The Hispanic Christian

kingdoms
 1. The origins of Christian Spain
• In 711: Battle of Guadalete. Muslims took control of the Iberian península except
the north.

• For 800 years Al-Ándalus and Cristian kingdom existed together. They trade each
other but they also fought frequently.

• Al-Ándalus was stronger up to 11th century. From then on Christian became more
powerful and they conquered Taifas, Almoravids and Almohads.

• In the 8th - 9th centuries: a group of Christian zones was the origin of the later
Hispanic kingdoms:

▫ Cantabrian range:
 Kingdom of Asturias (late Kingdom of León)

▫ Pyrenees:
 Kingdom of Navarra
 Counties of Aragón, Sobrarbe and Ribagorza
 Catalan counties
 1. The origins of Christian Spain
Kingdom of Asturias (718 – 925 A.D.):

• In 8th century: an Asturian or Visigoth noble called Don Pelayo

defeated muslims in the Battle of Covadonga in 722. This wasn’t a
great battle but is considered the beginning of the Reconquest of Al-
Andalus.

• From 8th to 10th centuries: Kingdom of Asturias expanded

southwards and the capital was moved from Oviedo to León.

• Alfonso III conquered muslim territories until the river Duero.

• From that moment the Kingdom was known as the kingdom of León.
Kingdom of León
 1. The origins of Christian Spain
Counties and kingdom of the Pyrenees:

• Pyrenees formed part of the Hispanic march of the Carolingian empire

for defending of muslims attacks.

• When Carolingian separate themselves in the Treaty of Verdun (9th)

the Hispanic march separated into 3 zones:

• Navarra: A count called Iñigo Arista expelled Franks from Pamplona and
declared the Kingdom of Pamplona (later Kingdom of Navarra).

• Aragón, Sobrarbe and Ribagorza: counties in central Pyrenees.

• Catalan counties: A count called Wifredo the Hairy (Wifredo el Velloso)

got the independence from Franks a leader a group of counties.
 2. The emergence of Christian kingdoms
The kingdoms of León and
Castilla

• León was the most important kingdom

in the 10th and 11th century.

• At the same time (in the 10th century):

Castilla was a group of counties in the
east of the Kingdom of León. It was a
defensive zone plenty of castles in
order to defend from muslim attacks.

• The count Fernán González unified the

counties of Castilla.

• Then Fernando I became the first King

of Castilla in 1035 and also of León two
years later.
Iberian peninsula in 1150
2. The emergence of Christian kingdoms
The kingdoms of León
and Castilla

• Castilla and León were unifed and

divided several times through 200
years until 1230.

• Portugal separated from León in

the mid-12th century.

• In 1230 Fernando III united

together them definitively under
the name of Crown of Castilla.

*Crown: union of two kingdoms.

2. The emergence of Christian kingdoms
The kingdom of Navarra
• Navarra was a powerful kingdom under
the king Sancho III el Mayor.

• In the end of the 10th century Sancho

controlled the counties of Aragón, Castilla
(it was a county yet) and part of León.

• At his death in 1035 (11th century) the

kingdom was divided among his 4 sons
into Navarra, Castilla, Aragón and
Sobrarbe and Ribargorza (Pyrenees
counties).

• One of his sons, Fernando I, was the first

king of Castilla.

• Navarra became independent until 1512.

2. The emergence of Christian kingdoms
Aragón: from county to
Crown
• In the 10th century, the County of
Aragón became part of the kingdom
of Navarra.

• When Sancho el Mayor died in 1035,

one of his sons, Ramiro I, became
the first king of Aragon.

• In the 12th century, the count of

Barcelona (Ramón Berenguer IV)
became engaged to marry Petronila
de Aragón. This united Aragón and
the Catalan counties creating the
Crown of Aragón.
Crown of Aragón
 Complete the table using the book and the notebook:
The emergence of Christian kingdoms

8th 9 th 10 th 11 th 12 th
Kingdom of León
Kingdom of Castilla
Kingdom of Navarra
Kingdom of Aragon
Catalan Counties
3. Reconquest and settlement
• Reconquest: expansion of christian kingdoms
southwards by conquering Muslim lands.

• It is called Reconquest because Christians kings

believed they were heirs of the Visigoths.

• The Reconquest was a very long process (722-

1492). Christians advanced using river valleys as
frontiers to the Muslims.
 3. Reconquest and settlement
• We use the advances of the river valleys as stages.

❖1st stage: Duero (9th – 10th century): Asturias and León

advanced towards Duero river valley.

❖2nd stage: Tajo and Ebro (11th - 12th): Christians took

advantage over the break-up of the Caliphate of Córdoba in 1031,
and advanced rapidly because Taifas could not contain them.

