Toledo, Spain

father managed the great voyage of discovery in 1492, Diego was made a page at the Spanish court. When his father’s died in 1506, he began a long struggle to regain his father’s former privileges in the Indies. Diego’s marriage to María Álvarez de Toledo, niece of the duque de Alba, the cousin of King Ferdinand, worked in his favour, and in 1508 he was accredited governor of the Indies. He arrived at Santo Domingo on the day of July 1509 and succeeded Nicolás de Ovando in that post. He wasn’t…

tribes living in Roman Mauretania (modern day Algeria and Morocco). It has no ethnographic meaning but can be used to refer to all Muslims, Berber or Arab, who conquered the Iberian Peninsula. These Moors, who were religious fanatics, arrived in Spain in the year 711 and thus began a period of history which would shape Iberia differently than the rest of Europe as the land adapted to a new religion, language and culture. Hispania became a part of the caliph of Damascus which was the capital of…

in Ferrol, Galicia, Spain, to a middle-class family, his father Nicolás Franco Salgado-Araujo was a violent alcoholic who mistreated his family, he…

“From 1936-1939, a civil war raged in Spain between those loyal to the newly-stablished Republican government and those who favored a conservative, militaristic system”. The people, who were loyal to the democratically elected Spanish Republic, were called the Loyalists or Republicans. This group of people fought for the democracy in Spain, that has being gained after the fall of the monarchy. The opposite group, who favored a conservative and militaristic system, also was a fascist rebel group…

What Were the Accomplishments of Philip II of Spain? Philip II was one of the most powerful monarchs of his era and remains to be well-known until today. During his reign, Spain reached its Golden Age and was able to have numerous achievements in music, literature, and visual arts. The Spanish kingdom also flourished, gaining territories around the world and getting the nickname of “the empire on which the sun never sets”. Philip II himself went on to become the King of Castile, Aragon, Naples,…

the Medieval Inquisition but also guide those converting from Islam and Judaism. Unfortunately that guidance was a subject of a previous decree 's formed by the Catholic Monarchs of Spain, Isabella I of Castile and Ferdinand II of Aragon. This inquisition began with the threat of the Jews down in the South of Spain- Sevilla. Through the pressures of Isabella and Ferdinand the inquisition quickly took place. Though the initial motif for the Spanish inquisition was to convert the Jews and…

history. From his early years, Franco was involved in the military and climbed the ladder to eventually be general and dictator of Spain. At the highest point in his career, Franco lead the Nationalists rebellion against the government which eventually resulted in his position as dictator of Spain. Eventually adopting the name of “El Caudillo”, Francisco Franco would lead Spain into what is now a democracy. Francisco Franco y Bahamonde was born in El Ferrol on December 4, 1892. Born into a…

The Song of the Cid was composed during a time of major change and chaos. Christian rulers were compelled to reclaim previous Christian lands in Spain from the Muslims. Through these proceedings, the relationships between Christians, Jews, and Muslims were tested in order to maintain set social boundaries. These social boundaries, however, were not absolute in reality as depicted in The Song of the Cid. Instead, Jews and Muslims present more a of a caricature view in The Song of the Cid. In this…

Second World War, Spain was a non-aggressive state that was not engaged in any type of warfare. When WWII was about to begin and countries were starting to pick alliances, Spain was just recovering from a three yearlong civil war. By that time Spain was inflicted with poverty, the people were starving, and the Spaniards had their share of war. Keeping in mind all the pressure that was put on Spain to join the war, Franco was smart enough to play the system and benefit from everyone. Spain was…

a considerable role in Christian Spain during the 13th century, but the struggle against the Moors had kept the inhabitants of the Iberian Peninsula busy and served to strengthen their faith. When toward the end of the 15th century the Reconquista was all but complete, the desire for religious unity became more and more pronounced. Spain’s Jewish population, which was among the largest in Europe, soon became a target. Over centuries, the Jewish community in Spain had flourished and grown in…