crucial steps toward the creation of one of Europe's first strong nation-states. Isabella also sought various ways to diminish the influence of the Cortes Generales in Castile, though Ferdinand

SECTION 20

#1732780778023

1540-466: The Crusade was created under their rule to administer funds from the sale of crusading bulls. In 1498 after Ferdinand had gained control of the revenues of the wealthy and powerful Spanish military orders , he created the Council of Military Orders to oversee them. The conciliar model was extended beyond the rule of the Catholic Monarchs, with their grandson, Charles V, Holy Roman Emperor establishing

1610-640: The Dukes of Medinaceli (Cogolludo) , Sigüenza Cathedral , Cueva de los Casares in La Riba de Saelices and Castillo de Pioz . The Co-cathedral of Santa María de la Fuente la Mayor in the city of Guadalajara was declared a Bien de Interés Cultural site in 1941. Standing high on a rock, Atienza Castle can be seen from miles around. It frequently changed hands between the Moors and the Christians until it

1680-634: The Mediterranean and to the rise of monarchies strong enough to challenge the Pope, refused to grant one, so they falsified a papal bull of their own. Even though the bull is known to be false, it is uncertain who was the material author of the falsification. Some experts point at Carrillo de Acuña , Archbishop of Toledo , and others point at Antonio Veneris. Isabella's claims to it were not secure, since her marriage to Ferdinand enraged her half-brother Henry IV of Castile and he withdrew his support for her being his heiress presumptive that had been codified in

1750-585: The Mendozas, the city of Guadalajara prospered in the 15th and 16th centuries, attracting writers, historians and philosophers, bringing it the name la Atenas alcarreña (the Alcarrian Athens). Encouraged by the Renaissance , Íñigo López de Mendoza, 1st Marquis of Santillana , (1398–1458) not only built palaces, churches and monasteries but developed a large library of Greek and Latin volumes. In

1820-468: The Molina moorlands, bordering the provinces of Zaragoza and Teruel, rainfall may be below 400 mm. The province contains the comarcas of La Alcarria , La Campiña , La Serranía and Señorío de Molina-Alto Tajo . The historical population is given in the following chart: Landmarks of note include the castle and walls of Palazuelos , Palace of El Infantado , Ducal Palace of Pastrana , Palace of

1890-453: The Romans initiated their battles to conquer Spain which continued until 94 B.C. They brought agriculture, mining, and commerce to the region, facilitating communications with roads and bridges. The important Roman city was Segontia (Sigüenza), although they built a town wall around Luzaga and public buildings. The Visigoths , with their capital at Toledo , were dominant in the area around

1960-501: The Treaty of Alcáçovas. The treaty set boundaries for overseas expansion which were at the time disadvantageous to Castile, but the treaty resolved any further Portuguese claims on the crown of Castile. Portugal did not take advantage of Castile's and Aragon's focus on the reconquest of Granada. Following the reestablishment of good relations, the Catholic Monarchs made two strategic marriages to Portuguese royalty. The matrimonial policy of

2030-545: The War of Independence, French troops caused extensive damage to towns in the province, especially Molina where over 600 buildings were destroyed by fire. When the city of Guadalajara was liberated in 1813, it was left in a devastated and poverty-stricken state. Conditions improved in 1840 with the establishment of the Academy of Military Engineering in the former textile factory. Further military installations followed, culminating at

2100-557: The beginning of Christian conquest of the region in 1085. By the early 12th century, Molina, La Serrania, Sigüenza and the Tagus Valley were retrieved leading to the establishment of the Bishopric of Sigüenza. Under Alfonso VII and Alfonso VIII, the region was repopulated with people from other parts of Castile. With the conquest of Cuenca and Alarcón at the end of the 12th century and the victory at Las Navas de Tolosa in 1212,

