King Carlos I became King of Spain in 1516 but faced many challenges ruling his vast empire. His son Felipe II ruled the largest empire of its time but also faced conflicts trying to maintain control over the Netherlands and against England. All of these wars were very costly for Spain. Over subsequent centuries, the Spanish Empire continued to weaken as it lost territories and faced economic difficulties and independence movements. The Modern Age also saw a Golden Age of literature, art, and architecture in Spain.

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� The Reign of Carlos I
King Carlos l, the grandson of the Catholic Monarchs,
was educated in Flanders in the Netherlands. In
1516, he became the King of Spain. However, the
early years of his rule were not easy. Frustrated by
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the throne. He divided his empire between his
brother and his son, Felipe II.
�The reign of Felipe II
In 1556, Felipe ll became ruler of the largest empire
of its time. However, he also inherited many problems
and had to fight to maintain it. First, he defeated
France, but the conflict between the two countries
reappeared at the end of his reign. He was more
successful against other rivals. In 1571, he defeated
the Turks at the Battle of lepanto.
In 1566, the Netherlands rose up against Spanish rule.
The northern provinces declared independence, but
the king did not accept it. This began a long and costly
war. England supported the uprising, so Felipe ll sent
the Spanish Armada against them. Although the
armada was a powerful fleet of warships, it was
defeated in 1588.
All of these wars had enormous costs. Most of the money came from the gold and
silver mines in the Americas. However, the Spanish population became poorer
when the price of certain products went up, and the quantity of metals coming
from the Americas went down.
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� The fragmentation of the Spanish Empire
After the death of Felipe ll in 1598, the Spanish
Empire weakened and began to break up. The kings of
the 17th century, Felipe lll, Felipe lV, and Carlos ll
all had favourites called validos. Some had a lot of
power, such as the Duke of lerma and the Count-
duke of Olivares.
�The war of sucession
In 1700, King Carlos II died without leaving a successor. There were two
candidates to succeed to the throne: the Archduke Charles from Germany, and
Philip of Anjou from France.
Each European country supported one or the other, depending on its own
interests. Spain was also divided: Castile supported Philip, whilst Aragon
supported Charles. These conflicts prompted the War of Succession. This was
both an international war and a civil war.
The War of Succession ended in 1713,
with the signing of the Treaty of
Utrecht. This recognised the triumph
of Philip of Anjou, who became King
Felipe V. However, the treaty also
required that the Spanish Empire give
some territories in Europe to Austria
and England.
Felipe V established a new form of
government, an absolute monarchy. In
an absolute monarchy, the king
controls all the powers of state.
Conde Duque de Olivares
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�The end of the Modern Age
Throughout the 18th century, Great Britain
and Portugal disrupted trade routes
between Spain and the Americas. Great
Britain and Portugal wanted Spain to give
up its monopoly on the colonies in the
Americas, so that they could trade with
them too. As a result of this conflict, there
were various wars between Spain and these
countries.
Wars had enormous costs. To pay for them,
kings raised the taxes. This made the
Spanish people poorer. These difficulties led to protests. In 1808, the Riot of
Aranjuez forced Carlos lV to abdicate. His son became the next king, Fernando
Vll.
�The Golden Age: Literature, Art and Arquitecture
The Modern Age produced brilliant writers. The printing press, invented in the
15th century,enabled their works to be widely distributed.
In the 16th century, several writers were
exceptional: Saint Teresa de Jesus and Saint Juan de
la Cruz, both authors of spiritual works, and Garcilaso
de la Vega, a poet.
Famous writers from the 17th century include Miguel
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In the 18th century, known as the Spanish Enlightenment, writers such as Gaspar
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The most outstanding painter of the 16th century was El Greco, who painted
elegant elongated figures. In the 17th century, painting was characterised by
realism. Diego Velazquez, (the court painter), Francisco de Zurburan, Jose
Ribera and Bartolome Esteban Murillo became famous at this time. At the end
of the 18th century, Francisco de Goya stands out as one of the greatest artists
of the time
The style of architecture changed in each century of
the Modern Age. In the 16th century, architects
designed buildings in the Herrerian style. Named after
Juan de Herrera, this style of building was austere with
little decoration. In the 17th century, buildings were
constructed in the baroque style. This style
incorporated curved lines and rich ornamentation.
Then in the 18th century, the neoclassical style
emerged. This style imitated Roman architecture.
The most important works of sculpture during this
period were found in churches and cathedrals. The
altarpieces on the wall behind the altar were carved
decorations. Religious figures were made from different
materials (wood, stone or plaster) and coloured. Famous
sculptors include Gregorio Fernandez, Martinez
Montanes, Alonzo Cano and Francisco Salzillo.
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