Unit 5.

THE CHRISTIAN KINGDOMS IN

THE IBERIAN PENINSULA DURING THE
MIDDLE AGES (8th-15th centuries).

GEOGRAPHY AND HISTORY

2º ESO
1. The Appearance of the
Christian Resistance
Groups
Christians in the Iberian Peninsula from the 8th to
the 10th century
 After the Muslim conquest in the early 8th century, Christian resistance groups were formed in the
Cantabrian Mountains and the Pyrenees as the Muslims never got to fully control the northern areas.
These groups soon became independent kingdoms and states which were Christians.

- It was a long political and military process against

the Muslims to widen the Christians kingdoms.
- It took eight centuries to complete the process.
- It included a process of settling people in the empty
lands as moving south.
- Throughout those years not only wars and battles
took place, also periods of trade and exchange of
knowledge, pacts, peace and understanding.
Should we use the concept ‘Reconquista’?
- The idea of recovering the land that Christians
considered “of their own” appeared rarely in the 9th
and 11th centuries. Nowadays, historians do not
fully considered it a medieval concept.
- The term Reconquista appeared in the 19th century
and was applied since 1936.
The Cantabrian Group
(Western Peninsula) Asturias The Pyrenean Group
(Eastern Peninsula)
I. THE CANTABRIAN GROUP

People living in the north, led by the Visigoth leader Pelayo, defeated the Muslims at the Battle of
Covadonga (722). [→ remember this is a controversial event]

Pelayo´s successors, at the

beginning of the 8th century,
established the
in the Cantabrian
Mountains. The capital was settle
first in Cangas de Onís, and later
in Oviedo (808).

Alfonso III (866-910) spread the

kingdom from Galicia and the
source of the Ebro up to the
Duero River.
In 914, king Ordoño III moved the capital to León → the kingdom turned into the .

Later medieval depiction of Ordoño III

II. THE PYRENEAN GROUP

After the Battle of Poitiers (732),

Charlemagne formed the
south the Pyrenees, a border province
divided in counties.
With the break up of the Carolingian Empire
(9th century), three main resistance groups
separated into three different regions:
, and
In the Western Pyrenees the Basques managed to free themselves from the Frankish after the battle
of Roncesvalles (778).
Count Íñigo Arista (9th century) created the and began the expansion of the
kingdom throughout La Rioja.
In the 10th century it will be known as the .

Depiction of Iñigo Arista in the Compendio de

crónicas de reyes (National Library of Spain).
In the Central Pyrenees the Aragonese group raised: the counties of Aragon, Sobrarbe and
Ribagorza.
They were ruled by the Carolingians until 820, when they became quite independent.
The most powerful was the , specifically under Aznar Galíndez.
The Catalan groups originated in the Eastern Pyrenees, originally controlled by Frankish
kingdom too.
In 878 the count of Urgell, Wilfred the Hairy, united the counties in the so called
, and extended their territory. The most remarkable was the County of Barcelona
but there were other 6.
In 988 they became fully independent from the Franks.
Pre-Romanesque in the Iberian
Peninsula:
Asturian and Mozarab Art
 2. Consolidation and
Advance of the Christian
Kingdoms
Christian Kingdoms during the 11th and the 13th
centuries
 During the 11th - 13th centuries, the Christian states consolidated as kingdoms.
All of them tried to extend their territories: to the south, thanks to the Muslim´s
internal problems, and one against the other Christian kingdoms.
Ways of expanding territories: 2. Vassalage

1. Marriage & Inheritance

3. Military Might

Every son could inherit

(not just the oldest)
↓
Division of territories
I. THE WESTERN PENINSULA

1. THE KINGDOM OF LEON AND THE COUNTY OF CASTILE

Leon and Castile had different type of connections: sometimes they were joined, sometimes
separated, other times one was summited to the other…
During the 10th century the was more powerful But under Fernán González
(930-970) the County of
Castile raised becoming a
vassal of Leon.
However, at the beginning of
the 11th century, Castile
became part of Navarre.
2. THE KINGDOM OF CASTILE AND LEON

In 1035 Fernando I inherited the County of Castile and crowned

himself a king.
Soon he defeated the king of León (Bermudo III) and annexed this
territory to his own, forming the .

