90-644: Spanish Revolution may refer to: Revolt of the Comuneros , a popular uprising in Castile against Charles I Mutiny of Aranjuez , an uprising in 1808 against Charles IV that became a prelude to the French invasion of Spain Pronouncement of Lacy , a failed revolt by Francisco Milans del Bosch and Luis de Lacy against Ferdinand VII Trienio Liberal (1820–1823),
180-605: A cantonalist revolt to establish a federal republic from the bottom-up Proclamation of the Second Spanish Republic (1931) Anarchist insurrection of Alt Llobregat (1932) Anarchist insurrection of January 1933 , a general strike for higher wages throughout Spain Anarchist insurrection of December 1933 , a general strike to establish libertarian communism in Aragon Revolution of 1934 ,
270-557: A city of 30,000 with only a small force, Ronquillo instead set out to blockade foodstuffs and other supplies from entering Segovia. The people of Segovia, led by militia leader and noble Juan Bravo, rallied around the Comunidad . Segovia requested aid against Ronquillo's army from the Comunidades of Toledo and Madrid. The cities responded by sending their militias, captained by Juan López de Padilla and Juan de Zapata , who won in
360-559: A confrontation was inevitable. With Pedro Girón in command, the army of the comuneros advanced on Medina de Rioseco , following the orders of the Junta. Girón established his headquarters in Villabrágima , a town merely 8 kilometres (5.0 mi) from the royalist army. The royalists occupied nearby villages to cut communication lines back to other comuneros. This situation continued until December 2, when Girón, apparently thinking
450-546: A great shortage of funds on the royal side. During October and November 1520, both sides accepted that a military conclusion would soon be necessary and actively devoted themselves to fundraising, recruiting soldiers, and training their troops. The comuneros organized their militias in the major cities and levied new taxes on the countryside; they also took measures aimed at eliminating waste, routinely auditing their treasurers and dismissing those thought to be corrupt. The royal government, which had lost much of its revenue due to
540-406: A more typical rebellion against high taxes and perceived foreign control. From the 19th century onwards, the revolt has been mythologized by various Spaniards, generally liberals who drew political inspiration from it. Conservative intellectuals have traditionally adopted more pro-Imperial stances toward the revolt, and have been critical of both the motives and the government of the comuneros. With
630-412: A new attack. This caused many of the soldiers to return to their home communities, tired of waiting for salaries and new orders. This was a problem the comunero forces had throughout the war; they possessed only a small number of full-time soldiers, and their militias were constantly "dissolving and recruiting." A serious attempt to negotiate a peaceful end to the war was tried again by the moderates, but
720-470: A radical anti-feudal dimension, supporting peasant rebellions against the landed nobility. On April 23, 1521, after nearly a year of rebellion, the reorganized supporters of the emperor struck a crippling blow to the comuneros at the Battle of Villalar . The following day, rebel leaders Juan López de Padilla , Juan Bravo , and Francisco Maldonado were beheaded. The army of the comuneros fell apart. Only
810-615: A revolt of the inhabitants of Burgos. Still in Germany, Charles V issued the Edict of Worms on December 17, 1520 (not to be confused with the Edict of Worms of May 25, 1521, against Martin Luther ), which condemned 249 prominent Comunidad members. For secular rebels, the punishment was death; clergy were to receive lighter penalties. Similarly, the edict also declared that those who supported
900-789: A revolutionary general strike in Asturias and Catalunya during the black biennium Spanish Civil War , a military uprising against the Second Spanish Republic Spanish Revolution of 1936 , a workers' social revolution that coincided with the Spanish Civil War The Spanish Revolution, 1931-1939 (Trotsky book) , a collection of texts written by Russian revolutionary Leon Trotsky on the Spanish Civil War Spanish transition to democracy ,
990-543: A route to power and wealth not tied to the aristocracy. Support from these urban elites was critical to Ferdinand and Isabella's centralization of power, and they acted as a counterweight to the landed aristocracy and the clergy. However, with Isabella I 's death and Joanna 's accession in 1504, this alliance between the national government and the budding middle class faltered. The Castilian government decayed with each successive administration, becoming rife with corruption. Joanna's husband, Philip I , reigned briefly; he
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#17327727799301080-466: A series of raids into the area around Dueñas , raising more than 4,000 ducats and inspiring the peasantry. He returned to Valladolid in early 1521, then came back to Dueñas on January 10 to begin a major offensive against the nobles of Tierra de Campos . The nobles' land and holdings were completely devastated. In mid-January, Pedro de Ayala, Count of Salvatierra, joined the comuneros and organized an army of about two thousand men who set about raiding