2170-431: The bottom of the coat of arms, were a yoke ( yugo ) and a sheaf of arrows ( haz de flechas ). Y and F are the initials of Ysabel (spelling at the time) and Fernando. A double yoke is worn by a team of oxen, emphasizing the couple's cooperation. Isabella's emblem of arrows showed the armed power of the crown, "a warning to Castilians not acknowledging the reach of royal authority or that greatest of royal functions,

Majaelrayo - Misplaced Pages Continue

2240-521: The city of Guadalajara and the province's main towns all suffered considerable damage. In 1719, a royal textile factory was established in Guadalajara, bringing workers not only from across Spain but from the rest of Europe, especially the Netherlands. The factory prospered throughout the 18th century but was closed in the early 19th century as a result of the War of Spanish Independence . During

2310-646: The coast of present-day Venezuela . The colonies Columbus established, and conquests in the Americas in later decades, generated an influx of wealth into the new unified state of Spain , leading it to be the major power of Europe from the end of the fifteenth century until the mid-seventeenth century, and the largest empire until 1810. Isabella's death in 1504 ended the remarkably successful political partnership and personal relationship of their marriage. Ferdinand remarried Germaine of Foix in 1505, but they produced no living heir. Had there been one, Aragonese opposed to

2380-605: The death of Ruy's widow, Ana de Mendoza in 1592, the nobility moved to Madrid, causing the province to lose the high status it had achieved. While the Spanish Golden Age developed in central Spain during the 17th century, Guadalajara experienced an extended period of decline as the Habsburgs brought about increased centralization. In the early 18th century, under the War of the Spanish Succession ,

2450-506: The end of the century in the establishment of the Airship Regiment which led to a range of early exploits and experiments. The finding of silver in the mining district of Hiendelaencina in 1844 lead to a silver rush in the area. The military facilities continued to provide Guadalajara with financial relief during the first 30 years of the 20th century. The population increased slightly, while further improvements resulted from

2520-608: The entire territory of Guadalajara was again in the hands of the Castilian Christians. The modern age began with the Catholic Monarchs , Isabella I of Castile and Ferdinand II of Aragon whose marriage in Valladolid in 1469 united the crowns of Castile and Aragón . They centralized the authority which had developed in the church, the military and the nobility ostensibly to earn income for fighting

2590-578: The expulsion of Jews who refused to convert to Christianity. After a number of revolts, Ferdinand and Isabella ordered the expulsion of all Jews from Spain. People who converted to Catholicism were not subject to expulsion, but between 1480 and 1492 hundreds of those who had converted ( conversos and moriscos ) were accused of secretly practising their original religion ( crypto-Judaism or crypto-Islam ) and arrested, imprisoned, interrogated under torture, and in some cases burned to death , in both Castile and Aragon. The Inquisition had been created in

2660-538: The funding and authorization for the voyage, the benefits accrued to the Kingdom of Castile. "Although the subjects of the Crown of Aragon played some part in the discovery and colonization of the New World, the Indies were formally annexed not to Spain but to the Crown of Castile." He landed on the island of Guanahani , and called it San Salvador . He continued onto Cuba , naming it Juana, and finished his journey on

2730-510: The infidels by reselling the territories they had gained. In the 16th century, this practice was reinforced by Charles I and Philip II . In Guadalajara, this was particularly the case with areas that had belonged to the military orders of Calatrava and Pastrana . The Mendozas who succeeded in acquiring substantial territories built a fortified palace in Pastrana and extended their influence over Sayatón , Escopete and Albalate . Under

2800-536: The influence of the wealthy landowner and politician Count of Romanones who was the representative for Guadalajara from 1886 to 1936. After fighting on the Republican side during the Spanish Civil War , the province was given little attention by the successive governments of Francisco Franco until the late 1950s when plans for moving industrial development out of Madrid began to favour Guadalajara and

