They were called the Catholic Monarchs because they strongly supported the Roman Catholic Church. By shutting down many of the mints and taking royal control over the production of money, Isabella restored the confidence of the public in the Crown's ability to handle the kingdom's finances. Isabella I, byname Isabella the Catholic, Spanish Isabel la Catlica, (born April 22, 1451, Madrigal de las Altas Torres, Castiledied November 26, 1504, Medina del Campo, Spain), queen of Castile (1474-1504) and of Aragon (1479-1504), ruling the two kingdoms jointly from 1479 with her husband, Ferdinand II of Aragon (Ferdinand V of . Although when she died there was still much to be done, the rulers and Cisneros together had gone far toward achieving their goals. 3,500 of these were chosen to be included in 27 volumes. If she were to give birth to a son, then the child could inherit everything, something much preferred to female rule. There was talk of a marriage to Edward IV of England or to one of his brothers, probably Richard, Duke of Gloucester,[22] but this alliance was never seriously considered. Spains newly acquired position as a world power was weakened, since the Jews formed a large part of the nations economy. She had, at the age of six, a betrothal to Ferdinand, the younger son of John II of Navarre (whose family was a cadet branch of the House of Trastmara). Early on in their reign, as a plot to unify Spain religiously as well as politically, Isabella and Ferdinand had forced a number of Muslims and Jews to convert to Catholicism. This article was first published in the December 2017 edition of BBC History Revealed, LAST CHANCE to claim your book of choice + FREE access to HistoryExtra.com when you subscribe to BBC History Magazine or BBC History Revealed. The expulsion in 1492 of those Jews who refused conversion was the logical result of the establishment of the Inquisition. [17] The royal family then went to Zaragoza to convene the courts of Aragon for the same purpose. She underwent efforts to starve and scourge herself, something she would do for much of the rest of her life as part of her mourning for Afonso. [5] She spent three years in Portugal before returning home. A member of the Neapolitan branch of the House of Trastamara, her life was characterised by the political crises surrounding the Italian Wars. [24] In Henry's eyes, this alliance would cement the friendship of Castile and France as well as remove Isabella from Castilian affairs. [72], Keeping with her reformation of the regulation of laws, in 1481 Isabella charged two officials with restoring peace in Galicia. Language links are at the top of the page across from the title. One formed a group which possessed both judicial and administrative responsibilities. [4], The war ended in 1479 with the Treaty of Alcovas. [127], Coat of arms as Princess of Asturias(14681474), Coat of arms as queen with Castilian royal supporters (14921504), Coat of arms of Isabella I of Castile depicted in the manuscript from 1495 Breviary of Isabella the Catholic. A policy of reforming the Spanish churches had begun early in the 15th century, but the movement gathered momentum only under Isabella and Talavera. Born in a small village in central Spain in 1451, one could hardly tell that the young Isabella would be destined for greatness. Maria married Manuel I of Portugal, widower of her sister Isabella. Language links are at the top of the page across from the title. [19] In return, Don Pedro would pay into the royal treasury an enormous sum of money. As heiress of Castile, the question of Isabellas future marriage became a matter of increasing diplomatic activity at home and abroad. [98] [9] Isabella, her mother, and Alfonso then moved to Arvalo. At court she encouraged such notable scholars as Pietro Martire dAnghiera, whom she set up as the head of a new palace school for the sons of the nobility. The will was certainly abandoned before Isabella's birth because she was married.[5][6]. Hernando del Pulgar, a 15th-century Jew who converted to Catholicism, said of Isabella: "She was very inclined to justice, so much so that she was reputed to follow more the path of rigour than that of mercy, and did so to remedy the great corruption of crimes that she found in the kingdom when she succeeded to the throne.". [20], Isabella asked to be buried dressed as a nun and to be interred at the Convent of Santa Isabel in Toledo. Columbus's expedition departed on 3 August 1492, and arrived in the New World on 12 October. Henry now needed a quick way to please the rebels of the kingdom. Her reign also established the Spanish Inquisition.[6]. [6] However, support for the rebels had begun to wane, and Isabella preferred a negotiated settlement to continuing the war. In 1958, Jos Garca Goldaraz, the Bishop of Valladolid where she died in 1504, started the canonical Catholic process of the Cause of Beatification and Canonization of Isabella. The princess whiled away her hours with her mother, who firmly instilled the Catholic fear of God into her daughter. Maria married Manuel I of Portugal, widower of her sister Isabella. Juana was born on 6 th November 1479 and died on 12 th April 1555.. While many of the nobility were forced to pay large sums of money for their estates, the royal treasury became even richer. Although some of the features of the campaign were medieval (such as the order of battle), others were novel. 