Taifas paid parias (taxes) to stop Christian invasions. Christians

used Muslim gold to strenghened their armies. So:

o Castilla and León advanced beyod the Central System and conquered
the Tajo valley.

o The Crown of Aragón conquered the Ebro valley (Taifa of Zaragoza)

3. Reconquest and settlement
❖3rd stage: Guadiana and Guadalquivir (13th – 15th):
Christian kingoms fought together against Almohads
in the Battle of Navas de Tolosa (1212).

o Portugal conquered the Algarve.

o Castilla conquered Andalucía and Murcia.
o The Crown of Aragón conquered Valencia and Balearic
islands.
3. Reconquest and settlement
As the Christian kingdoms advanced southwards, Christian
population settled in the new territories:

 Repopulation: In 9th and 10th centuries Christian

kingdoms occupied many uninhabited areas around river
Duero and Ebro.

➢ In order to attract people, kings granted them priviledges

like personal freedom and no paying taxes.

➢ New towns were granted charters.

➢ Farmers of that zones were free and landowners in

Exchange for settling there.
3. Reconquest and settlement

 Land distribution: From 12th

century on, in Andalucía, Valencia,
Murcia and Balearic islands,
reconquered lands were given to
nobles in Exchange for their military
support.

 The military orders: In some

dangerous frontiers, military orders
were responsible of conquering and
defending territories. The orders of
monks-Warriors were Alcantara,
Calatrava, Santiago and Montesa.
4. The Crown of Castilla
Crown of Castilla: It was
formed by the kingdom of
Castilla and the kingdom of
León.

Both of them were governed

by the same institutions and
the same laws.
4. The Crown of Castilla
4. The Crown of Castilla: government

The monarch could declare war, make laws and apply justice.

In a lower lever several institutions participate in government:

 Parliament (Cortes): made up of noblemen, clergymen and

representatives of cities. They could not make laws and they
only discuss about taxes.

 Royal council (Consejo Real): advised the king.

 High court(Audiencia): held judicial authority.

 Royal treasury: manages the economy of the kingdom.

 4. The Crown of Castilla: Municipal
government
City government was controlled by lower nobility and
bourgueoisie. These groups held the following positions:

 Council (concejo): main government of the city.

 Mayor (alcalde)

 Chief magistrate (corregidor): Official who represented

the king in cities.
4. The Crown of Castilla: economy
During the Reconquest sheep grazing was a very important activity
(sheeps could be easily moved and could be grazed on poor soil).

At that time transhumance (transhumancia) appeared: seasonal

movement of sheep from the north in summer to south in winter).
Sheeps were moved through routes called cañadas.
4. The Crown of Castilla: economy
In 13th century merino sheep was introduced (it gave higher
quality wool).

Castilla export merino wool to Flanders.

As agriculture developed, there were conflicts between farmers and

sheep ranchers. So, in 13th century an association of sheep owners,
called Mesta, was created and it was granted many priviledges.
5. The Crown of Aragón
Crown of Aragón : It was
made up of the Catalan
counties, the kingdoms of
Aragón, Valencia and
Mallorca.

In the 12th century, the count

of Barcelona (Ramón
Berenguer IV) became
engaged to marry Petronila de
Aragón. This united Aragón
and the Catalan counties
creating the Crown of Aragón.

It was a federation of states:

each territory maintained its
own laws, institutions and
customs.
5. The Crown of Aragón: governement
The king was at the head of all institutions but he had less
power than in Castilla.

Each territory of the Crown had its own parliament

(Cortes)and the king needed its approval to raise taxes or
modify laws.

City councils had great autonomy in the Crown of Aragón

specially in Barcelona.
5. The Crown of Aragón: expansion

Aragón expanded through the Iberian peninsula although less

than Castilla.

An important king was Jaime the Conqueror who took

Valencia, Alicante, Murcia and Balearic islands).

Fron 13th century on, Aragón expanded through the

Mediterranean becoming into the greatest power in that zone.
4. The Crown of Aragón: expansion
5. The Crown of Aragón: economy
There were important differences among the economies of the
kingdoms:

❖ Aragón: was mainly rural. The economy was based on

agriculture and livestock farming.

❖ Cataluña: developed a manufacturing industry specialised

in textiles. Barcelona became a grate trade center.

❖ Valencia: important trade center.

Thanks to the trade economy there was a much more

important bourgueoisie in the Crown of Aragón than in
Castilla.
Mudejar art (page 113)
• From the 12th to the 16th century
▫ Muslims who remained in the territories occupied by the
Christians during the Reconquest

• Financed by Christians and Jews

▫ Built for them

• A mixture of Christian art styles and Al-Andalus style

• Main characteristics:
▫ Cheap materials > bricks, pottery, wood
▫ Covered in stucco > luxurious appearance
▫ Horseshoe arches
▫ Marquetry (artesonado de madera)
▫ Glazed ceramic tiles (azulejos de cerámica vidriada)
Synagogue of Santa María la Blanca (Toledo)
Transit Synagogue (Toledo)
Mudejar tower of San Martín
(Teruel)

The survival of Muslim art in

Christian territory after the
disappearance of Islamic political
power

Use of glazed ceramics and tiles

Patio de las Doncellas del Alcázar de Sevilla (S.
XIV)
Salón de Embajadores del Alcázar de Sevilla (S.
XIV)