History of Spain — Spring

House of Trastámara. John II ( 1405 – 1454) was King of Castile from 1406 to 1454. He was the son of Henry III of Castile and his wife Catherine of Lancaster, daughter of John of Gaunt, 1st Duke of Lancaster by Constance of Castile, daughter of King Peter of Castile. Juan looked like his English grandfather, blond, blue eyed, tall and handsome, but it was only in appearance that there was any resemblance. John of Gaunt was decisive and one of the most important figures of the whole of the fourteenth century. His Castilian grandson was one of the most ineffectual rulers ever, anywhere. And worse, he sat on the throne of Castile for almost half a century. So the story of central Spain, that is Castile, begins the fifteenth century with a disastrous fifty year period of drift and civil chaos.

REQUIRED READING

PART TWO: A Visit to CASTILE

Castile and the city of LEON

Isabella I (1451 – 1504), was Queen of Castile and León from 1474 until her death in 1504. She was also Queen of Aragon from 1479 until her death as the wife of King Ferdinand II. Reigning together over a dynastically unified Spain, Isabella and Ferdinand are known as the Catholic Monarchs. After a struggle to claim the throne, Isabella reorganized the governmental system, brought the crime rate down, and unburdened the kingdom of the debt her half-brother King Enrique(Henry) IV had left behind. Isabella's marriage to Ferdinand in 1469 created the basis of the de facto unification of Spain. Her reforms and those she made with her husband had an influence that extended well beyond the borders of their united kingdoms. Isabella I of Castile and Ferdinand II of Aragon are known for being the first monarchs to be referred to as the "Queen of Spain" and "King of Spain", respectively. Their actions included completion of the Reconquista, the Alhambra Decree which ordered the mass expulsion of Jews from Spain, initiating the Spanish Inquisition, financing Christopher Columbus's 1492 voyage to the New World and establishing the Spanish empire, making Spain a major power in Europe and the world and ultimately ushering in the Spanish Golden Age. Together with her husband, Isabella was granted the title of "Catholic Monarch" by the Spanish Pope Alexander VI, and was recognized in 1974 as a Servant of God by the Catholic Church. (Wikipedia)

REQUIRED READING:

Chapter 5, "Birth of the Spanish World"

 

Ferdinand II (1452 – 1516) was King of Aragon from 1479 until his death in 1516. As the husband of Queen Isabella I of Castile, he was also King of Castile from 1475 to 1504. He reigned jointly with Isabella over a dynastically unified Spain; together they are known as the Catholic Monarchs. Ferdinand is considered the de facto first king of Spain, and was described as such during his reign, even though, legally, Castile and Aragon remained two separate kingdoms until they were formally united by the Nueva Planta decrees issued between 1707 and 1716. The Crown of Aragon that Ferdinand inherited in 1479 included the kingdoms of Aragon, Valencia, Majorca, Sardinia, and Sicily, as well as the Principality of Catalonia. His marriage to Isabella is regarded as the "cornerstone in the foundation of the Spanish monarchy". They played a major role in the European colonization of the Americas, sponsoring the first voyage of Christopher Columbus in 1492. That year the couple defeated Granada, the last Muslim state in Western Europe, thus completing the centuries-long Reconquista. Following Isabella's death in 1504, the couple's daughter Joanna became queen of the Crown of Castile. That year, after a war with France, Ferdinand conquered the Kingdom of Naples. In 1507 he became regent of Castile on behalf of Joanna, who was alleged to be mentally unstable. In 1506, as part of a treaty with France, Ferdinand married Germaine of Foix, with whom he had no surviving children. In 1512 he conquered most of the Kingdom of Navarre, ruling all the territories comprising modern-day Spain until his death in 1516. He was nominally succeeded by his daughter Joanna, but power was soon assumed by her son Charles I (later Holy Roman Emperor Charles V).

REQUIRED READING:

Chapter 5, "Birth of the Spanish World"

This book is a popular history of Spain and the Spanish Empire from prehistoric times to the present day. It provides description and analysis of political, social, economic and cultural events over the centuries, which together shaped the history of this distinctive country. The book offers 60 illustrations and maps, including 16 pages of color photographs, as well as lists of historic places to visit at the end of each chapter. There is a dynastic chart, suggested readings, and index.