Fernando I, according to a
medieval miniature.

However, at the end of his reign the kingdom (1063)

was divided again among his heirs.

Meantime the territorial expansion continued

towards the south, reaching the Tagus and the
Guadiana rivers.
3. THE CROWN OF CASTILE

Later, Fernando III inherited the Kingdom of

Castile and the Kingdom of Leon and in 1230
he united both territories in a single
kingdom, creating the .
In the 13th century the kingdom became one
of the strongest in the peninsula, leading the
process of the conquest to the Atlantic
Ocean and the Mediterranean Sea in
Murcia.

Fernando III, according

to a medieval miniature.
4. THE KINGDOM OF PORTUGAL

became independent from Leon in 1143. Then, it initiated its own territorial expansion towards
the south.
• In 1147 Alfonso I Henriques occupied Lisbon • The expansion ended in the 13th century, after
and moved his kingdom's border to the Tagus the occupation of the Algarve (the
River. southernmost region in Portugal) by Alfonso III.
II. THE EASTERN PENINSULA

5. KINGDOM OF NAVARRE

This kingdom reached its peak at the beginning of the 11th century under Sancho III the Great (992-
1035), who inherited the County of Aragon and incorporated Castile, Sobrarbe and Ribagorza.

The burial stone of

Sancho III, bearing his
effigy.
Realms controlled by Sancho III
 After his death in 1035 his kingdom was divided among his children, and the territories became
independent.
In the 13th century the
became weaker. They fought against the
attempts of annexation by Castile and Aragon.
To avoid that the Navarre dynasties look
towards France to form ties.
Fernando I
García Sanchez

Ramiro I Gonzalo
V/

Its territorial expansion to the south was

blocked between Aragon and Castile.
6. KINGDOM OF ARAGON

After the death of Sancho III of Navarre (1035), his son Ramiro I inherited the county of Aragon and
turned it into an independent kingdom, the . He soon added Sobrarbe and
Ribagorza.

For a while (1076-1134) the included Navarre.

7. THE CROWN OF ARAGON

In 1137 Petronila of Aragon married Ramón

Berenguer IV, count of Barcelona.

From then on the Catalan Counties and the

Kingdom of Aragon would be together under the
.

During the 12th century the Aragonese and the

Catalonian reached the Ebro Valley. In the 13th
century Jaime I the Conqueror followed south to
Valencia and started the expansion through the
Mediterranean Sea.
Romanesque in the Iberian Peninsula
3. Organisation of the
Conquered Land:
Resettlement and
Repopulation
Spreading South during the 8th and the 13th
centuries
 THE RECONQUISTA 8 centuries: 8th-15th Irregular process

It is a political and military process taking place at the same time

Formation of Conquering of the

kingdoms Muslim area

The Iberian Peninsula should be theirs

Christian kings thought
they are Visigoth’s heirs
The Iberian Peninsula should be Christian

Historians nowadays think this idea did not appear in the beginning of the process, and rarely through the
11th century.
 From the mountains to 8th cent.: the mountains
the Duero + Hispanic
March: 9th-10th cent.
- Poorly populated by
Muslims.
- Free settlements of
Christian peasants.

Advances 13th cent.: control of Extremadura

Towards the Tagus and and the valleys of the Guadalquivir, Jucar and
Ebro valleys: Segura rivers:
11th-12th cent. - Christian forces united.
- Break up of the - Battle of Las Navas de Tolosa (1212) =
Caliphate of Cordoba & there’s no turning back.
weakness of the Taifas. - Conquest of Córdoba (1236), Lorca (1244),
- Muslims paid parias to Jaén (1246), Sevilla (1248), Cádiz (1262)
the Christians. and Valencia (1245).
- Conquest of Toledo (1085) and Cuenca (1177). - Muslims reduced to the Kingdom of
- Conquest of Zaragoza (1118) and Teruel (1171). Granada, that paid parias.
REPOPULATION AND RESETTLEMENT

Process of installing new population and cultivating

the land taken from the Muslims, and administering
and managing the territory by the new authorities.

