Castilian Kingdom: Unification, Monarchs, and Medieval Society
Conception of Property and Royal Unification
The kingdom was considered the king’s heritage, allowing him to divide or unite territories based on his interests. It was common for a king to divide the kingdom among his heirs. Ferdinand I, the first king of Castile, united his kingdom with León in 1038, achieving the first unification. However, upon his death in 1065, the kingdom was again divided due to inheritance issues. The final reunification occurred in 1230 when King Fernando III inherited both his mother’s kingdom of Castile and his father’s kingdom of León. The union of these two kingdoms gave birth to the Crown.
Castilian Monarchs and Legal Codes
Fernando III was succeeded by his eldest son, Alfonso X the Wise, a culturally bright monarch who created the first major Castilian law code, Las Siete Partidas. His successors faced challenges from the Castilian nobility, who sought to increase their power at the expense of the Crown. In the 14th century, King Alfonso XI created the Ordinance of Alcalá.
Almohads and the Battle of Navas de Tolosa
In the second half of the 12th century, the Christian kingdoms faced the Almohads. For many years, the kingdoms of Castile and León fought for control of the land between the site and the Sierra Morena. The final victory was at Navas de Tolosa in 1212.
Fernando III’s Conquests
Fernando III conquered Córdoba (1236), Jaén (1244), and Seville (1247).
The Kingdom of Portugal
Alfonso X conquered Fog and Cádiz. His successors took Rate (1292) and Algeciras (1344). Portugal completed the conquest of its present territory with the possession of Faro (1249). The only remaining Muslim kingdom was Granada.
Land Redistribution
Most of the conquered territory was divided into large estates for nobles who had helped in the campaigns.
Medieval Monarchy and Governance
Medieval monarchs were supreme and surrounded by a curia (court), a chancery (administration), and a treasury (finance). Courts were advisory bodies, with the first in California (1188, Alfonso IX). They were a way for the king to obtain financing (subsidy), but representatives of the courts also voiced protests and petitions (nobility, clergy, and city representatives).
Municipalities and Livestock
Municipalities enjoyed autonomy and their own jurisdiction. Most lands were cultivated with grain, wine, and oil for export. However, the economy was based on sheep farming, mainly by the nobility to protect their interests. The Honrado Concejo de la Mesta was founded in 1237.
Wool Routes and Trade
Wool was exported to countries, especially Bruges, where it was spun and woven. The wool trade was mainly in Burgos, where large markets and fairs were organized. Wool departed from the ports of Cantabria and the Basque Country. In the 13th century, the Brotherhood of the Navy of Castile was founded to fend off competition.
Economic and Social Crisis
The arrival of the Black Death (1348) decreased the population of the Crown of Castile, leading to a decline in agricultural production. Revolts over taxes and widespread misery in the cities led to attacks on Jewish neighborhoods (pogroms).
Architecture, Sculpture, and Painting
Religious Architecture
Cathedrals: León, Burgos, Toledo (inspired by the lion of Reims and the Sainte-Chapelle in Paris). Notable features include stained glass (pulchra leonina in León), flamboyant auctions (Burgos), and tuletana dives (Toledo). Monasteries: Santa María la Real de las Huelgas (Burgos).
Military Architecture
Castles: Peñafiel, Alcázar of Toledo.
Civil Architecture
Palaces: Infantado Palace (Guadalajara).
Sculpture
Cathedral covers (mullion, tympanum, archivolt). Funerary sculptures (recumbent, the youth of Sigüenza).
Painting
Altarpieces: León (Nicolas French).
Mudejar Art
Materials: brick, wood. Styles: Romanesque, Gothic. Arches: Christian mix of styles and Al-Andalus. Elements: veserias and tiling.
Dynasties
Asturian Dynasty, Navarre Dynasty, Burgundy Dynasty, Alfonso VII/Independence of Portugal.