1170-476: A tactic favored by Padilla. In the far north of Castile, the rebel army began a series of operations conducted by Antonio de Acuña , bishop of Zamora. They received orders from the Junta on December 23 to try and raise a rebellion in Palencia . They were tasked with expelling royalists, collecting taxes on behalf of the Junta, and creating an administration sympathetic to the comuneros cause. Acuña's army made
1260-618: A vote in the Cortes to hold an emergency meeting. They proffered five goals: These claims, especially the first two, spread quickly through society. Ideas began to circulate of replacing the king; Toledo's leaders floated the possibility of turning the cities of Castile into independent free cities , similar to Genoa and other Italian republics . Competing proposals suggested keeping the monarchy, but dethroning Charles. They proposed that he be replaced by either his mother Queen Joanna or his Castilian-born brother Ferdinand . With these ideas,
1350-453: A year of rebellion, the reorganized supporters of the emperor Charles V struck a crippling blow to the comuneros at the Battle of Villalar , and finally royal troops of the Count of Haro captured Tordesillas. This 16th-century event was the beginning of a long decline from influence and prosperity. The ongoing position of Tordesillas at a crossing of historic roads and modern highways has been
1440-437: Is based on services—especially connected to tourism—and the agricultural production of the surrounding area. Wheat has long been the traditional agricultural product (see Cuisine of the province of Valladolid ). The town is well served by hotels with a Parador , four three-star hotels, one two-star hotel, and ten hostels and pensions . There is also a camping site. There is also an abundance of restaurants—27 in total—with
1530-410: Is called "Sábado de Faroles". (The Saturday of torches or lanterns made of wood). During the night there is the "Desfile de Faroles", a big parade where each competing "peña" (crew or team) carries a "farol" (which is somewhat bigger than a common streetlamp). Each side of the "farol" is painted with typical images about Tordesillas and about the festivities. Crews, accompanied by brass bands, take part in
1620-544: Is different from Wikidata All article disambiguation pages All disambiguation pages Revolt of the Comuneros The Revolt of the Comuneros ( Spanish : Guerra de las Comunidades de Castilla , "War of the Communities of Castile") was an uprising by citizens of Castile against the rule of Charles I and his administration between 1520 and 1521. At its height, the rebels controlled
1710-486: Is located on the Douro River although the river is not navigable up to Tordesillas. There are highway connections to Madrid , 182 kilometres (113 mi) to the southeast, and with Salamanca , 96 kilometres (60 mi) to the southwest. The provincial capital of Valladolid is also linked by four-lane highway. Because of its important highway connections Tordesillas has become a major transit hub. The economy
1800-527: Is no one in the Kingdom, not in Seville or Valladolid or any other city who will ever pay anything of it; all the grandees and members of the council are amazed that Your Highness has scheduled payments from these funds. Once he realized that a full-fledged revolution was underway, Charles responded vigorously. Through Cardinal Adrian, he undertook new policy initiatives, such as canceling the taxes granted in
1890-696: Is of special interest, containing a museum of religious art collected from churches in the vicinity. The spacious church interior has a single nave , and its most outstanding feature is the sumptuous Alderete Chapel, containing the 1550 alabaster tomb of Don Pedro de Alderete, Commander of the Order of Santiago . There are also two other historic convents besides Santa Clara in Tordesillas — Convento de Carmelo and Convento de San Francisco . The main feasts in Tordesillas are held in September;
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#17327727799301980-493: Is the historic and attractive central community space framed by the 17th century colonnade and porticos creating the arcade that encircles it. Nearby is the Church of Santa Maria, built from the sixteenth to the eighteenth centuries. It has a monumental baroque sacristy . The town's other landmark churches are San Juan, San Pedro, Santiago, and San Antolín. The massive 15th-century Church of San Antolín
2070-569: The Comunidad of Valladolid caused the most important core of the Iberian plateau to declare for the rebels, upending the stability of the government. New members now joined the Junta of Ávila and the Royal Council looked discredited; Adrian had to flee to Medina de Rioseco as Valladolid fell. The royal army, with many of its soldiers unpaid for months, started to disintegrate. The comunero army now properly organized itself, integrating