8TH - 11TH CENTURY

The territory conquered from the Muslims:

- the Duero depression
- The Northern Ebro

❖ Free private repopulation (presura or aprisio):

- The land was freely occupied by groups of peasants and monks, who became the owners of this land.
They were led by a nobleman, a bishop, an abbot…
- Gradually, the king granted them a charter or fuero (also carta puebla), were they established the
distribution of the new lands, the privileges granted to the village, the way of administration, etc.
- Granting these privileges monarchs encouraged the colonization of the new lands.
The previous free occupation of land was replaced by
well-organized processes of repopulation, taking
people from other places to the central plateau:

❖ Council or municipal repopulation: South the

Duero river, Tagus and Ebro valleys.

- The conquered territory was divided into

concejos or municipalities, made up of a villa or
walled-in city and its dependent area (alfoz).
- Each council received a charter with its code of
law, rights, duties and privileges of its
inhabitants, the military aid that they had to
provide to the king, taxes, permission to hold
fairs and markets.
- The settlers received a house and lands to
cultivate.
King James I of Aragon receives from Vidal de
Canyelles, Bishop of Huesca, the first compilation of Fuero de Brañosera, Palencia, granted in 894. It’s the first in Castile.
the Furs d'Aragó (the "Fueros of Aragon"), 1247.
► Do you know any name of Example of repopulation with Frankish people:
villages in Spain that refers to the Sierra de Francia (Salamanca)
their origin?

Cisteros de la Bastida

Nava de Francia
 Ejemplo de repoblación
Brañosera con vascos: Palencia

Bascones de Ebro
Bascones de Valdivia

Bascones de Ojeda

Example of repopulation
with Basque people:
Palencia

Cascón de la Nava
FROM THE 13TH CENTURY ON
❖ Repopulation by the military orders: large areas from the Tagus and
Ebro rivers to the south.
- It was organised by the military orders, which received
extensive lands or estates (maestrazgos), as if they were
manors.
- In return they had to defend the territory and increase their
population.
❖ Repopulation by repartimiento: in the Guadalquivir valley, Valencia, Murcia and Balearic Islands.

- The territory was distributed in large estates, proportionately to the participation in the
conquest.
- Nobles received large properties (=manors) and commoners received small plots of land.
- Muslims were allowed to stay, but paying special taxes.
4. Government in the
New Kingdoms: the
Iberian Monarchies
Politics, Administration and Economy in
the Middle Ages
• The peninsular states were governed by kings: Main functions:
o control the army, administration and justice
their power came from God. o issue currency
o receive taxes
Beginning of the «divine right» o grant titles

• Their power was limited by the autonomy and privileges they granted during the Reconquista,
although there were some differences according the territory:

o In Castile: there was a unitarian monarchy = kings had great authority. All the territory kept the
same laws and institutions.

o In Aragon: there was a federal monarchy, several kingdoms = Aragon, Catalonia, Majorca and
Valencia. They had their own institutions, laws and customs.

Pact-based monarchy
=
a pact between the
monarch and the subjects
INSTITUTIONS
• The Asturian kings had their own council of advisors, the Aula
Regis, following the Visigoth tradition.

• Former kings governed with the help of the Curia Regis (Royal
Council), made up of member of the noble class and the church,
as in the rest of Europe.

• Between the end of the 12th century and the 13th century, the Santa María del Naranco, near Oviedo, first established as
kings incorporated wealthy members of the bourgeoisie as the Aula Regis by Ramiro I of Asturias.

representatives of the cities into the Curia Regia. This moment

represented the birth of the Courts (Cortes), that’s the
Parliaments, so the three estates are represented.
 o In Castile there was only one Court: its power was limited to approve new taxes.

o In the Crown of Aragon, each kingdom had its own Courts (except Majorca) and had more
power than in Castile.

• With the birth of the Courts, the function of advising the king moved to other organisms: the
Councils (consejos) in all the kingdoms.
TERRITORIAL ADMINISTRATION: MANORS AND MUNICIPALITIES

Territorial administration was very complex. There were 3 main systems:

- Territorial and jurisdictional manors or fiefdoms: nobles and clergy enjoyed great autonomy over
their own lands granted during the process of Reconquista.
- Royal manors (realengo): kings only directly controlled his own manors.
- Cities had their own government: the municipal council (concejo), controlled by a smaller group of
people: wealthy farmers, merchants and craftsmen.
 1. THE CROWN OF CASTILE
One king, the same institutions and laws for all the kingdoms.