9.0 /10 The paintings were first recorded in the Royal Collection during the reign of Henry VIII; however, it is possible that the portraits . In addition to these departments, there was also a Supreme Court of the Santa Hermandad, a Council of Finance, and a Council for settling purely Aragonese matters. [19] Isabella, however, was wary of the marriage and refused to consent. In 1500, Isabella granted all non-rebellious natives in the colonies citizenship and full legal freedom by decree. Queen Isabella Facts Born. [99], With the institution of the Roman Catholic Inquisition in Spain, and with the Dominican friar Toms de Torquemada as the first Inquisitor General, the Catholic Monarchs pursued a policy of religious and national unity. 1247 - 28 January 1271), was Queen of France [1] from 1270 to 1271 by marriage to Philip III of France. [94] There were some circumstances in which a person could be enslaved, including being a prisoner of war, or for practising cannibalism or sodomy. [56] The four separate peace treaties signed at Alcovas (4 September 1479) reflected that result: Portugal gave up the throne of Castile in favour of Isabella in exchange for a very favourable share of the Atlantic territories disputed with Castile (they all went to Portugal with the exception of the Canary Islands:[57][58] Guinea with its mines of gold, Cape Verde, Madeira, Azores, and the right of conquest over the Kingdom of Fez[59][60]) plus a large war compensation: 106.676 dobles of gold. [2], The early years of the reign of Isabella I were spent embroiled in a war of succession, as Henry IV had not specifically named a successor. They are also known for sending Christopher Columbus to explore the New World. The question of Isabella's marriage was not a new one. This occasion marked the start of a 30-year reign, which would see Granada recaptured from its Arabic rulers, Columbuss voyage to the New World and the launch of the Spanish Inquisition. She grew up in the midst of a battle for the crown of Castile and ultimately became Queen Isabella of Portugal, before perishing at just 27 years old. The battle was a draw. Ferdinand was born on March 10, 1452. She was Queen of Portugal as the wife of King Manuel I from 30 September 1497 until her death the following year. [6] Henry was 26 at that time and married, but childless. Three years after she was born, her half brother became king of Castile as Henry IV. Isabella had been intended for his favourite younger son, Ferdinand, and in his eyes, this alliance was still valid. Isabella of Castile is one of the most powerful queens in history. [70] To fix this problem, during 1476, a general Hermandad was established for Castile, Leon, and Asturias. He now rejected Isabellas claim to the throne and preferred that of Joan, for whom he sought the hand of the duc de Guinne. [3], During the war, young Isabella witnessed some of the chaos for herself. Alongside her husband, Ferdinand, she formed one-half of the Catholic Kings who took the world by storm. However, Isabella once again refused the proposal. As part of the agreement a betrothal was arranged between Louis's second son, Philip, and Isabella, the youngest daughter of James I. Although her father arranged in his will for his children to be financially well taken care of, King Henry did not comply with their father's wishes, either from a desire to keep his half-siblings restricted or from ineptitude. [87] It still took ten years to conquer Granada, however, culminating in 1492. Those in power continue to jockey for their place in a future Spain that may be forced to go on without her. In 1497, her only son and the heir to the throne, Juan, died before he reached the age of 20. His wife Isabel was extremely devoted to the Pentecost and the celebration of the Holy Ghost (where a child is put into the thrown as Emperor of the World, accomplishing the Fifth Age or Empire as related in the dream of Nabucodanossor explained by the Prophet Daniel). Isabella of Aragon, the eldest daughter of the warrior queen Isabella I and King Ferdinand was born in a time of civil unrest in the kingdom. [89] The following year, Loja was taken, and again Muhammad XII was captured and released. Maria married Manuel I of Portugal, widower of her sister Isabella. Let us know if you have suggestions to improve this article (requires login). Throughout her long reign, Isabella also strove to strengthen royal authority at the expense of the Cortes (Spanish parliament) and the towns. Isabella I of Castile (Madrigal de las Altas Torres, April 22, 1451-Medina del Campo, November 26, 1504) was Queen of Castile from 1474 to 1504, Queen consort of Sicily from 1469 and of Aragon from 1479, due to her marriage with Fernando of Aragon. The New World that was explored as a result of that decision was, with papal confirmation, annexed to the crown of Castile, in accordance with existing practice in regard to such previous Atlantic discoveries as the Canary Islands. [73] Robbers had infested the highways and oppressed the smaller towns and villages.