2160-467: The Comunidades were traitors, disloyal, rebels, and infidels. The Royal Council's next move was the occupation of Ampudia in Palencia, a town loyal to the Count of Salvatierra. The Junta sent Padilla to meet Acuña; their combined force besieged the royal army at the castle of Mormojón . The royal army slipped away by nightfall, and Mormojón was forced to pay tribute to avoid being pillaged. Ampudia
2250-468: The Netherlands . Among the most scandalous of these was the appointment of the twenty-year-old William de Croÿ as Archbishop of Toledo . The Archbishopric was an important position; it had been held by Archbishop Cisneros , the former regent of the country. Six months into his rule, discontent openly simmered among rich and poor alike. Even some monks began to agitate, denouncing the opulence of
2340-525: The Reconquista , and Spanish military obligations had only increased since then. A large number of troops were required to maintain stability in recently conquered Granada , threatened by revolt from the maltreated moriscos (former Muslims who had converted to Christianity) and frequent naval raids from Muslim nations along the Mediterranean. Additionally, Ferdinand had invaded and occupied
2430-509: The Cortes of Corunna. Most important was the appointment of two new Castilian co-regents: the Constable of Castile , Íñigo Fernández , and the Admiral of Castile , Fadrique Enríquez . This negated two of the most salient complaints of the rebels. In addition, Adrian approached the nobles to convince them that their best interests lay with the king. The Royal Council was re-established in
2520-597: The Cortes of Tordesillas declared itself the new legitimate government and denounced the Royal Council. Oaths of self-defense were taken by all the cities represented over the week, finishing by September 30. The revolutionary government now had structure and a free hand to act, with the Royal Council still ineffective and confused. The comuneros were strong in the central plateau of the Iberian Peninsula , as well as scattered other places such as Murcia . The rebels sought to propound their revolutionary ideas to
2610-499: The Cortes on April 4. He convened them again in Corunna on April 22, this time getting his program passed. On May 20, he embarked for Germany, and left as regent of his Spanish possessions his former tutor, Adrian of Utrecht (better known as the future Pope Adrian VI). In April 1520, Toledo was already unstable. The city council had been at the forefront of protests against Charles' bid to become Holy Roman Emperor. They decried
2700-532: The Cruel's palace. Blanche de Bourbon was held here after her abandonment by Peter for María de Padilla in 1353. The former portal, blocked off now, has a particularly fine Mudéjar doorway. In 1363 he ceded Santa Clara to two of his daughters by María de Padilla. They turned it into a convent , but it retained its role as a royal palace. In 1420 the Infante Don Enrique of Aragón burst into
2790-683: The Iberian part of Navarre in 1512, and forces were required to garrison it against Navarrese revolts and French armies. Very little money was left to pay for the royal army in Castile proper, let alone service foreign debts. The corruption in the government since Isabella's death only made the budget shortfalls worse. In 1516, Ferdinand died. The remaining heir was Ferdinand and Isabella's grandson Charles , who became King Charles I of both Castile and Aragon in coregency with his mother Queen Joanna I of Castile. Joanna, who had been confined in Tordesillas, also succeeded as Queen of Aragon, but during
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2880-443: The Junta initially denounced them but did nothing to oppose them. The dynamics of the uprising thus changed profoundly, as it could now jeopardize the status of the entire manorial system . The nobles had previously been somewhat sympathetic to the cause due to their loss of privileges to the central government. However, these new developments led to a dramatic drop in support for the comuneros from aristocrats, who were frightened by
2970-490: The Junta of Tordesillas: Burgos , Soria , Segovia , Ávila , Valladolid , León , Salamanca , Zamora , Toro , Toledo , Cuenca , Guadalajara , and Madrid . The only invited cities that failed to attend were the four Andalusian cities: Seville , Granada , Cordova , and Jaén . Since most of the kingdom was represented at Tordesillas, the Junta renamed itself the Cortes y Junta General del Reino ("General Assembly of
3060-476: The Kingdom"). On September 24, 1520, the mad Queen, for the only time, presided over the Cortes. The legislators met with Queen Joanna and explained the purpose of the Cortes: to proclaim her sovereignty and restore lost stability to the kingdom. The next day, September 25, the Cortes issued a declaration pledging to use arms if necessary and for the whole to aid any one city that was threatened. On September 26,