Main institutions:
- The Parliament (Cortes):
• Composition: noblemen, clergymen and representatives from the cities.
P • Function: discuss the taxes proposed by the king.
O • Not a permanent institution: they were summoned in a city, the discussed and they were dissolved.
- The Royal Council (Consejo Real):
L • Composition: noblemen and bishops.
I • Function: advise the king and government.
- The High Court (Audiencia):
T • Function: judicial.
I - The Treasury (Hacienda):
• Function: economic.
C - Municipal Council (Concejo municipal):
S • Composition: wealthy bourgeoisie and lesser nobles living in the cities.
• Members:
o Mayor (alcalde): main official.
o Elected councillors (regidores) that held the position for a lifetime.
• Function: govern the city.
- The Chief magistrate (Corregidor)
• Royal representative in the cities. See diagram on page 90.
• Functions: military and judicial.
AN AGRARIAN ECONOMY

❖ Agriculture and livestock farming were the basis of the economy:

- Agriculture: cereal, grapevines and olive trees on dry land, and

vegetables and fruit on the irrigated land.

- Livestock farming: great importance of the sheep herds → wool

exports.
o Nobility and military orders turned their land into pastures for
raising Merino sheep in a transhumance* system.
o Livestock owners formed an association, recognised and
favoured by Alfonso X the Wise thanks to the income and the
taxes it paid: the Council of the Mesta (1273).
o It established specific trails where the sheep travelled along
(cañadas reales), that had to be respected.
*Transhumance: herds of sheep moved between
summer pastures in the mountain areas (North) to
winter pastures in the fertile valleys of the large
rivers (South) – and go back again.

Main Cañadas Reales in Castile

Vías pecuarias principales de España:
Cañadas reales de la Corona de
Castilla: 1- Zamorana. 2- de la Plata.
3- Leonesa Occidental. 4- Leonesa
Oriental. 5- Segoviana. 6- Riojana. 7-
Soriana Oriental. 8- Soriana
Occidental. 9- Conquense o Murciana.
10- del Reino de Valencia.
Cañadas reales del Reino de Navarra
1. de Andía. 2- de las Provincias. 3- de
Aezkoa. 4. de los Roncaleses.
Cabañeras del Reino de Aragón: 1- de
las Cinco Villas. 2- de Aísa. 3- de
Viñamala. 4- de Ordesa. 5- del
Moncayo. 6- de Albarracín.
Carrerades del Principado de
Cataluña: 1- Aranense. 2- Oscense. 3-
Leridana. 4- Leridano-tarraconense. 5-
Gerundense.

In Aragon and Navarre,

transhumance was also developed,
although in a lesser degree.
❖ Crafts and trade:

- Scarce, concentrated in a few cities.

- Main trade fair in Medina del Campo, and local markets in
St. James Rout to Santiago.

- Wool exports generated to the Crown of Castile

an important income.
 2. THE CROWN OF ARAGON
One king, every kingdom keeps their own institutions and laws.

Main institutions:
- The Parliament (Cortes):
• Composition: noblemen, clergymen and representatives from the cities.
P • Function: pass taxes and laws.
O • 3 Parliaments: in Aragón, in Catalonia and in Valencia (+ Mallorca).
• Non permanent.
L - The Royal Council (Consejo Real):
I • Composition: noblemen and bishops.
• Function: advise the king.
T • 3 Royal Councils.
I - Diputación & Generalitats:
• Diputación de Aragón, Generalitat of Catalonia, Generalitat of Valencia (+ Mallorca)
C • Function: kingdoms’ administration.
S - The Justicia: - City Council (Concejo municipal):
• Function: judicial. • Composition: wealthy bourgeoisie and lesser
- The Treasury (Hacienda): nobles living in the cities.
• Function: economic. • Members:
o Mayor (alcalde): main official.
o Elected councillors (regidores) that held the
position for a lifetime.
• Function: govern the city.
See diagram on page 92.
AN AGRARIAN ECONOMY AND EXPANSION IN THE MEDITERRANEAN SEA

There were important differences among the kingdoms but,

Transhumance in Huesca,
❖ Agriculture: vegetables and garden crops, fruits and dye plants. April 30, 2020.