Reviews:

"The dramatic historical pageant of Spain . . . engages the reader from first page to last." —Midwest Book Review, January 2000

"Written in a style that clearly allows the reader to grasp the intricacies of Spain's historical elements." —Spain 21 Magazine, Spring 2001

"A vivid account of the country's origins and development as a nation." —David Baird, Lookout Magazine

"By far the best introduction for students in English to Spain's history and culture." —Paul Smith, Professor Emeritus, Department of Spanish, UCLA

"For a readable and thorough but not over-long account of Spanish history, The Story of Spain is hard to beat." —Lonely Planet Guide to Spain, 2002 edition

"The title of this work prepares us for what it is—a history of Spain." —Ruth Bennett, CUNY, Hispania Magazine

RECOMMENDED READING:

This is the best biography of Isabella in English.

"[An] immensely provocative figure... [who] successfully maneuvered in an almost exclusively male world of politics." —Kathryn Harrison, The New York Times Book Review

"In a fascinating portrait, Downey sketches a monarch both adored and demonized, and makes the case that Isabella laid the foundation for the first global superpower." —BBC.com

"A strong, fascinating woman, Isabella helped to usher in the modern age, and this rich, clearly written biography is a worthy chronicle of her impressive yet controversial life." —Kirkus Reviews, starred review

Institute Library Call Number: 946.20 Ell IMP pb

The most comprehensive, balanced, and accessible account of the dramatic rise and fall of imperial Spain.

 

PART ONE: LECTURE

1. Isabella, Queen of Portugal, 1470-1498,
2. Juan, Prince of Asturias, 1478-1497
3. Juana, Queen of Castile, 1479-1555
4. Maria, Queen of Portugal, 1482-1517
5. Catherine, Queen of England, 1485-1536

RECOMMENDED READING

 

 

Queen Juana of Castile (1479 – 1555) Queen of Castile from 1504 and Queen of Aragon from 1516 to her death in 1555. She was the daughter of Queen Isabella I of Castile and King Ferdinand II of Aragon. Juana was married by to the Austrian archduke Philip the Handsome on 20 October 1496. Following the deaths of her elder brother Juan, elder sister Isabella, and nephew Miguel between 1497 and 1500, Juana became the heir presumptive to the crowns of Castile and Aragon. When her mother died in 1504, she became Queen of Castile. In 1506, Juana's husband Philip became king of Castile as husband of the Queen, (Philip I) initiating the rule of the Habsburgs in the Spanish kingdoms. Philip died that same year. Despite being the ruling Queen of Castile, Juana had little effect on national policy during her reign as she was forced out of power first by her husband, then by her father, and then by her son. She was confined, against her will, in the Royal Palace in Tordesillas under the orders of her father, who ruled as regent until his death in 1516, when she inherited his kingdom as well. Catalina de Medrano, together with her husband, Hernando de Sandoval y Rojas, participated in the custody, or care, of Queen Juana in Tordesillas. Her son Charles I became king, and during his reign Juana was nominally co-monarch with Juana, but she remained forcibly confined until her death. Juana died aged 75 in 1555, at which point her son Charles, also the Holy Roman Emperor, became the sole ruler of Castile and Aragon.
(Wikipedia with edits)

During our 26th week together we will look at the monarchy of Ferdinand and Isabella as they approached 1500 and the three great challenges they faced:
1. The Columbian voyage and should they finance it. Isabella decided in the affirmative. Ferdinand did not care.
2. The Conquest of Granada that had been in their plans since 1481 wen the Granada authorities provoked one more war.
3. The expulsion of the Jews from Spain