3150-515: The Parador restaurant having a three star classification. North of the town there is a fertile valley formed by the Douro, with extensive use of irrigation by central pivots. The town is known for its Toro de la Vega festival during which a bull was slaughtered by people on horseback and on foot. Animal rights groups repeatedly tried to stop this from taking place. The Roman Turris Sillae, built on
3240-454: The city of Toledo kept alive the rebellion led by María Pacheco , until its surrender in October 1521. The character of the revolution is a matter of historiographical debate. According to some scholars, the revolt was one of the first modern revolutions, notably because of the anti-noble sentiment against social injustice and its basis on ideals of democracy and freedom. Others consider it
3330-739: The city supported the monarchy, and again during the clashes between the Catholic Monarchs and Joanna La Beltraneja in 1476. The Catholic Monarchs signed the Treaty of Tordesillas with the Portuguese crown in 1494, which established the line dividing the globe between Spain and Portugal for colonization purposes. This affected the Portuguese and Spanish colonization of the Americas . Despite Tordesillas' traditional support for
3420-515: The comuneros now began to be heard, especially in Burgos . The wavering position of Burgos was soon known to the royalists, and the Constable of Castile negotiated with Burgos's government. The Royal Council granted a number of significant concessions to Burgos in exchange for them leaving the Junta. Following this incident, the Royal Council hoped that other cities would imitate Burgos and leave
3510-408: The comuneros peacefully. Valladolid, the former seat of royal power, was considered especially likely to turn, but too many supporters of the king had left city politics and lost their influence. It remained rebel-controlled. The Admiral of Castile continued his campaign to try to convince the comuneros to return to the royal government and thereby avoid a violent suppression. This attitude concealed
3600-468: The coregency with her own son, she remained confined and largely powerless. Charles was brought up in Flanders , the homeland of his father Philip, and barely knew Castilian. The people greeted him with skepticism, but also hoped he would restore stability. With the arrival of the new king in late 1517, his Flemish court took positions of power in Castile; young Charles only trusted people he knew from
3690-477: The councilors prepared to leave, a large crowd opposed to the departure rioted and drove out the royal administrators instead. A citizen's committee was elected under the leadership of Juan López de Padilla and Pedro Laso de la Vega , naming themselves a Comunidad . On April 21, the remaining administrators were driven from the fortifications of the Alcázar of Toledo . Following Charles' departure to Germany,
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3780-519: The date changes every year. The celebrations are in honour of Our Lady 'La Virgen de la Peña', (Our Lady of the Rock) patron saint of the village and land of Tordesillas. Her hermitage is located on the other side of the river, where people arrive for the romería (pilgrimage) in carts drawn by decorated horses. Celebrations begin on 8 September, Patron Saint's Day of Tordesillas, the 'Virgen de la Guía' (Our Guiding Lady). Following Saturday to 8 September
3870-402: The decisive factor in its economic survival and development. The Santa Clara buildings were originally built by King Alfonso XI as his palace in 1344. His son Peter the Cruel had it embellished by Mudéjar artists, beautiful works at Santa Clara, though on a much smaller scale than they did in the Alcázar of Seville . The facade, a lovely small patio, a chapel and the baths remain of Peter
3960-544: The election. Taxes had to be raised to cover the debt, but any new taxes had to be approved by the Cortes (Castile's own parliamentary body). Thus, in late March 1520, Charles convened the Cortes in Santiago de Compostela . Charles ensured the Cortes would only have limited power, and further attempted to stack the Cortes with pliable representatives he could bribe. Support for the opposition only increased in response, and
4050-678: The end of Franco's dictatorship and the establishment of the autonomous community of Castile and León , positive commemoration of the Comunidades has grown. April 23 is now celebrated as Castile and León Day , and the incident is often referred to in Castilian nationalism . Discontent had been brewing for years before the Revolt of the Comuneros. The second half of the 15th century saw profound political, economic, and social changes in Spain. Economic growth created new urban industries and offered
4140-692: The establishment of a liberal government in Spain and the restoration of the Constitution of 1812 Spanish Revolution of 1854 , also known as the Vicalvarada, a revolution in Madrid that began the Bienio progresista Glorious Revolution (Spain) (1868), a revolution against Queen Isabella II Petroleum Revolution (1873), a workers' revolution in Alcoy Cantonal rebellion (1873-1874),