2870-602: The island of the Dominican Republic and Haiti, calling it Hispaniola , or La Isla Española ("the Spanish [Island]" in Castilian). On his second trip, begun in 1493, he found more Caribbean islands including Puerto Rico . His main goal was to colonize the existing discoveries with the 1500 men that he had brought the second time around. Columbus finished his last expedition in 1498 and discovered Trinidad and

Majaelrayo - Misplaced Pages Continue

2940-417: The line of towers included a village. The castle originated as a Moorish fortress (10th-11th century), built over a pre-existing Celtiberian castle. The fortress was used as residence of the lords of the taifa of Molina . El Cid resided here when he was exiled from Castile . In 1129 it was conquered from the Moors by Alfonso I of Aragon . The impressive Torija Castle was built in the 11th century by

3010-517: The monarchs sought advantageous marriages for their five children, forging royal alliances for the long-term benefit of Spain. Their first-born, a daughter named Isabella , married Afonso of Portugal , forging important ties between these two neighboring kingdoms that would lead to enduring peace and future alliance. Joanna , their second daughter, married Philip the Handsome , the son of Holy Roman Emperor Maximilian I . This ensured an alliance with

3080-423: The obstacle that this consanguinity would otherwise have posed to their marriage under canon law , they were given a papal dispensation by Sixtus IV . They married on October 19, 1469, in the city of Valladolid ; Isabella was 18 years old and Ferdinand a year younger. Most scholars generally accept that the unification of Spain can essentially be traced back to the marriage of Ferdinand and Isabella. Their reign

3150-497: The other"), came to signify their cooperation." The motto was originally used by Ferdinand as an allusion to the Gordian knot : Tanto monta, monta tanto, cortar como desatar ("It's one and the same, cutting or untying"), but later adopted as an expression of equality of the monarchs: Tanto monta, monta tanto, Isabel como Fernando ("It's one and the same, Isabella the same as Ferdinand"). Their emblems or heraldic devices, seen at

3220-487: The papacy retained the right to formally appoint the royal nominees. The Inquisition did not have jurisdiction over Jews and Muslims who did not convert. Since the kingdom of Aragon had existed since 1248, the Spanish Inquisition was the only common institution for the two kingdoms. Pope Innocent VIII confirmed Dominican Tomás de Torquemada , a confessor of Isabella, as Grand Inquisitor of Spain, following in

3290-670: The province's population lives. There are 288 municipalities in Guadalajara, of which more than three-quarters are villages with populations less than 200. Guadalajara is a mountainous region, the eastern side of the province is in the Sistema Ibérico area, while the Sistema Central rises in the western part. The Sistema Ibérico occupies the northeastern part, with the Sierras de Somosierra, Ayllón , Sierra del Ocejón , Alto Rey, Bodera Barahona, and Radona mountains in

3360-687: The province. The seasonal distribution of rainfall is influenced by the relief, the most rainfall occurring in the mountainous areas of the Sistema Ibérico with between 700 and 900 mm per year, and in the headwaters of the Jarama and Sorbe rivers in the Sierra de Ayllon , with more than 800 mm. The Henares and Tajuña valleys, and the northern area of moorland in Sigüenza have less than 600 mm annually on average, and in some areas such as

3430-467: The right to mete out justice" by force of violence. The iconography of the royal crest was widely reproduced and was found on various works of art. These badges were later used by the fascist Spanish political party Falange , which claimed to represent the inherited glory and the ideals of the Catholic Monarchs. Isabella succeeded to the throne of Castile in 1474 when Ferdinand was still heir-apparent to Aragon, and with Aragon's aid, Isabella's claim to

3500-634: The river banks in the area, notably that in Loma del Lomo in Cogolludo as well as a late Bronze Age settlement in Mojares . The Celtiberians occupied the territory during the late Iron Age between the 6th and 3rd centuries B.C. in Sigüenza , Atienza , and Termancia in the north and further south around Molina . In addition to raising livestock and breeding horses, they created many fortified towns and villages as well as castles. Between 143 and 133 B.C.,