Holy Roman Emperor Charles V (Spanish: Carlos I de España) born 24 February 1500, died 21 September 1558, was ruler of the Holy Roman Empire from 1519 and, as Charles I, of the Spanish Empire from 1516 until his voluntary retirement and abdication in favor of his younger brother Ferdinand I and his son Philip II in 1556. As the heir of three of Europe's leading dynasties—the House of Habsburg of the Habsburg Monarchy; the House of Valois-Burgundy of the Burgundian Netherlands; and the House of Trastámara of the Crowns of Castile and Aragon—he ruled over extensive domains in Central, Western, and Southern Europe; and the Spanish colonies in North, Central, and South America, the Caribbean, and Asia. Charles was the eldest son of Philip the Handsome and Joanna the Mad. When Philip died in 1506, Charles became ruler of the Burgundian Netherlands, and his mother's co-ruler in Spain upon the death of his maternal grandfather, Ferdinand the Catholic, in 1516. As Charles was the first person to rule Castile-León and Aragon simultaneously in his own right, he became the first King of Spain (Charles co-reigned with his mother Joanna, which was however a technicality given her mental instability). In 1519, Charles succeeded his paternal grandfather Maximilian as Holy Roman Emperor and Archduke of Austria. From that point forward, Charles's realm, which has been described as "the empire on which the sun never sets", spanned nearly four million square kilometers across Europe, the Far East, and the Americas. Much of Charles' reign was devoted to the Italian Wars against the French king, Francis I, and his heir, king Henry II, which although enormously expensive, were militarily successful due to the undefeated Spanish tercio and the efforts of his prime ministers Mercurino Gattinara and Francisco de los Cobos y Molina. Charles' forces re-captured both Milan and Franche-Comté from France after the decisive Habsburg victory at the Battle of Pavia in 1525, which pushed Francis to form the Franco-Ottoman alliance. Charles' rival Suleiman the Magnificent conquered Hungary in 1526 after defeating the Christians at the Battle of Mohács. However, the Ottoman advance was halted after they failed to capture Vienna in 1529. Aside from this, Charles is best known for his role in opposing the Protestant Reformation. In addition to the German Peasants' War against the Empire, several German princes abandoned the Catholic Church and formed the Schmalkaldic League in order to challenge Charles' authority with military force. Unwilling to allow the same religious wars to come to his other domains, Charles pushed for the convocation of the Council of Trent, which began the Counter-Reformation. The Society of Jesus was established by St. Ignacio de Loyola during Charles' reign in order to peacefully and intellectually combat Protestantism, and continental Spain was spared from religious conflict largely by Charles' nonviolent measures. In Germany, although the Protestants were personally defeated by Charles at the Battle of Mühlberg in 1547, he legalized Lutheranism within the Holy Roman Empire with the Peace of Augsburg. Charles also maintained his alliance with Henry VIII of England, despite the latter splitting the Church of England from Rome and violently persecuting Catholics. In the New World, Charles oversaw the Spanish colonization of the Americas, including the conquest of both the Aztec Empire and the Inca Empire. The rapid Christianization of New Spain was attributed to the miracle of Our Lady of Guadalupe. Uncomfortable with how his viceroys were governing the Americas vis-à-vis the Native Americans, Charles consulted figures such as Francisco de Vitoria and Bartolomé de las Casas on the morality of colonization which las Casas vehemently opposed with his Brevísima relación de la destrucción de las Indias A Short Account of the Destruction of the Indies. Charles V also provided five ships to Ferdinand Magellan and his navigator Juan Sebastián Elcano, after the Portuguese captain was repeatedly turned down by Manuel I of Portugal. The commercial success of Magellan's voyage (the first circumnavigation of the Earth) temporarily enriched Charles by the sale of its cargo of cloves and laid the foundation for the Pacific oceanic empire of Spain, and along with Ruy López de Villalobos, began Spanish colonization of the Philippines. Though always at war, Charles was essentially a lover of peace, and all his wars were virtually defensive. "Not greedy of territory", wrote Marcantonio Contarini in 1536, "but most greedy of peace and quiet." Charles retired in 1556. The Habsburg Monarchy passed to Charles' younger brother Ferdinand, whereas the Spanish Empire was inherited by his son Philip II. The two empires would remain allies until the 18th century. (Wikipedia)

RECOMMENDED READING

The definitive history of a powerful family dynasty who dominated Europe for centuries -- from their rise to power to their eventual downfall.

Institute Library Call Number: 942.031 Par EMP

Drawing on vital new evidence, a top historian dramatically reinterprets the life and reign of Holy Roman Emperor Charles V, ruler of the world’s first transatlantic empire.

Philip II (Spanish: Felipe II, Portuguese: Filipe I, born 21 May 1527, died 13 September 1598) was King of Spain, Portugal, Naples, and Sicily. During his marriage to Mary I, he was also King of England and Ireland. He was lord of the Seventeen Provinces from 1556 until 1581, holding various titles for the individual territories such as duke or count. Also known as Philip the Prudent, he ruled one of the world's largest empires which included territories in every continent then known to Europeans. Philip was born in Valladolid, the son of Charles V of the Holy Roman Empire, and his consort, Isabella of Portugal. During his reign, Spain was the foremost Western European power. Under his rule, Spain reached the height of its influence and power, directing explorations all around the world and settling the colonization of territories in all the known continents. He was described by the Venetian ambassador Paolo Fagolo in 1563 as "slight of stature and round-faced, with pale blue eyes, somewhat prominent lip, and pink skin, but his overall appearance is very attractive." The Ambassador went on to say "He dresses very tastefully, and everything that he does is courteous and gracious." (Wikipedia)