4230-646: The fief of Admiral Enríquez, Medina de Rioseco , which enabled the Council to be nearer to the revolting cities and reassure skeptical supporters. While the royal army was still in tatters, many high nobles maintained their own well-trained mercenary armies—armies that with the revolt's recent radicalization would now fight for the king. The first political defeats of the comuneros came in October 1520. The comuneros' attempt to use Queen Joanna for legitimacy did not bear fruit, as she blocked their initiatives and refused to sign any edicts. In turn, dissenting voices inside
4320-547: The first major confrontation between the forces of the king and the rebels. Other cities now followed the lead of Toledo and Segovia, deposing their governments. A revolutionary Cortes, La Santa Junta de las Comunidades ("Holy Assembly of the Communities"), held its first session in Ávila and declared itself the legitimate government deposing the Royal Council. Padilla was named Captain-General, and troops were assembled. Still, only four cities sent representatives at first: Toledo, Segovia, Salamanca, and Toro. Faced with
4410-532: The formal end of Francoist Spain and the reinstatement of parliamentarism Topics referred to by the same term [REDACTED] This disambiguation page lists articles associated with the title Spanish Revolution . If an internal link led you here, you may wish to change the link to point directly to the intended article. Retrieved from " https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Spanish_Revolution&oldid=1246499903 " Category : Disambiguation pages Hidden categories: Short description
4500-465: The heart of Castile, ruling the cities of Valladolid , Tordesillas , and Toledo . The revolt occurred in the wake of political instability in the Crown of Castile after the death of Queen Isabella I in 1504. Isabella's daughter Joanna succeeded to the throne. Due to Joanna's mental instability, Castile was ruled by the nobles and her father, King Ferdinand II of Aragon , as a regent , while Joanna
4590-562: The hill of Siellas, was the bulwark of the defensive line of the Duero during the Reconquest . In 1262 it received its charter from Alfonso X the Wise. The town began to be favored by the royal family and nobility, above all after Alfonso XI built a palace (1325). In the 15th century the town hosted several meetings of the Cortes. During the skirmishes between Henry IV and the nobility
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#17327727799304680-444: The homes of the prominent nobles. The rebels now set themselves completely against the manorial system . This would be one of the strongest features of the second phase of the rebellion. After the recent setbacks suffered by the comuneros, Padilla realized that they needed a victory to raise morale. He decided to take Torrelobatón and its castle. Torrelobatón was a stronghold halfway between Tordesillas and Medina de Rioseco, and
4770-459: The kingdom. It was the first time where the word comunidades (communities, communes) was used to signify the independent populace, and the name would stick to the councils later formed. At this point, most of the members of the Cortes in Santiago intended to vote against the king's requested duties and taxes, even with the Cortes stacked with royalists. In response, Charles decided to suspend
4860-447: The landed nobility as well, many of whom had illegally taken property during the reign of the regents and weak kings after Isabella's death. In Dueñas , the Count of Buendía's vassals revolted against him on September 1, 1520, encouraged by rebel monks. This uprising was followed by others of a similar anti-feudal nature. The leadership of the comuneros was forced to take a stance on these new rebellions; reluctant to openly endorse them,
4950-560: The militias of Toledo, Madrid, and Segovia. Once told of Fonseca's attack, the comunero forces went to Medina del Campo and took possession of the artillery that had just been denied to Fonseca's troops. On August 29, the comuneros' army arrived at Tordesillas with the goal of declaring Queen Joanna the sole sovereign. The Junta moved from Ávila to Tordesillas at the Queen's request and invited cities that had not yet sent representatives to do so. A total of thirteen cities were represented in
5040-613: The monarchy, in the Castilian War of the Communities by citizens of Castile against the rule of Charles V , the city took the side of the Comuneros . The leaders chose Charles' own mother, Queen Joanna I , as an alternative ruler in more than title in 1519. They came to the town to ask for the mediation of Joanna I, confined within the Santa Clara convent since 1509 by her father Ferdinand II . However, in 1521, after nearly
5130-482: The more radical elements of the revolution. At first, Charles seemed not to grasp the magnitude of the revolt. He continued to demand payments from Castile; with the government of Castile still in arrears, Cardinal Adrian found it impossible to secure any new loans. A letter from Cardinal Adrian on August 25 warned Charles of the severity of the situation: Your Highness is making a great error if you think that you will be able to collect and make use of this tax; there
