Grace Thompson
The King of Spain, Felipe VI, is Catholic. His father, King Juan Carlos I, was also Catholic and played a key role in Spain's transition to democracy. The history of Spain is deeply intertwined with Catholicism, with the country being a stronghold of the religion since the late 15th century. The Catholic Monarchs, Queen Isabella I of Castile and King Ferdinand II of Aragon, united the crowns of Castile and Aragon, marking the de facto unification of Spain. Their reign was characterized by religious unification around Catholicism, including the expulsion of Jews and Muslims who refused to convert. The current Spanish constitution, enacted in 1978, guarantees freedom of religion, and while Catholicism is no longer the official religion, it remains the dominant faith in the country.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Current King of Spain | Felipe VI |
| Father of Felipe VI | Juan Carlos I |
| Grandfather of Felipe VI | Juan de Borbón y Battenberg |
| Current Queen of Spain | Letizia |
| Religion of the current King of Spain | Catholic |
| Religion of the majority of people in Spain | Catholic |
| Historical Catholic Monarchs of Spain | Isabella I of Castile, Ferdinand II of Aragon |
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What You'll Learn
- Queen Isabella I of Castile and King Ferdinand II of Aragon were Catholic Monarchs of Spain
- Pope Alexander VI officially bestowed the title of Catholic King and Queen on the couple in 1494
- The Catholic Monarchs' reign was characterised by religious unification around Catholicism
- The Catholic Monarchs expelled Jews and Muslims from Spain
- The Alhambra Decree forced conversions to Christianity
Queen Isabella I of Castile and King Ferdinand II of Aragon were Catholic Monarchs of Spain
Isabella and Ferdinand had seven children, five of whom survived to adulthood. They ruled jointly in both kingdoms and were known as the Catholic Monarchs (Reyes Católicos). Their marriage and joint rule marked the de facto unification of Spain. Isabella's marriage to Ferdinand of Aragon in 1469 created the basis of the unification of Spain. With Ferdinand's help, she won the War of the Castilian Succession, securing her position as Queen of Castile. Isabella reorganised the governmental system, lowered the crime rate, and unburdened the kingdom of the debt which her half-brother King Henry IV had left behind.
The Catholic Monarchs' reign was characterised by the religious unification of the peninsula through militant Catholicism. Pope Sixtus IV issued a bull in 1478 to establish a Holy Office of the Inquisition in Castile. This was to ensure that Jews and Muslims who converted to Christianity did not revert to their previous faiths. In 1492, Ferdinand and Isabella ordered the expulsion of all Jews from Spain. People who converted to Catholicism were not subject to expulsion, but between 1480 and 1492, many who had converted were accused of secretly practising their original religion and were arrested, imprisoned, tortured, and in some cases, burned to death.
The Catholic Monarchs insisted on royal control over all important ecclesiastical appointments, with ruthless disregard of all papal claims to the contrary. In 1494, the title of "Catholic King and Queen" was officially bestowed on Ferdinand and Isabella by Pope Alexander VI in recognition of their defence of the Catholic faith within their realms.
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Pope Alexander VI officially bestowed the title of Catholic King and Queen on the couple in 1494
The monarchs of Spain, Queen Isabella I of Castile and King Ferdinand II of Aragon, were bestowed the title of "Catholic King and Queen" by Pope Alexander VI in 1494. The bestowing of this title was in recognition of their defence of the Catholic faith within their realms. Their marriage in 1469 united the two kingdoms, leading to the beginnings of modern Spain. They were both from the House of Trastámara and were second cousins, so they required a papal dispensation from Pope Sixtus IV to marry.
The Catholic Monarchs were characterised by their militant Catholicism and desire to extend their dominion to all the kingdoms of the Iberian Peninsula. They introduced the Inquisition to Castile, which was later extended to all of Spain, to ensure that Jews and Muslims who converted to Christianity did not revert to their previous faiths. They also expelled all Jews from Spain in 1492, forcing them to convert to Catholicism or face exile.
The Catholic Monarchs' reign was also marked by their New World discoveries, such as Columbus' expedition to the Indies in 1492, which was funded and authorised by Queen Isabella. They were also responsible for the unification of Spain, as their joint rule brought together the two crowns of Castile and Aragon, which remained separate kingdoms until the Nueva Planta decrees of 1707-1716. Their court was constantly on the move to bolster local support from feudal lords, and they worked closely together to secure political power on the Iberian Peninsula.
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The Catholic Monarchs' reign was characterised by religious unification around Catholicism
The Catholic Monarchs, Queen Isabella I of Castile and King Ferdinand II of Aragon, were first cousins who married in 1469 and jointly ruled Spain. Their marriage united the two kingdoms of Castile and Aragon, leading to the beginnings of modern Spain. Most scholars accept that the unification of Spain can be traced back to their marriage.
The Catholic Monarchs pursued a policy of religious unification in their realms, particularly targeting Jews who refused to convert to Christianity. They introduced the Inquisition to Castile and requested the Pope's assent, which was granted. The Inquisition was later extended to all of Spain and remained active for centuries, prosecuting people for violations of Catholic orthodoxy such as crypto-Judaism, heresy, Protestantism, blasphemy, and bigamy. The last trial for crypto-Judaism was held in 1818, centuries after the Catholic Monarchs' reign.