RECOMMENDED READING:

Editorial Reviews

From Library Journal: The depth of Kamen's research on his subject, who ruled Spain from 1527 to 1598, could overwhelm some readers, as his previous works have done (e.g., The Phoenix and the Flame, Yale Univ., 1993). In this first in-depth biography of Philip II, Kamen's understanding of and acquaintance with the sources is masterly. The author often disagrees with much of the classic beliefs about Philip's personality; for example, his supposed solemnity and predilection for black. (Kamen notes that the king was rarely out of mourning.) However, regarding Philip's reputed cruelty, Kamen says he was hard but "restrained the severity of his officials on numberless occasions," yet he fails to enumerate these occasions. While Philip dominated Spanish politics and culture for more than half a century, Kamen devotes only a few tantalizing pages to the effects of that reign on subsequent events. The audience deserves more of Kamen's insights toward this end. Still, this is a work of marvelous scholarship; highly recommended.

From Booklist: Philip II of Spain has received an almost uniformly bad press; scholars, particularly English and American, generally portray him as a narrow-minded, religious fanatic who reacted with predictable brutality to any stirrings of liberal religious or political thought. Kamen, currently a professor for the Council of Scientific Research in Barcelona, strives mightily to present a more balanced portrait. He scores points in indicating that the supposedly insular Philip traveled widely, mixed socially with Protestants in the Netherlands, and seemed willing to grant them a measure of religious (but not political) toleration. Instead of the absolute monarch often described in diatribes by Anglophiles, Kamen's Philip emerges as a ruler of a fragmented Spain who strived continually to cope with centrifugal forces. Kamen's prose is lucid, succinct, and thorough, without getting bogged down in details that would appeal strictly to specialists. In humanizing a man too often viewed as a cardboard tyrant, Kamen has made a valuable contribution to European historiography.

Institute Library Call Number: 946.04 Par IMP

"Through the testimony of Philip's friends, foes, courtiers, and his own words; this authoritative, intelligently revisionist biography must stand now as the primary reference." —Times

"This highly detailed but also immensely readable book has come far closer to that than any previous account of the most enigmatic of Spanish kings." —New York Times Book Review

Institute Library Call Number: 946.20 Ell IMP pb

The most comprehensive, balanced, and accessible account of the dramatic rise and fall of imperial Spain.

DONT FORGET OUR READING OF SANTA TERESA THIS WEEK

Saint Teresa of Ávila, also called Saint Teresa of Jesus, baptized as Teresa Sánchez de Cepeda y Ahumada, (March 28, 1515 – October 4, 1582) was a prominent Spanish mystic, Roman Catholic saint, Carmelite nun, and writer of the Counter Reformation, and theologian of contemplative life through mental prayer. She was a reformer of the Carmelite Order and is considered to be, along with John of the Cross, a founder of the Discalced Carmelites. In 1622, forty years after her death, she was canonized by Pope Gregory XV, and in 1970 named a Doctor of the Church by Pope Paul VI. Her books, which include her autobiography, The Life of Teresa of Jesus, and her seminal work, El Castillo Interior (The Interior Castle), are an integral part of the Spanish Renaissance literature as well as Christian mysticism and Christian meditation practices as she entails in her other important work Camino de Perfección (The Way of Perfection) (Wikipedia)

REQUIRED READING:

RECOMMENDED READING:

Institute Library Call Number: 946.20 Ell IMP pb

The most comprehensive, balanced, and accessible account of the dramatic rise and fall of imperial Spain.

PART 2: EL GRECO

RECOMMENDED READING:

"Indispensible for serious students of El Greco, a painter whose life and art have been seen in very disparate ways over the centuries. . . . Of particular significance are some 20,000 words in El Greco’s own hand, annotating the writings of Vitruvius and Vasari. . . . Essential." ―Choice

We have arrived at Week 30, and now as we look back on our thirty weeks of study, we want to look into the future, into the Seventeenth Century and into the Golden Age of Spain. This is the age of Velazquez and Cervantes.

RECOMMENDED READING

Institute Library Call Number: 946.20 Ell IMP pb

The most comprehensive, balanced, and accessible account of the dramatic rise and fall of imperial Spain.