5220-635: The new king and the Castilian social elites, who could see the threat to their power and status. In 1519, Charles was elected Holy Roman Emperor . He departed for Germany in 1520, leaving the Dutch cardinal Adrian of Utrecht to rule Castile in his absence. Soon, a series of anti-government riots broke out in the cities, and local city councils ( Comunidades ) took power. The rebels chose Charles' own mother, Queen Joanna, as an alternative ruler, hoping they could control her madness. The rebel movement took on
5310-401: The next day. The small rebel garrison was overwhelmed. Seizure of Tordesillas marked a serious defeat for the comuneros, who lost Queen Joanna and with her their claim to legitimacy. In addition, thirteen representatives of the Junta were imprisoned, though others fled and escaped. Morale fell among the rebels, and much angry criticism was directed towards Pedro Girón for his maneuvering of
5400-614: The next emperor. Charles campaigned aggressively for the post, vying with King Francis I of France to bribe the most prince-electors . Charles I won the election, becoming Emperor Charles V and cementing the power of the House of Habsburg . He prepared to head to Germany to take possession of his new domains in the Holy Roman Empire. Charles had already stressed the treasury to its limit with his extravagant Flemish court, and over 1 million florins were spent in bribes for
5490-406: The north of Castile. Nearby, Burgos awaited the fulfillment of the pledges made by Cardinal Adrian after they had joined the royalist cause two months prior. The slow response led to dissatisfaction and uncertainty in the city. Ayala and Acuña, aware of this situation, decided to besiege Burgos, Ayala from its north and Acuña from its south. They also sought to undermine the defenses by encouraging
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#17327727799305580-492: The palace and seized the person of John II, who escaped the Infante thanks to Álvaro de Luna. Queen Joanna of Castile and Aragon , who spent much of her life in confinement at the (later demolished) Royal Palace of Tordesillas , was first interred at the Santa Clara convent before her remains were transferred to Granada. The convent still holds a little clavichord reputed to have belonged to heritage. The Plaza Mayor
5670-547: The parade carrying their "faroles", along the streets of the village. The crew judged to have the most beautiful farole is awarded a prize. The guards' patrol through the old walls of Tordesillas gave rise to this curious celebration that traverses the whole village. The "Virgen de la Peña" patron saint's day is celebrated on Sunday. The following Tuesday there was a well-known local tournament called, in Spanish, "Torneo del Toro de la Vega" (The Meadow Bull Tournament). The bull
5760-532: The rebel advance, exactly as Padilla hoped. The faith of the nobles in Cardinal Adrian was again shaken, as he was accused of having done nothing to avoid losing Torrelobatón. The Constable of Castile began to send troops to the Tordesillas area to contain the rebels and prevent any further advances. Despite the renewed enthusiasm among the rebels, a decision was made to remain in their positions near Valladolid without pressing their advantage or launching
5850-637: The rebellion there had a character closer to the nearby Revolt of the Brotherhoods in Valencia in Aragon . In Extremadura to the southwest, the city of Plasencia joined the Comunidades , but this was undermined by the close proximity of other royalist cities such as Ciudad Rodrigo and Cáceres . A close correlation can be drawn between poor economic fortunes over the previous twenty years and
5940-508: The rebellion; central Castile suffered from agricultural failure and other setbacks under the Royal Council, while Andalusia was relatively prosperous with its maritime trade. Andalusia's leadership also feared that in the instability of a civil war, the Moriscos of Granada would likely revolt. The growing success of the comuneros emboldened people to accuse members of the old government of complicity with royal abuses. The protests attacked
6030-429: The rebels in combat, while others such as the Constable of Castile favored continued waiting and the building of defensive fortifications. The Admiral of Castile preferred negotiations and exhausting all the possible peaceful options first. Patience, however, began to run thin; armies were expensive to maintain once assembled. In late November 1520, both armies took positions between Medina de Rioseco and Tordesillas, and
6120-405: The representatives demanded that their grievances be heard first before any new tax was granted. A group of clerics soon circulated a statement in protest of the king. It argued three points: any new taxes should be rejected; Castile should be embraced and the foreign Empire rejected; and if the king did not take into account his subjects, the Comunidades themselves should defend the interests of
