2º ESO Unit 4: The Christian Kingdoms

1. UNIT 4: THE ORIGIN OF THE
FIRST PENINSULAR KINGDOMS

2. 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.

3. The Chapel of Covadonga (Asturias)

4. 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

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

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

8. 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

9. 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.

10. 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.

11. 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

12. 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.

13. 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.

14. 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

15. 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

16. 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 conditionsfor
cultivating 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

17. 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.

18. 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”

19. 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.

20. 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 the
Crown of Aragon.

21. 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.