House of Trastámara. John II ( 1405 – 1454) was King of Castile from 1406 to 1454. He was the son of Henry III of Castile and his wife Catherine of Lancaster, daughter of John of Gaunt, 1st Duke of Lancaster by Constance of Castile, daughter of King Peter of Castile. Juan looked like his English grandfather, blond, blue eyed, tall and handsome, but it was only in appearance that there was any resemblance. John of Gaunt was decisive and one of the most important figures of the whole of the fourteenth century. His Castilian grandson was one of the most ineffectual rulers ever, anywhere. And worse, he sat on the throne of Castile for almost half a century. So the story of central Spain, that is Castile, begins the fifteenth century with a disastrous fifty year period of drift and civil chaos.

REQUIRED READING

PART TWO: A Visit to CASTILE

Castile and the city of LEON

Isabella I (1451 – 1504), was Queen of Castile and León from 1474 until her death in 1504. She was also Queen of Aragon from 1479 until her death as the wife of King Ferdinand II. Reigning together over a dynastically unified Spain, Isabella and Ferdinand are known as the Catholic Monarchs. After a struggle to claim the throne, Isabella reorganized the governmental system, brought the crime rate down, and unburdened the kingdom of the debt her half-brother King Enrique(Henry) IV had left behind. Isabella's marriage to Ferdinand in 1469 created the basis of the de facto unification of Spain. Her reforms and those she made with her husband had an influence that extended well beyond the borders of their united kingdoms. Isabella I of Castile and Ferdinand II of Aragon are known for being the first monarchs to be referred to as the "Queen of Spain" and "King of Spain", respectively. Their actions included completion of the Reconquista, the Alhambra Decree which ordered the mass expulsion of Jews from Spain, initiating the Spanish Inquisition, financing Christopher Columbus's 1492 voyage to the New World and establishing the Spanish empire, making Spain a major power in Europe and the world and ultimately ushering in the Spanish Golden Age. Together with her husband, Isabella was granted the title of "Catholic Monarch" by the Spanish Pope Alexander VI, and was recognized in 1974 as a Servant of God by the Catholic Church. (Wikipedia)

REQUIRED READING:

Chapter 5, "Birth of the Spanish World"

 

Ferdinand II (1452 – 1516) was King of Aragon from 1479 until his death in 1516. As the husband of Queen Isabella I of Castile, he was also King of Castile from 1475 to 1504. He reigned jointly with Isabella over a dynastically unified Spain; together they are known as the Catholic Monarchs. Ferdinand is considered the de facto first king of Spain, and was described as such during his reign, even though, legally, Castile and Aragon remained two separate kingdoms until they were formally united by the Nueva Planta decrees issued between 1707 and 1716. The Crown of Aragon that Ferdinand inherited in 1479 included the kingdoms of Aragon, Valencia, Majorca, Sardinia, and Sicily, as well as the Principality of Catalonia. His marriage to Isabella is regarded as the "cornerstone in the foundation of the Spanish monarchy". They played a major role in the European colonization of the Americas, sponsoring the first voyage of Christopher Columbus in 1492. That year the couple defeated Granada, the last Muslim state in Western Europe, thus completing the centuries-long Reconquista. Following Isabella's death in 1504, the couple's daughter Joanna became queen of the Crown of Castile. That year, after a war with France, Ferdinand conquered the Kingdom of Naples. In 1507 he became regent of Castile on behalf of Joanna, who was alleged to be mentally unstable. In 1506, as part of a treaty with France, Ferdinand married Germaine of Foix, with whom he had no surviving children. In 1512 he conquered most of the Kingdom of Navarre, ruling all the territories comprising modern-day Spain until his death in 1516. He was nominally succeeded by his daughter Joanna, but power was soon assumed by her son Charles I (later Holy Roman Emperor Charles V).

REQUIRED READING:

Chapter 5, "Birth of the Spanish World"

This book is a popular history of Spain and the Spanish Empire from prehistoric times to the present day. It provides description and analysis of political, social, economic and cultural events over the centuries, which together shaped the history of this distinctive country. The book offers 60 illustrations and maps, including 16 pages of color photographs, as well as lists of historic places to visit at the end of each chapter. There is a dynastic chart, suggested readings, and index.