❖ Livestock farming: development of transhumance system.

❖ Manufacturing developed in Catalonia: textiles, ironwork and naval construction.

❖ Trade all over the Mediterranean Sea.

Expansion through the Mediterranean sea,

important ports: Barcelona and Valencia.
Under Peter III the Great, Aragon
started to control Sicily, Sardinia
and Naples, even Athens (13th, 14th
and 15th centuries).

To maintain the international trade

the Crown and its kingdoms
established Consulates of the Sea Kingdom of Naples
in these regions and in Northern
Africa, with officials that defended
their interests.

These explain the development

of the bourgeoisie in the Crown
of Aragon in a grater degree as
in the Crown of Castile.

Kingdom of Sardinia (and Corsica) Duchies of Athens

Kingdom of Sicily and Neopatria
3. THE CROWN OF NAVARRE

POLITICS

The king had his power limited by the Cortes of Navarre:

- Composition: noblemen, clergymen and representatives
from the cities.
- Function: pass taxes.
- They were quite powerful because of the Fueros.
Also a Royal Council, the city councils, etc.
Always threaten by the Crowns of Aragon and Castile.

ECONOMY

❖ Agriculture: vegetables and garden crops.

❖ Livestock farming: transhumance system.

Kingdom of Navarre, 12th-13th century:
❖ Main cities: Pamplona and Najera with their local markets. Kingdom of Navarre
Lost Territory to Castile
5. Society in the
Iberian Christian
Kingdoms
 ESTATE-BASED SOCIETY: THE ESTATE OF THE REALM
The Iberian Christian society is
that of the feudal society. As in
the rest of Europe, it was a
hierarchical society divided in
tiers, called estates.
THE UNPRIVILEGED
The third estate was formed
by peasants (serfs or free),
artisans, merchants, traders…
The bourgeoisie also emerged
in some regions.
NOBILITY CLERGY THE PRIVILEGED
The small group of powerful and
privileged men was formed, as in Europe,
by the nobility, bishops and abbots, who
also played an important role in leading
the conquest, resettlement and defending
the new lands.
FREE PEASANTS
In the resettled areas free
peasants appeared that
owned the land they
worked. However, they were
still at the bottom of the
pyramid.
 ETHNIC GROUPS AND RELIGIOUS MINORITIES

• Mozarabs:
o Ancient Christians who lived for a while inside
the Muslim society, but without converting to
Islam.
o In the 9th and 10th centuries they fled and
searched for refuge in the new Christian lands, Christians
taking with them Muslim traditions and customs,
specially in culture and art.

• Jews:
o Lived in special neighborhoods (aljamas or Spanish Jews
Jewish Quarters). ↓
o They were money lenders, doctors, special Sephardic Jews
craftsmen and trusted civil servants for the kings. Sephardim (pl.)
 • Muslims who surrendered without fighting were
allowed to remain in the suburbs or the
countryside, usually paying taxes.

• Mudejares:
• Moriscos: o Muslims in Christian territory, they lived in
o They converted to morerías (also aljamas) or Moorish Quarters in
Christianity. the cities.
o Most of them were peasants. o They were craftsmen, and transmitted to the
Christian culture Muslim elements, specially in
art.
o They kept their religion.
COEXISTANCE AND EDUCATION

❖ Coexistence of Muslim, Christian and Jewish

cultures: the best example was the Toledo School of
Translators, where Arab, Jewish and Christian
specialists translated works brought by the Muslims
to the Peninsula from Arabic and Greek to Latin and
Castilian.

❖ Education: cathedral schools and new universities

were founded in Palencia, Salamanca, Valladolid…

European universities could gain knowledge from

Greek, Latin, Eastern and Arab authors through the
Iberian universities.
6. The Late Middle Ages
in the Iberian Kingdoms

Crisis and Recovery. Towards the End of

the Reconquista
As in Europe, the 14th century in the Iberian Peninsula was also a century of crisis.
In the same way, the 15th century will be a century of recovery and expansion.
ECONOMIC CRISIS
In the 14th century
- bad climatic conditions
- civil wars rural areas were depopulated and agricultural production fell
- plague epidemics