The monarchs also pursued a series of campaigns known as the Granada War (1482-1492), which was aided by Pope Sixtus IV. With the fall of Granada in 1492, they continued their policies of religious unification and the expulsion of Jews who refused to convert. The Catholic Monarchs' reign was marked by their desire to extend their dominion over the kingdoms of the Iberian Peninsula and unify the region through militant Catholicism. They were successful in securing political power on the peninsula and bolstering local support for the crown.
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The Catholic Monarchs expelled Jews and Muslims from Spain
The Catholic Monarchs of Spain were Queen Isabella I of Castile and King Ferdinand II of Aragon, whose marriage and joint rule marked the unification of Spain. The title of "Catholic King and Queen" was officially bestowed upon them by Pope Alexander VI in recognition of their defence of Catholicism within their realms. Their reign was characterised by religious unification through militant Catholicism.
The monarchs expelled Jews from Spain through the Alhambra Decree in 1492, which ordered the expulsion of practising Jews from the Crowns of Castile and Aragon and its territories. The primary purpose was to eliminate the influence of practising Jews on Spain's large formerly-Jewish converso New Christian population, to ensure they did not revert to Judaism. This was preceded by the agreement of the Cortes of Toledo in 1480, which forced Jews to live separately from Christians to prevent them from "subverting and subtracting the Christian faithful from our holy Catholic faith".
The expulsion of Jews from Spain was not an isolated incident, but part of a broader trend in European history. It was preceded by expulsions from England in 1290, France between 1182 and 1354, and some German states. The Spanish expulsion, however, was the largest and longest-lasting in western European history. It led to a mass migration of Jews to France, Italy, Greece, Turkey, and the Mediterranean Basin.
The Catholic Monarchs also targeted Muslims in their realms. After defeating the last Muslim stronghold on the Iberian Peninsula, they presented the Muslim community with a choice: leave or convert to Catholicism. This was part of the Catholic Reconquista of the Iberian Peninsula from Islamic forces. The monarchs' actions were driven by a desire to achieve unity of faith in their states, a principle later expressed as "cuius regio, eius religio" ("the subjects should profess the same religion as their prince").
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The Alhambra Decree forced conversions to Christianity
The Alhambra Decree, also known as the Edict of Expulsion, was an edict issued on March 31, 1492, by the joint Catholic Monarchs of Spain, Isabella I of Castile and Ferdinand II of Aragon. The decree ordered the expulsion of practicing Jews from the Crowns of Castile and Aragon and its territories by July 31 of the same year. Those who chose to stay in Spain had to convert to Christianity.
The primary purpose of the Alhambra Decree was to eliminate the influence of practicing Jews on Spain's large formerly-Jewish converso New Christian population, to ensure the latter and their descendants did not revert to Judaism. Over half of Spain's Jews had converted due to religious persecution and pogroms in 1391. Due to continuing attacks, around 50,000 more had converted by 1415. A further number of those remaining chose to convert to avoid expulsion.
The Alhambra Decree was issued shortly after Ferdinand and Isabella had won the Battle of Granada, completing the Catholic Reconquista of the Iberian Peninsula from Islamic forces. As noted in the decree itself, it was issued to stop Jews from trying "to subvert the holy Catholic faith" by attempting to "draw faithful Christians away from their beliefs."
The Catholic Monarchs desired to extend their dominion to all the kingdoms of the Iberian Peninsula, and their reign was characterised by the religious unification of the peninsula through militant Catholicism. On receiving a petition for authority, Pope Sixtus IV issued a bull in 1478 to establish a Holy Office of the Inquisition in Castile. This was to ensure that Jews and Muslims who converted to Christianity did not revert to their previous faiths. The Inquisition did not have jurisdiction over Jews and Muslims who did not convert.
The Alhambra Decree forced Jews to make a difficult choice between abandoning their beliefs or their homes. Many Jews who chose to stay in Spain converted to Catholicism. However, between 1480 and 1492, hundreds of those who had converted were accused of secretly practising their original religion and were arrested, imprisoned, interrogated under torture, and in some cases, burned to death, in both Castile and Aragon.
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Frequently asked questions
Queen Isabella I of Castile and King Ferdinand II of Aragon were the Catholic Monarchs of Spain. Their marriage united the two crowns within the Trastamara dynasty, marking the de facto unification of Spain.
Isabella I of Castile and Ferdinand II of Aragon were married on 19 October 1469.
The marriage of Isabella and Ferdinand united the two kingdoms of Castile and Aragon, leading to the beginnings of modern Spain. They were jointly known as the "Catholic Kings and Queen" or the "Catholic Monarchs".
The Catholic Monarchs introduced the Inquisition to Castile, requesting the Pope's assent. They received permission from Pope Sixtus IV, who issued a bull in 1478 to establish a Holy Office of the Inquisition in Castile. This was to ensure that Jews and Muslims who converted to Christianity did not revert to their previous faiths.
The reign of Isabella and Ferdinand was characterised by religious unification around Catholicism and the forced conversion of non-Christians. They expelled Jews from Spain in 1492 and forced Muslims in Castile and Aragon to convert to Catholicism or face expulsion.
