The Reconquista: A Timeline of Spain’s Reclamation
Early Stages (718-1033)
718: Pelayo, a Visigothic nobleman elected king, defeats the Muslim army at Alcamo, near Covadonga, initiating the Christian Reconquista of Spain.
750: Under King Alfonso I, Christians occupy Galicia, abandoned by Berber rebel troops.
778: Charlemagne’s army is defeated by the Basques at Roncesvalles. Death of Roland.
791-842: Alfonso II conquers several strongholds and settles lands south of the Duero River.
873-898: Wilfred the Hairy, Count of Barcelona, establishes a Christian kingdom with some independence from the Frankish kings.
905-926: Sancho I Garcés establishes a kingdom centered in Basque Navarre.
930-950: Ramiro II, King of León, defeats Abd al-Rahman III at Simancas, Osma, and Talavera.
950-951: Count Fernán González lays the groundwork for Castile’s independence.
981: Ramiro III is defeated by Almanzor and forced to pay tribute to the Caliph of Córdoba.
999-1018: Alfonso V of León rebuilds his kingdom.
1000-1033: Sancho III of Navarre subdues the counties of Aragon, Ribagorza, and Sobrarbe, takes possession of Castile, and makes a pact with Bermudo III of León to seize their dominions and proclaim himself emperor. His death leaves Navarre to his son García III, Castile to Fernando I, and Aragon, Ribagorza, and Sobrarbe to Ramiro I.
Consolidation and Advance (1035-1195)
1035-1063: Fernando I conquers Coimbra and compels the Muslims of Toledo, Seville, and Badajoz to pay tribute. Before his death, he divides his territories: Castile to Sancho II and León to Alfonso VI.
1065-1109: Alfonso VI unites the two kingdoms and captures Toledo.
1086: The Christian advance forces the Muslim kings of Granada, Seville, and Badajoz to seek help from the Almoravids.
1102: The Cid’s followers leave Valencia, and African Muslims occupy the peninsula up to Zaragoza.
1118: Alfonso I of Aragon conquers Zaragoza.
1135: Alfonso VII of León restores the Leonese monarchy’s prestige and is proclaimed emperor.
1151: The Almohads, another African dynasty replacing the Almoravids, recover Almería.
1162: Alfonso II unites the kingdom of Aragon and the County of Barcelona.
1195: The Almohads defeat the Castilians at Alarcos.
Turning Point and Final Stages (1212-1492)
1212: A turning point in the Reconquista. Alfonso VIII of Castile, aided by Sancho VIII of Navarre, Pedro II of Aragon, and Portuguese troops, wins the Battle of Las Navas de Tolosa.
1229: James I of Aragon conquers Majorca.
1230: Alfonso IX of León advances along the Guadiana River, taking Mérida and Badajoz, paving the way for Seville’s conquest.
1217-1252: Ferdinand III, king of Castile and León, conquers Córdoba, Murcia, Jaén, and Seville. Granada remains the only independent Muslim kingdom.
1252-1284: Alfonso X the Wise continues the Reconquista and faces Mudejar revolts in Andalusia and Murcia. He seeks election as Holy Roman Emperor in 1257 and compiles the Siete Partidas, a legal code.
1284: Nobles, prelates, and citizens depose Alfonso X and give power to his son Sancho IV.
1309: Fernando IV captures Gibraltar.
1312-1350: Alfonso XI battles the kingdom of Granada for 25 years and wins the Battle of Río Salado in 1340.
1369: Pedro I the Cruel is murdered by his half-brother Henry II of Castile.
1385: The Portuguese defeat the Castilians at Aljubarrota.
1464: Henry IV of Castile names his daughter, the future Isabella I, as heir, disinheriting his daughter Juana.
1469: Isabella I of Castile and Ferdinand II of Aragon marry, solidifying the unity of Spain.
1492: The Catholic Monarchs complete the Reconquista with the fall of Granada (January 2) and sponsor Columbus’s voyage to America (October 12).
The Reign of Ferdinand and Isabella (1474-1516)
Key events during their reign include:
- The conquest of Granada, completing the Reconquista.
- The discovery of America.
- The establishment of the Inquisition.
- The expulsion of the Jews.
- The pacification of the kingdoms.
- International politics of marriage alliances.