In the 15th century o Trade also expanded with ironwork,

o Cereal production recovered → important shipbuilding and textiles.
development of olives, grapevines (in
Castile), garden crops and dye plants (in
Aragon).
o Livestock farming increased in all the
kingdoms, wool export produced high
incomes.
RURAK PROBLEMS: THE PEASANT REVOLTS Black Death

Bad weather conditions Decrease of production Decrease of population

Less lords’ incomes

Nobles then required more taxes

Peasants revolted against the nobles

Most famous peasant revolts:

- Galicia: Irmandiños revolt, 1431
- Castile: Behetrías and ‘Malos usos’ revolts, 13th and 14th
centuries.
- Catalonia: Remensa peasants revolt, 1462
URBAN AREAS
a. Fight for Privileges Among the Commoners
There were conflicts between the commoners and the urban
oligarchy who monopolised power, wealth and the urban
government.

- Castile: impoverished craftsmen vs. caballeros villanos.

- Catalonia: impoverished craftsmen and merchants vs. wealthy merchants who had the
privileges (known as ‘la Busca y la Biga’).

b. Anti-Semitist Outburst

Sometimes the Jews were

blamed of the problems and pogroms and revolts against them.
crisis

Sevilla, Córdoba, Jaén, Toledo, Valencia and Barcelona.

 POLITICAL TENSIONS: NOBLE REBELLIONS

Kings tried to recover the political power they

had lost from the manors (that’s, from the nobles)
and cities:
- Changes in administration and tax collections.
- Fights against the nobles.
Real Audiencia and Chancillería in Valladolid (1371)

Nobles rebelled against the kings

Nobles fight among each other to enlarge their power

New dynasties in every kingdom

Civil Wars
The third estate suffered the pressure of the higher classes
a. Crown of Castile
LEGAL UNIFICATION
FIRST CIVIL WAR IN CASTILE (1366-1369)
- Alfonso XI created a common legislation for all
the kingdom, imposing himself on the nobility
and ended the regional independence.

- Peter I tried to continue this policy, but the

higher nobility rebelled and proposed a new
king, his half-brother Henry, who assassinated
Pedro and became Henry II.

- It was the beginning of a new dynasty, the

Trastámaras, in 1369. To keep the noble’s
support, Henry had to grant them huge
concessions.

Peter I the Cruel or the Just Henry II the Fratricide

(House of Burgundy) (House of Trastámara)
 WAR OF THE CASTILIAN SUCCESSION or Second Civil War in Castile (1475-1479)

Henry IV (the Impotent) died without a male heir

(House of Trastámara) Treaty of Alcáçovas, 1479:
- Isabella is recognised as Queen of Castile.
- Marriage of Isabella of Aragon to Alfonso of
Portugal.
- Sharing out of territories between Portugal
and Castile in the discoveries to come.
Alfonso of
Trastámara
King Alfonso Joanna 'la Beltraneja' Isabella of Trastámara Ferdinand of Trastámara,
V of Portugal heir to the Crown of Aragon
 b. Crown of Aragon

- In exchange of money, kings made

concessions to the nobility and the Courts. So
the king’s power was reduced.

- Martin I the Human died with no heirs

Conflicts between the candidates

In 1412, Commitment of Caspe: Ferdinand of

Antequera, of the House of Trastámara, was
elected king.

Now two branches of the same family control

two of the Iberian crowns.
c. Kingdom of Navarre

The kings continued being forced to accept the power

of the nobility and the Courts of Navarre.

SO, IN THE 15TH CENTURY, beyond the economic

recovery…

- After all the attempts, the nobles kept strong powers

by now…
- And social unrest remained considering the political
clashes between nobility and the monarchy.

But the Middle Ages get to and end, and the

‘solution’ will come in the Modern Ages.
TERRITORIAL EXPANSION

a. Castile conquered Tarifa (1340),

Algeciras (1344) and Gibraltar
(1462). For that, it controlled the
Strait of Gibraltar and began its
Atlantic expansion with the conquest
of the Canary Islands.

2. Aragon continued and consolidated its expansion

through the Mediterranean Sea and North Africa.

The Nasrid kingdom was cut off from Northern African

support.
Gothic and Mudejar Art in the
Iberian Peninsula