Isabel la Católica, Queen
The influence of Isabel la Católica can hardly be overstated. She was the queen who, by marrying Ferdinand, united Castile and Aragon and completed the Reconquista, so that the Caliphate of Granada, the last Moorish stronghold on the Iberian Peninsula, became part of Spain. In 1492, the same year as the surrender of Granada, Columbus, whose journey was made possible by Isabel, landed in the New World.
Another act that had a significant impact was the establishment of the Inquisition in 1478. Its implementation led to widespread criticism toward Isabel and is often referred to as a dark period in Spanish history.
Although not very well known in the Netherlands, Isabel was very important to our history. By arranging the marriage of her daughter, Juana—nicknamed ‘la Loca’ (known in English as Joanna the Mad)—to Philip the Handsome, Archduke of Burgundy, the Netherlands eventually came under Spanish rule. Charles V, Juana’s son, was Isabel’s grandson. His son, Philip II—the Spanish king against whom William of Orange fought—was Isabel’s great-grandson.
With this website, I intend to increase awareness of the life and legacy of Isabel la Católica through facts, stories, and photographs. To achieve this, I have drawn on impressions gathered during visits to the places where Isabel lived, as well as from external sources such as the internet. Special mention goes to the book Isabel I, Reina by Luis Suárez, which provides an in-depth account of Isabel’s life and the historical context in which she lived.
.Are you interested and would like to learn more? Feel free to contact me via the contact page.