Reviews:

"The dramatic historical pageant of Spain . . . engages the reader from first page to last." —Midwest Book Review, January 2000

"Written in a style that clearly allows the reader to grasp the intricacies of Spain's historical elements." —Spain 21 Magazine, Spring 2001

"A vivid account of the country's origins and development as a nation." —David Baird, Lookout Magazine

"By far the best introduction for students in English to Spain's history and culture." —Paul Smith, Professor Emeritus, Department of Spanish, UCLA

"For a readable and thorough but not over-long account of Spanish history, The Story of Spain is hard to beat." —Lonely Planet Guide to Spain, 2002 edition

"The title of this work prepares us for what it is—a history of Spain." —Ruth Bennett, CUNY, Hispania Magazine

RECOMMENDED READING:

This is the best biography of Isabella in English.

"[An] immensely provocative figure... [who] successfully maneuvered in an almost exclusively male world of politics." —Kathryn Harrison, The New York Times Book Review

"In a fascinating portrait, Downey sketches a monarch both adored and demonized, and makes the case that Isabella laid the foundation for the first global superpower." —BBC.com

"A strong, fascinating woman, Isabella helped to usher in the modern age, and this rich, clearly written biography is a worthy chronicle of her impressive yet controversial life." —Kirkus Reviews, starred review

Institute Library Call Number: 946.20 Ell IMP pb

The most comprehensive, balanced, and accessible account of the dramatic rise and fall of imperial Spain.

 

PART ONE: LECTURE

1. Isabella, Queen of Portugal, 1470-1498,
2. Juan, Prince of Asturias, 1478-1497
3. Juana, Queen of Castile, 1479-1555
4. Maria, Queen of Portugal, 1482-1517
5. Catherine, Queen of England, 1485-1536

RECOMMENDED READING

 

 

Queen Juana of Castile (1479 – 1555) Queen of Castile from 1504 and Queen of Aragon from 1516 to her death in 1555. She was the daughter of Queen Isabella I of Castile and King Ferdinand II of Aragon. Juana was married by to the Austrian archduke Philip the Handsome on 20 October 1496. Following the deaths of her elder brother Juan, elder sister Isabella, and nephew Miguel between 1497 and 1500, Juana became the heir presumptive to the crowns of Castile and Aragon. When her mother died in 1504, she became Queen of Castile. In 1506, Juana's husband Philip became king of Castile as husband of the Queen, (Philip I) initiating the rule of the Habsburgs in the Spanish kingdoms. Philip died that same year. Despite being the ruling Queen of Castile, Juana had little effect on national policy during her reign as she was forced out of power first by her husband, then by her father, and then by her son. She was confined, against her will, in the Royal Palace in Tordesillas under the orders of her father, who ruled as regent until his death in 1516, when she inherited his kingdom as well. Catalina de Medrano, together with her husband, Hernando de Sandoval y Rojas, participated in the custody, or care, of Queen Juana in Tordesillas. Her son Charles I became king, and during his reign Juana was nominally co-monarch with Juana, but she remained forcibly confined until her death. Juana died aged 75 in 1555, at which point her son Charles, also the Holy Roman Emperor, became the sole ruler of Castile and Aragon.
(Wikipedia with edits)

During our 26th week together we will look at the monarchy of Ferdinand and Isabella as they approached 1500 and the three great challenges they faced:
1. The Columbian voyage and should they finance it. Isabella decided in the affirmative. Ferdinand did not care.
2. The Conquest of Granada that had been in their plans since 1481 wen the Granada authorities provoked one more war.
3. The expulsion of the Jews from Spain