3570-466: The throne in January 1479. In September 1479, Portugal and the Catholic Monarchs of Aragon and Castile resolved major issues between them through the Treaty of Alcáçovas , including the issue of Isabella's rights to the crown of Castile. Through close cooperation, the royal couple were successful in securing political power in the Iberian peninsula. Ferdinand's father had advised the couple that "neither

SECTION 50

#1732780778023

3640-415: The throne of England, in 1501; he died at the age of 15 a few months later, and she married his younger brother shortly after he became King Henry VIII of England in 1509. These alliances were not all long-lasting, with their only son and heir-apparent John dying young; Catherine was divorced by Henry VIII; and Joanna's husband Philip dying young, with the widowed Joanna deemed mentally unfit to rule. Under

3710-490: The throne was secured. As Isabella's husband was king of Castile by his marriage and his father still ruled in Aragon, Ferdinand spent more time in Castile than Aragon at the beginning of their marriage. His pattern of residence in Castile persisted even when he succeeded to the throne in 1479, and the absenteeism caused problems for Aragon. These were remedied to an extent by the creation of the Council of Aragon in 1494, joining

3780-424: The throne. This dispute between rival claimants led to the War of 1475–79 . Isabella called on the aid of Aragon, with her husband, the heir apparent, and his father, Juan II of Aragon providing it. Although Aragon provided support for Isabella's cause, Isabella's supporters had extracted concessions, Isabella was acknowledged as the sole heir to the crown of Castile. Juan II died in 1479, and Ferdinand succeeded to

3850-555: The tradition in Aragon of Dominican inquisitors. Torquemada pursued aggressive policies toward converted Jews ( conversos ) and moriscos . The pope also granted the Catholic Monarchs the right of patronage over the ecclesiastical establishment in Granada and the Canary Islands, which meant the control of the state in religious affairs. The monarchs began a series of campaigns known as the Granada War (1482–92), which

3920-480: The twelfth century by Pope Lucius III to fight heresy in the south of what is now France and was constituted in a number of European kingdoms. The Catholic Monarchs decided to introduce the Inquisition to Castile and requested the Pope's assent. On 1 November 1478, Pope Sixtus IV published the papal bull Exigit Sinceras Devotionis Affectus , by which the Inquisition was established in the Kingdom of Castile; it

3990-434: The union would have likely backed their succession as a chance to re-establish independence, leading to civil war. The Catholic Monarchs' daughter Joanna succeeded to the crown of Castile, but was deemed unfit to rule following the death of her husband Phillip the Fair, Ferdinand retained power in Castile as regent until his death, with Joanna confined. He died in 1516 and is buried alongside his first wife Isabella in Granada,

4060-427: The vicinity. The mountains are mainly limestone, eroded by the gorges of the rivers, such as the Henares (with a basin area of 3,735 square kilometres), and Jarama (with a basin area of 782 square kilometres) rivers. The Tagus (Tajo), one of Spain's main rivers, is a major river of the eastern part of the province, forming a basin with an area of 4,686 square kilometres, part of the wider Madrid basin. Also of note

4130-436: Was aided by Pope Sixtus IV's granting the tithe revenue and implementing a crusade tax so that the monarchs could finance the war. After 10 years of fighting the Granada War ended in 1492 when Emir Boabdil surrendered the keys of the Alhambra Palace in Granada to the Castilian soldiers. With the fall of Granada in January 1492, Isabella and Ferdinand pursued further policies of religious unification of their realms, in particular

4200-419: Was authorised to sail west and claim lands for Spain. The monarchs accorded him the title of Admiral of the Ocean Sea and he was given broad privileges. His voyage west resulted in the European colonization of the Americas and brought the knowledge of its existence to Europe. Columbus' first expedition to the supposed Indies actually landed in the Bahamas on October 12, 1492. Since Queen Isabella had provided

