UNIT 4: THE ORIGIN OF THE FIRST PENINSULAR KINGDOMS

The formation of the Kingdom of Asturias

Pelagius (Pelayo) defeated the muslims in the battle of Covadonga (722)

Alfonso I (739 – 756) and Alfonso II (791 –842) expanded the kingdom into Galicia

Alfonso II made Oviedo his capital and re-established some Visigothic laws.

The Chapel of Covadonga (Asturias)

The “Marca Hispánica”• Territories from the south of the Pyrenees controlled by

Charlemagne’s Empire.

• After the death of Charlemagne these territories, divided into counties became independent from the Frankish kingdom.

• By the 9th century the Marca Hispanica was divided into:• Kingdom of Pamplona

• Aragonese Counties

• Catalan Counties

Ordoño II King of León, Asturias and Galicia.Established the capital in León, the kingdom of Asturias became “Kingdom of León”

Campaigns of Al – Mansur and re-establishment of the borders in the Duero Valley (10th Century)

The formation of Castile

• The Muslim attacks on the kingdom of León came from east (La Rioja Álava and Burgos)

• To defend their territory of the east, the kings of León built castles and gave land and military power to various counts.

• The counts of these areas began to act more independently

• In the 10th century the count Fernán González declare his title hereditary and created the County of Castile

The kingdom of Castile• In the 11th Century Castile was incorporated to the kingdom of Pamplona

• The king of Pamplona, Sancho III, appointed his son Ferdinand as a count of Castile.

• Ferdinand got married to a Leonese princess, joined the Kingdom of León to his territories.

• Ferdinand I was consider the first king of Castile and León.

The Pyrenean counties and kingdoms I• Kingdom of Pamplona:

Territory: Areas between Arga and Aragon rivers. Inhabited by the Basques.

Origin of the Kingdom: During the 9th century, the noble families of Arista and Jimena expelled the Frankish rulers and created a new kingdom.

• Aragón:• Territory: Valleys of Hecho, Ansó and Canfranc

in the Pyrenees • Origin: Aznar Galíndez family in the 9th

Century, expelled the Franks and created the county of Aragón. Later, in the 11th century Aragón incorporated Sobrarbe and Ribagorza, creating the Kingdom of Aragón.

The Pyrenean counties and kingdoms II• The Catalan counties:

• Territory: East side of the Pyrenees

• Origin: • In the late 9th century• Wilfred the Hairy, count of

Barcelona, annexed the Catalan counties. Made his position hereditary.

• Borrell ll, grandson of Wilfred the Hairy, independence Catalonia from the Franks in 987

• In the 11th and 12th centuries Catalonia expanded his territory into: Occitania in the north, Ebro Valley in the south.

The legend of Wilfred the Hairy and the origin of the flag of Catalonia

Camino de Santiago• What’s the “Camino de Santiago”?

• A Pilgrimage route to Santiago de Compostela, where it is supposed to be the tomb of the apostle.

• Why did the pilgrims go to Santiago?• For many Christians was a way of

reconciliation with God and forgiveness for their sins.

• Why is it important?• It has a religious relevance and overall

was a route of cultural and commercial exchange with different parts of Europe.

• What’s the origin? • In 814, when the King Alfonso II of

Asturias ordered the construction of church in the site of the “tomb” of Santiago.

• The pilgrimages began in the 11th

Century.

11th and 12th Centuries. The advance of the Christian kingdoms I: Castile and León.

• The weakening of Al-Andalus:• From 1031 to 1086, Al-Andalus was divided into

Taifas• The Christians took advantage of this weakness.• The Taifa rulers paid tribute to Christian kingdoms to

obtain peace. This tributes were called “Parias”• Christian kings used this money to improve their

armies.

• Expansion of Castile and León: (1037 – 1085)• Ferdinand I: Resettlement of Salamanca and Avila.• Alfonso VI:

• Conquered Toledo and occupied the centre of the peninsula.

• Mayrit (Madrid) was conquered in 1086, as well as Toledo. Became a Christian territory since 11th century.

• These military advances were stopped in 1086 with the arrival of the Almoravids.

11th and 12th Centuries. The advance of the Christian kingdoms II: Pyrenean kingdoms. Conquest of the Ebro Valley

• Navarre: • Limited expansion: Since 11th century had borders with Christian Kingdoms

(Castile and Aragon)

• Aragón: • Conquest of Zaragoza

• Conquest of Teruel

• Catalonia:• Resettlement of Tarragona

The Resettlement.• Objective: To strengthen the

control of the newly conquered lands, the kings encouraged soldiers and peasants to settle there.

• Society: • The majority of resettlers were

Cantabrian and Asturian. • Christians from Al-Andalus

(Mozarabs), and Christians from European kingdoms, especially Franks.

• Mudéjares: Muslim population allowed to stay in Christian territories.

Villages with names linked to the resettlement

Types of resettlement

• Free resettlement: 9th - 10th centuries• Kings granted land to free peasants giving the territory a “municipal charter”

Municipal Charter: (Carta puebla) Collective contracts that established the conditionsforcultivating the land

• “Concejil” resettlement: 11th – 12th centuries• Kings granted privileges to the inhabitants called “Fueros”

Fueros: Rights liberties and tax exemptions granted to the inhabitants of a town or city.

Brañosera (Palencia) First village founded with a Municipal Charter

Sepúlveda (Segovia) First village of Castile with a Fuero

To resettle the conquered areas, the kings of Asturias gave lands to peasants families. The peasants settled in those areas became free peasants.Brañosera, in Palencia is an example of this policies. It is consider the first municipality of Spain.

Consolidation of the Peninsular Kingdoms I: The Crown of Castile

• Union and separation:• Ferdinand I united Castile and León (1037)

but divided into his heirs when he died

• Alfonso VI united the kingdom again, was united for over a century.

• Castile and León where separated again since the middle 12th century until middle 13th.

• Creation of the crown of Castile:• In 1230 with Ferdinand III Castile and León

were eventually united.

• The result of this union was the creation of the Crown of Castile, which had a major role in the final phase of the “Reconquista”

Consolidation of the Peninsular Kingdoms II: The kingdom of Portugal

• Origin: Portugal was a county of the Kingdom of León• Became independent in 1128: Count Alfonso Henriques,

proclaimed himself king.

• There were frequent clashes between the Castile and Leon and Portugal.

• Eventually the Kingdom of Portugal continued its southward advance independently.

Consolidation of the Peninsular Kingdoms III: The Crown of Aragon

• In 1137 the marriage of Petronilla(daughter of the King or Aragon) and Ramon Berenguer IV (Count of Barcelona) led to the creation of the “Crown of Aragon”

• Alfonso II, son of Petronilla and Ramon Berenguer, became the first king of the Crown of Aragon.

Petronila and Ramon Berenguer IV

Alfonso II of Aragon. First monarch of theCrown of Aragon.

Consolidation of the Peninsular Kingdoms IV: The kingdom of Navarre

• In the 11th century, Kingdom of Pamplona was annexed to Aragon.

• In 1134 Pamplona was separated definitively form Aragón.

• In 1162, the King Sancho VI changed the name of Kingdom of Pamplona into Kingdom of Navarre.