The Christian Kingdoms

Unit 6 - 2º ESO

Maira Gil Camarón

Source: Santillana Richmond

1- How did the Christian kingdoms begin?Christian resistanceThe muslims conquered almost the whole IberianPeninsula

The remaining visigoths in the northern area founded the Christian kingdoms between the 8th and 9th centuries

These kingdoms would lead the Reconquest, that means the fights to recover territories under muslim rule

The first kingdoms formed were:The kingdom of Asturias and León,

originated in the Cantabrian mountainsThe kingdom of Navarre and the

Aragonese and Catalan counties, originated in the Pyrenees

Asturias and LeónKINGDOM OF ASTURIASPelayo was chosen as the king of Asturias in 718

He won the Battle of Covadonga (722) to the muslims, stopping its expansion

The court (or capital) was established in Oviedo

During the 9th century Asturian kings expanded their territory.

Their greatest expansion coincided with the reign of Alfonso III (866-910)

In the 10th century the court was moved to the city of León, and the kingdom changed its name to Kingdom of León

KINGDOM OF LEÓN

From 910 the Kingdom of Asturias became known as the Kingdom of León, becauseof the change of its capital.The capital was moved due to its expansion towards River Duero.It will last until 1230.

2- How did Castile evolve?

CASTILE COUNTIES

The Kingdom of León declined after the 10th century, and Castile counties increased their power

Castile territory was in the border with the muslims, so they had a lot of castles to defend the Christian territory from attacks

Castile counties became united under the count Fernán González (930-970)

From 951 he governed Castile independently from León

In 1035 Castile became an independent Kingdom, in the hands of King Fernando I

THE PYRINEAN REGION

Origin It was the Spanish March in the Carolingian Empire.

In the 9th century the Carolingian Empire finished, and three different regions emerged:

NavarreAragónCatalan counties

Kingdom of Navarre

The count Íñigo Arista formed the Kingdom of Pamplona, after renamed Kingdom of Navarre withits expansion towards the southFrom the 10th century, the Jimena

dynasty ruled in Navarre and extended their influence

Sancho III the Great (1000-1035) became a powerful king in the peninsula. He added to his kingdom the Aragonese counties, Castile and part of León. But after his death, his kingdom broke up

Sancho III's legacyAfter his death, the kingdom was divided between his

sons:His first-born son García Sánchez III inherited

NavarreFernando I received Castile countyRamiro I got AragónGonzalo received the counties of Sobrarbe and Ribagorza

The Aragonese counties

Origin They were part of the Carolingian Empire until:

820 - The count Aznar Galindo achieved independence for Aragón

922 - Aragón came under the rule of the Kingdom of Navarre

1035 - After the death of Sancho III, Aragón achieved its independence again

The Catalan countiesOrigin in the Carolingian Empire the Catalonian

territory was divided into different counties

Wilfred the Hairy united the Catalan counties in 874. He ruled them independently from the Carolingian Empire.

It had stability due to good relations with the Caliphate.

From the 10th century it obtained its independence.

3- What was the art of the Christian kingdoms like?During the Reconquest period, Art developed

in the Christian kingdoms, as it did in Al-Andalus.

We can distinguish different art styles in the different regions.

The most important styles were:Asturian ArtMozarabic ArtMudejar Art

Afterwards Romanesque and Gothic Art began.

Asturian Art

Santa María del Naranco

San Miguel de Lillo

San Julián de los Prados

Cross of the Angels

Victory Cross

Mozarabic ArtSan Miguel de Escalada (León)

San Miguel de Escalada

San Cebrián de Mazote (Valladolid)

Beatus of Liébana

Mudejar ArtTeruel Cathedral

San Tirso (Sahagún)

San Lorenzo (Sahagún)

Santa María Church, Illescas (Toledo)

4 - How did the Christian kingdoms advance?

The expansion of the Christian KingdomsThe Duero Valley - during the 9 and 10th centuries the Reconquest arrived to the River Duero. Colonizations of the land was the system of Repopulation.The Tajo and Ebro valleys - during the 11-12th centuries the Reconquest continued in an easier way because the weakness of Taifas (1031). This was a period of big expansion.The Repopulation was made creating cities or towns, and small villages depending on them. Kings give fueros to towns.After the 11th century much of the land was underpopulated so kings gave big feudal estates to nobles, the Church or military orders.

The Guadalquivir Valley, Levante and the Balearic islands The defeat of the almohads in the battle of Las Navas de Tolosa in 1212 was the beginning of the end for muslims. Christian kingdoms expanded and almost finished with the muslims territories.

Three culturesThree main cultures (and

religions) coexisted in the Christian kingdoms after the Reconquest:

The Christians, who were the more numerous.

The Mudejars, who were muslims in christian territory.

The Jews, with tense relations in this period.

5 - How did the Crown of Castile evolve?

THE CROWN OF CASTILECastile became the most powerful christian

kingdom.Alfonso VI conquered Toledo in 1085.In 1212 the Christian kingdoms won the battle

of Las Navas de Tolosa, and the Almohads almost disappeared.

In 1139 (12th century) Portugal became an independent kingdom.

In 1230 Fernando III united León andCastile founding the Crown of Castile.

GOVERNMENT

The Crown of Castile was a state in the Iberian Peninsula that formed in 1230 as a result of the definitive union of the crowns of the kingdoms of Castile and León upon the accession of the then King Ferdinand III of Castile to the vacant Leonese throne.

The Kingdom of León and the Kingdom of Castile kept different Parliaments, different flags, different coin and different laws until the Modern Era.

The Castilian king had great power, and Castilian Cortes could not legislate, their function was to regulate new taxes.

ECONOMY

The economy was based on agriculture and stockbreeding. In stockbreeding merino sheep stood out.

Wool of high quality was exported, and it was used to textile industry as well.

Sheep breeders were important and had privileges, recognized through the creation of the Honourable Council of the Mesta in 1273.

Craftsmanship and trade developed as well thanks to the importance of the merino wool

6 - How did the Crown of Aragón evolve?The Crown of Aragón

originated in 1137, when the Kingdom of Aragón and the County of Barcelona merged by dynastic union by the marriage of Ramón Berenguer IV of Barcelona and Petronilla of Aragón; their titles were combined in the person of their son, Alfonso II of Aragón, who ascended to the throne in 1162.

This union respected the existing institutions and parliaments of both territories.

THE CROWN OF ARAGONAlfonso II conquered the

region of the Ebro valley.In the 13th century, James I

the Conqueror expanded their territories to the mediterranean coast and the Balearic Islands.

After him, at the beginning of the 14th century, Peter IV the Ceremonious and his successors continued the expansion towards the Mediterranean area, arriving to Sicily, Sardinia and Naples.

GOVERNMENT AND ECONOMY

The Crown of Aragón kept the institutions and individual customs of every kingdom forming part of the Crown. The king of Aragón had to agree with the Cortes of each kingdom to introduce any change.In economy the main activities were agriculture and trade (Mediterranean trade, consulates).