Holy Roman Emperor Charles V (Spanish: Carlos I de España) born 24 February 1500, died 21 September 1558, was ruler of the Holy Roman Empire from 1519 and, as Charles I, of the Spanish Empire from 1516 until his voluntary retirement and abdication in favor of his younger brother Ferdinand I and his son Philip II in 1556. As the heir of three of Europe's leading dynasties—the House of Habsburg of the Habsburg Monarchy; the House of Valois-Burgundy of the Burgundian Netherlands; and the House of Trastámara of the Crowns of Castile and Aragon—he ruled over extensive domains in Central, Western, and Southern Europe; and the Spanish colonies in North, Central, and South America, the Caribbean, and Asia. Charles was the eldest son of Philip the Handsome and Joanna the Mad. When Philip died in 1506, Charles became ruler of the Burgundian Netherlands, and his mother's co-ruler in Spain upon the death of his maternal grandfather, Ferdinand the Catholic, in 1516. As Charles was the first person to rule Castile-León and Aragon simultaneously in his own right, he became the first King of Spain (Charles co-reigned with his mother Joanna, which was however a technicality given her mental instability). In 1519, Charles succeeded his paternal grandfather Maximilian as Holy Roman Emperor and Archduke of Austria. From that point forward, Charles's realm, which has been described as "the empire on which the sun never sets", spanned nearly four million square kilometers across Europe, the Far East, and the Americas. Much of Charles' reign was devoted to the Italian Wars against the French king, Francis I, and his heir, king Henry II, which although enormously expensive, were militarily successful due to the undefeated Spanish tercio and the efforts of his prime ministers Mercurino Gattinara and Francisco de los Cobos y Molina. Charles' forces re-captured both Milan and Franche-Comté from France after the decisive Habsburg victory at the Battle of Pavia in 1525, which pushed Francis to form the Franco-Ottoman alliance. Charles' rival Suleiman the Magnificent conquered Hungary in 1526 after defeating the Christians at the Battle of Mohács. However, the Ottoman advance was halted after they failed to capture Vienna in 1529. Aside from this, Charles is best known for his role in opposing the Protestant Reformation. In addition to the German Peasants' War against the Empire, several German princes abandoned the Catholic Church and formed the Schmalkaldic League in order to challenge Charles' authority with military force. Unwilling to allow the same religious wars to come to his other domains, Charles pushed for the convocation of the Council of Trent, which began the Counter-Reformation. The Society of Jesus was established by St. Ignacio de Loyola during Charles' reign in order to peacefully and intellectually combat Protestantism, and continental Spain was spared from religious conflict largely by Charles' nonviolent measures. In Germany, although the Protestants were personally defeated by Charles at the Battle of Mühlberg in 1547, he legalized Lutheranism within the Holy Roman Empire with the Peace of Augsburg. Charles also maintained his alliance with Henry VIII of England, despite the latter splitting the Church of England from Rome and violently persecuting Catholics. In the New World, Charles oversaw the Spanish colonization of the Americas, including the conquest of both the Aztec Empire and the Inca Empire. The rapid Christianization of New Spain was attributed to the miracle of Our Lady of Guadalupe. Uncomfortable with how his viceroys were governing the Americas vis-à-vis the Native Americans, Charles consulted figures such as Francisco de Vitoria and Bartolomé de las Casas on the morality of colonization which las Casas vehemently opposed with his Brevísima relación de la destrucción de las Indias A Short Account of the Destruction of the Indies. Charles V also provided five ships to Ferdinand Magellan and his navigator Juan Sebastián Elcano, after the Portuguese captain was repeatedly turned down by Manuel I of Portugal. The commercial success of Magellan's voyage (the first circumnavigation of the Earth) temporarily enriched Charles by the sale of its cargo of cloves and laid the foundation for the Pacific oceanic empire of Spain, and along with Ruy López de Villalobos, began Spanish colonization of the Philippines. Though always at war, Charles was essentially a lover of peace, and all his wars were virtually defensive. "Not greedy of territory", wrote Marcantonio Contarini in 1536, "but most greedy of peace and quiet." Charles retired in 1556. The Habsburg Monarchy passed to Charles' younger brother Ferdinand, whereas the Spanish Empire was inherited by his son Philip II. The two empires would remain allies until the 18th century. (Wikipedia)

RECOMMENDED READING

The definitive history of a powerful family dynasty who dominated Europe for centuries -- from their rise to power to their eventual downfall.

Institute Library Call Number: 942.031 Par EMP

Drawing on vital new evidence, a top historian dramatically reinterprets the life and reign of Holy Roman Emperor Charles V, ruler of the world’s first transatlantic empire.

Philip II (Spanish: Felipe II, Portuguese: Filipe I, born 21 May 1527, died 13 September 1598) was King of Spain, Portugal, Naples, and Sicily. During his marriage to Mary I, he was also King of England and Ireland. He was lord of the Seventeen Provinces from 1556 until 1581, holding various titles for the individual territories such as duke or count. Also known as Philip the Prudent, he ruled one of the world's largest empires which included territories in every continent then known to Europeans. Philip was born in Valladolid, the son of Charles V of the Holy Roman Empire, and his consort, Isabella of Portugal. During his reign, Spain was the foremost Western European power. Under his rule, Spain reached the height of its influence and power, directing explorations all around the world and settling the colonization of territories in all the known continents. He was described by the Venetian ambassador Paolo Fagolo in 1563 as "slight of stature and round-faced, with pale blue eyes, somewhat prominent lip, and pink skin, but his overall appearance is very attractive." The Ambassador went on to say "He dresses very tastefully, and everything that he does is courteous and gracious." (Wikipedia)