6210-621: The rest of the kingdom, but without much success. There were few attempts at rebellion elsewhere, such as in Galicia to the northwest or in Andalusia to the south. Comunidades in the south were set up in Jaén , Úbeda , and Baeza , unique in Andalusia, but with time they were drawn back into the royalists. Murcia stayed with the rebel cause, but did not coordinate much with the Junta, and
6300-497: The revolt shifted from a simple protest against taxes to a broader revolution. Many cities, while not quite in outright revolt, stopped sending taxes to the Royal Council and began to self-govern. The situation moved closer to armed conflict on June 10. Rodrigo Ronquillo had been sent to Segovia by the Royal Council to investigate the recent murder of Segovia's legislator, but Segovia refused him entry. Unable to besiege
6390-429: The revolt, sought loans from Portugal and from conservative Castilian bankers, who saw reassuring signs in the switch of the allegiance of Burgos. Gradually, both the city of Toledo and its leader Juan López de Padilla lost influence within the Junta, though Padilla retained popularity and prestige among the commoners. Two new figures emerged within the Comunidades , Pedro Girón and Antonio Osorio de Acuña . Girón
6480-591: The riots multiplied in the cities of central Castile , especially after the arrival of legislators who had voted "yes" to the taxes Charles had asked for. Segovia had some of the earliest and most violent incidents; on May 30, a mob of woolworkers murdered two administrators and the city's legislator who had voted in favor. Incidents of a similar size occurred in cities such as Burgos and Guadalajara , while others, such as León , Ávila , and Zamora , suffered minor altercations. With widespread discontent circulating, on June 8 Toledo's council suggested to cities with
6570-408: The royal army would remain entrenched, moved his forces west to the small town of Villalpando . The town surrendered the next day without resistance, and the troops began looting the estates in the area. However, with this movement, the comuneros left the path to Tordesillas completely unprotected. The royal army took advantage of the blunder, marching by night on December 4 and occupying Tordesillas
6660-508: The royal court, the Flemish, and the nobility in their sermons. One of the first public protests involved placards posted in churches, which read: You, land of Castile, very wretched and damned are you to suffer that as noble a kingdom as you are, you will be governed by those who have no love for you. With the unrest growing, Charles' paternal grandfather Holy Roman Emperor Maximilian I died in 1519. A new election had to be held to choose
6750-477: The setting of a fire to distract the resistance, but it grew out of control. Much of the town was destroyed, including a Franciscan monastery and a trade warehouse containing goods valued at more than 400,000 ducats . Fonseca had to withdraw his troops, and the event was a public relations disaster for the government. Uprisings throughout Castile occurred, even in cities that previously had been neutral such as Castile's capital, Valladolid . The establishment of
6840-444: The short-term expenses that would be borne by Castile and questioned the role of Castile in this new political framework, given the possibility that the land would become a mere imperial province. The situation erupted when the royal government summoned the most radical of the city councilors away from the city, intending to send back more easily controllable replacements on a royal salary. The order came on April 15; one day later, as
6930-518: The situation in Segovia, Regent and Cardinal Adrian of Utrecht decided to use the royal artillery, located in nearby Medina del Campo , to take Segovia and defeat Padilla. Adrian ordered his commander Antonio de Fonseca to seize the artillery. Fonseca arrived on August 21 in Medina, but encountered heavy resistance from the townspeople, as the city had strong trade links to Segovia. Fonseca ordered
7020-511: The third capital of the rebels, after Ávila and Tordesillas. The situation was somewhat worse for the army, with a large number of desertions in Valladolid and Villalpando. This forced the rebels to intensify their recruitment drives, especially in Toledo, Salamanca, and Valladolid itself. With these new recruits and the arrival of Juan de Padilla to Valladolid, the rebel military apparatus
7110-534: The troops out of position and for his failure to attempt to retake Tordesillas or capture Medina de Rioseco. Girón was obliged to resign from his post and withdrew from the war. Following the loss of Tordesillas, the comuneros regrouped in Valladolid . The Junta reconvened on December 15, but with only eleven cities represented, down from a height of fourteen. Soria and Guadalajara's representatives did not return, and Burgos had left earlier. Valladolid would be