4270-438: Was called by W.H. Prescott "the most glorious epoch in the annals of Spain". Spain was formed as a dynastic union of two crowns rather than a unitary state, as Castile and Aragon remained separate kingdoms until the Nueva Planta decrees of 1707–16. The court of Ferdinand and Isabella was constantly on the move, in order to bolster local support for the crown from local feudal lords . The title of " Catholic King and Queen "

SECTION 60

#1732780778023

4340-406: Was caused by hikers barbecuing. The Province of Guadalajara is located in eastern-central Spain, the northeast of the autonomous community of Castile-La Mancha , covering an area of 12.190 km (4.707 sq mi), 3.42% of the area of Spain. It is bordered by the provinces of Cuenca , Madrid , Segovia , Soria , Zaragoza , and Teruel . Its capital is Guadalajara , where nearly 35% of

4410-415: Was characterised by the religious unification of the peninsula through militant Catholicism. On receiving a petition for authority, Pope Sixtus IV issued a bull in 1478 to establish a Holy Office of the Inquisition in Castile. This was to ensure that Jews and Muslims who converted to Christianity did not revert to their previous faiths. The papal bull gave the sovereigns full powers to name inquisitors, but

4480-400: Was completed in 1962. Jadraque Castle overlooking the River Henares , sometimes known as the Castle of El Cid, has four round towers and one rectangular tower. Today's perfectly proportioned palatial structure was built by Juan Guas in the 15th century but it stands on the site of a fortress used for centuries by the Moors. The outer fabric has been substantially restored but the interior

4550-582: Was established by the Berber captain al-Faray , remembered for overcoming the Christians in the 9th century. The territory now covered by the Province of Guadalajara was part of the Middle March of Al-Andalus . Generally sparsely populated, the most important towns were Atienza, Guadalajara, Jadraque , Hita and Sigüenza. Following the dismemberment of the Caliphate of Córdoba , Toledo gained independence in 1018, reaching its zenith under Yahya-al-Mamun who reigned from 1043 to 1075. Following his death, pressure from King Alfonso VI of León and Castile led to

4620-427: Was finally retaken by Alfonso VI in 1085. With foundations dating back to the 5th century, Sigüenza Castle was extended by the Moors and retaken for the Christians by Bernard of Agen in 1123. In the late 18th century, Bishop Juan Díaz de la Guerra changed the appearance of the fortress into that of an episcopal palace but during the War of Spanish Independence it was taken by the French who seriously damaged it. In

4690-410: Was later extended to all of Spain. The bull gave the monarchs exclusive authority to name the inquisitors. During the reign of the Catholic Monarchs and long afterwards the Inquisition was active in prosecuting people for violations of Catholic orthodoxy such as crypto-Judaism, heresy, Protestantism, blasphemy, and bigamy. The last trial for crypto-Judaism was held in 1818. In 1492 the monarchs issued

4760-440: Was officially bestowed on Ferdinand and Isabella by Pope Alexander VI in 1494, in recognition of their defence of the Catholic faith within their realms. At the time of their marriage on October 19, 1469, Isabella was eighteen years old and the heiress presumptive to the Crown of Castile , while Ferdinand was seventeen and heir apparent to the Crown of Aragon . They met for the first time in Valladolid in 1469 and married within

4830-455: Was powerful without the other". Though their marriage united the two kingdoms, leading to the beginnings of modern Spain, they ruled independently and their kingdoms retained part of their own regional laws and governments for the next centuries. The coat of arms of the Catholic Monarchs was designed by Antonio de Nebrija with elements to show their cooperation and working in tandem. The royal motto they shared, Tanto monta ("as much one as

4900-411: Was too thoroughly Aragonese to do anything of the sort with the equivalent systems in the Crown of Aragon. Even after his death and the union of the crowns under one monarch, the Aragonese, Catalan, and Valencian Corts (parliaments) retained significant power in their respective regions. Further, the monarchs continued ruling through a form of medieval contractualism, which made their rule pre-modern in

#22977