RECOMMENDED READING:

Editorial Reviews

From Library Journal: The depth of Kamen's research on his subject, who ruled Spain from 1527 to 1598, could overwhelm some readers, as his previous works have done (e.g., The Phoenix and the Flame, Yale Univ., 1993). In this first in-depth biography of Philip II, Kamen's understanding of and acquaintance with the sources is masterly. The author often disagrees with much of the classic beliefs about Philip's personality; for example, his supposed solemnity and predilection for black. (Kamen notes that the king was rarely out of mourning.) However, regarding Philip's reputed cruelty, Kamen says he was hard but "restrained the severity of his officials on numberless occasions," yet he fails to enumerate these occasions. While Philip dominated Spanish politics and culture for more than half a century, Kamen devotes only a few tantalizing pages to the effects of that reign on subsequent events. The audience deserves more of Kamen's insights toward this end. Still, this is a work of marvelous scholarship; highly recommended.

From Booklist: Philip II of Spain has received an almost uniformly bad press; scholars, particularly English and American, generally portray him as a narrow-minded, religious fanatic who reacted with predictable brutality to any stirrings of liberal religious or political thought. Kamen, currently a professor for the Council of Scientific Research in Barcelona, strives mightily to present a more balanced portrait. He scores points in indicating that the supposedly insular Philip traveled widely, mixed socially with Protestants in the Netherlands, and seemed willing to grant them a measure of religious (but not political) toleration. Instead of the absolute monarch often described in diatribes by Anglophiles, Kamen's Philip emerges as a ruler of a fragmented Spain who strived continually to cope with centrifugal forces. Kamen's prose is lucid, succinct, and thorough, without getting bogged down in details that would appeal strictly to specialists. In humanizing a man too often viewed as a cardboard tyrant, Kamen has made a valuable contribution to European historiography.

Institute Library Call Number: 946.04 Par IMP

"Through the testimony of Philip's friends, foes, courtiers, and his own words; this authoritative, intelligently revisionist biography must stand now as the primary reference." —Times

"This highly detailed but also immensely readable book has come far closer to that than any previous account of the most enigmatic of Spanish kings." —New York Times Book Review

Institute Library Call Number: 946.20 Ell IMP pb

The most comprehensive, balanced, and accessible account of the dramatic rise and fall of imperial Spain.

DONT FORGET OUR READING OF SANTA TERESA THIS WEEK

Saint Teresa of Ávila, also called Saint Teresa of Jesus, baptized as Teresa Sánchez de Cepeda y Ahumada, (March 28, 1515 – October 4, 1582) was a prominent Spanish mystic, Roman Catholic saint, Carmelite nun, and writer of the Counter Reformation, and theologian of contemplative life through mental prayer. She was a reformer of the Carmelite Order and is considered to be, along with John of the Cross, a founder of the Discalced Carmelites. In 1622, forty years after her death, she was canonized by Pope Gregory XV, and in 1970 named a Doctor of the Church by Pope Paul VI. Her books, which include her autobiography, The Life of Teresa of Jesus, and her seminal work, El Castillo Interior (The Interior Castle), are an integral part of the Spanish Renaissance literature as well as Christian mysticism and Christian meditation practices as she entails in her other important work Camino de Perfección (The Way of Perfection) (Wikipedia)

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Institute Library Call Number: 946.20 Ell IMP pb

The most comprehensive, balanced, and accessible account of the dramatic rise and fall of imperial Spain.

PART 2: EL GRECO

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"Indispensible for serious students of El Greco, a painter whose life and art have been seen in very disparate ways over the centuries. . . . Of particular significance are some 20,000 words in El Greco’s own hand, annotating the writings of Vitruvius and Vasari. . . . Essential." ―Choice

We have arrived at Week 30, and now as we look back on our thirty weeks of study, we want to look into the future, into the Seventeenth Century and into the Golden Age of Spain. This is the age of Velazquez and Cervantes.

RECOMMENDED READING

Institute Library Call Number: 946.20 Ell IMP pb

The most comprehensive, balanced, and accessible account of the dramatic rise and fall of imperial Spain.