7200-465: The troops. Only churches were spared. The castle resisted for another two days. The comuneros then threatened to hang all of the inhabitants, at which point the castle surrendered. The defenders did secure an agreement to spare half of the goods inside the castle, thus avoiding further looting. The victory in Torrelobatón lifted the spirits of the rebel camp while worrying the royalists about
7290-664: The weak and corrupt Royal Council to illegally expand their territory and domain with private armies while the government did nothing. In response, the towns signed mutual defense pacts, relying on each other rather than the national government. The budgets of both Castile and Aragon had been in poor condition for some time. The government had expelled the Jews in 1492 and the Muslims of Granada in 1502, moves that undercut lucrative trades and businesses. Ferdinand and Isabella had been forced to borrow money to pay troops during and after
7380-507: Was banned in 2016 by the regional government over rising concerns about violent clashes between those who held views in favor of the tournament and those against it. A perceived majority of the town's population supported the celebration while a growing number of Spaniards had come to know about it and were opposing this celebration over human rights concerns. There had been attempts to block the celebration by members of animal-rights groups before and altercations between both locals and visitors in
7470-483: Was confined. After Ferdinand's death in 1516, Joanna's sixteen-year-old son Charles was proclaimed her co-monarch of both Castile and Aragon ; while Joanna also succeeded as Queen of Aragon, during her co-regency with her own son, she remained confined. Charles had been raised in the Netherlands with little knowledge of Castilian . He arrived in Spain in October 1517 accompanied by a large retinue of Flemish nobles and clerics. These factors resulted in mistrust between
7560-444: Was driven by horsemen and footmen all carrying spears. When it reached the meadow across the river it was finally speared and stabbed by many competing lancers. The person who delivered the fatal blow (this could be with a rifle) was entitled to cut off the bull's testicles and tie them to the tip of his spear and parade them through the town. The city then awarded him a gold medal and a commemorative forged iron spear. This celebration
7650-592: Was one of the most powerful nobles who supported the comuneros; his rebellion is thought to originate from Charles' refusal to grant Girón the prestigious Duchy of Medina-Sidonia a year prior to the war. Antonio de Acuña was the Bishop of Zamora . Acuña was also the head of the Comunidad in Zamora and the leader of its army, which included more than 300 priests. On the royalist side, the nobles could not agree on what tactics to use. Some preferred to directly challenge
7740-416: Was rebuilt and morale bolstered. At the beginning of 1521, the comuneros prepared for an all-out war, despite disagreements within the movement. Some suggested seeking a peaceful resolution, while others favored continuing the war. Those who favored war were divided between two tactics: occupy Simancas and Torrelobatón , a less ambitious proposal defended by Pedro Laso de la Vega ; or lay siege to Burgos,
7830-665: Was recovered by the rebels the next day, January 16. Meanwhile, the rebellion in Burgos scheduled for January 23 was a failure due to poor coordination with the besieging army; it started two days early and was easily crushed. The comuneros of Burgos had to surrender, and this was the last rebellion to be seen in Castile. After abandoning the siege of Burgos due to the failure of its revolt, Padilla decided to return to Valladolid, while Acuña opted to resume his skirmishing and harassment of noble properties around Tierra de Campos. With this series of actions, Acuña intended to destroy or occupy
7920-411: Was replaced by Archbishop Cisneros as regent for a short time, and then by Isabella's widower Ferdinand who ruled from Aragon. Ferdinand's claim to continue ruling Castile as regent was somewhat tenuous after Isabella's death, but no plausible alternatives existed as the sovereign, their widowed daughter Joanna , was mentally unfit to reign on her own. The landed nobility of Castile took advantage of
8010-423: Was undercut by extremists of both sides. Tordesillas Tordesillas ( Spanish pronunciation: [toɾðeˈsiʎas] ) is a town and municipality in the province of Valladolid , Castile and León , central Spain . It is located 25 kilometres (16 mi) southwest of the provincial capital, Valladolid at an elevation of 704 metres (2,310 ft). The population was c. 8,760 as of 2021 . The town
8100-402: Was very close to Valladolid. Taking it would grant the rebels an excellent fortress for launching military operations and remove a threat on Valladolid. On February 21, 1521, the siege of Torrelobatón began. Outnumbered, the town nevertheless resisted for four days, thanks to its walls. On February 25, the comuneros entered the town and subjected it to a massive looting spree as a reward to
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