Crowns of Castile and Aragon: History & Legacy
The Crown of Castile
Castile and Leon joined and separated several times. In 1230, the final union occurred when Ferdinand III inherited both kingdoms and founded the Crown of Castile. This Crown emerged as the most powerful. In 1085, Alfonso VI took Toledo. King Ferdinand III and Alfonso X conquered most of Andalusia. Castile, in the twelfth century, suffered the loss of Portugal, which became independent.
Government
The Crown of Castile was a single state, with the same institutions and one law. The Castilian king enjoyed more powers than the other kings of the Iberian Peninsula. The Castilian Cortes could not legislate; they simply accepted or denied new taxes demanded by the king.
Economy and Society
The economy was based on agriculture and livestock. Livestock farming depended essentially on the breeding of Merino sheep, whose wool was exported to other countries. The flocks were migratory, traveling on a road network: the cañadas. Farmers met in assemblies called mestas. In 1273, King Alfonso X recognized the Honorable Mesta and gave livestock privileges, allowing them to graze on land for sale by peasants. The wool and cloth made from it caused crafts and trade to develop significantly.
Cultural Splendor
Castile has very interesting examples of Romanesque style, such as the churches in San Martín de Frómista, Palencia. There were also fabulous Gothic buildings, like the cathedrals of León, Burgos, and Toledo, built in the twelfth century.
Military Orders
Christians formed military orders created by warrior monks whose function was to conquer and defend territories. The orders of Calatrava, Santiago, and Alcántara were the largest in Castile, and Montesa was prominent in Aragon.
The Crown of Aragon
The Crown of Aragon was created in the twelfth century after the marriage of Petronilla and Count of Barcelona Ramon Berenguer IV in 1137. The Crown of Aragon had less expansion in the Iberian Peninsula than that of the Crown of Castile. Alfonso the Battler conquered lands in the valley of the Ebro. In the thirteenth century, James I the Conqueror took Valencia, Alicante, Murcia, and the Balearic Islands. From the thirteenth century, expansion in the Mediterranean was very important. Peter the Great and his successors conquered Sicily, Sardinia, and Naples.
Government
The Crown of Aragon was composed of the Catalan counties and the kingdoms of Aragon, Valencia, and Mallorca. Each territory maintained its own institutions, customs, and power of the king. The power of the king of Aragon was lower than that of the Castilian kings. The king could not establish new taxes or new laws without the approval of the courts of each kingdom.
Economy and Society
The majority of the population lived on farming activities. The Crown of Aragon maintained fluid trade contacts with many countries. Catalan, Valencian, and Mallorcan merchants had offices or consulates in many cities. In large cities, magistrates were created: the consuls of the sea.
Cultural Splendor
The Romanesque style appeared very soon, with examples like small churches, such as San Clemente de Taüll. Gothic had a great development. Examples: the church of Santa Maria del Mar in Barcelona and the Cathedral of Palma de Mallorca. But numerous civilian buildings were also built, like the auction houses of Valencia and Palma. In painting, the works of the brothers Pere and Jaume Serra were highlighted.
Mudéjar Art
In the twelfth century, a new artistic style emerged in the powerful city of Sahagún; it was called Mudéjar. The name comes from the gangs of Muslim masons who were hired to build several Christian churches. It was characterized by using baked mud as construction material.