Isabella I of Castile was born in 1451 in Madrigal de las Altas Torres. She married Ferdinand II of Aragon in 1469, uniting Castile and Aragon. Isabella defeated her niece Juana to claim the throne of Castile in 1474. Following her victory, Castile and Aragon were permanently united under Isabella and Ferdinand. Isabella sponsored Christopher Columbus's voyage in 1492, which led to the discovery of the Americas and greatly expanded Castile's power. She also oversaw the completion of the Reconquista and issued laws protecting the native population in the newly discovered lands.

1. Isabella I of Castile.
The Catholic Queen

2. Index
-Biography
Historical situation
-Important events
-Interesting images

3. Biography

4. Isabella was born on the 22nd of April of 1451 in Madrigal de las Altas Torres. Her parents were
Juan ll and his second wife, Isabella of Portugal. When her father died, her step-brother Enrique
lV became king. In 1468, Enrique recognized Isabella as the successor to the kingdom.
On 19th October, 1469, she got married with Fernando, son of Juan ll of Aragón and Juana
Enríquez. The matriarch had 5 children. The consanguinity of both of them (they were cousins),
was accepted by Pope Calixto. When Enrique realized that the matriarch had been consumed
without his permission, he declared his daughter Juana Beltraneja, as the heiress to the throne.
When Enrique lV died, the nobility was against Juana Beltraneja’s duty. Isabella established a war
with her niece Juana, and her victory coincided with the union of Castile and Aragón, that same
year, in October 1469. Isabel and Fernando inaugurated the Modern State of Spain.

5. With this marriage, she had 5 children. Juana, Isabel, Juan, Maria and
Catalina. Juana was the heiress of the kingdom of Castile.
Then Joana got married with the Bogoñas duke Felipe “el hermoso”.

6. Summing up…
She was born in
Madrigal de las Torres
the 22 of April in 1451,
daughter of Juan ll and
his second wife, Isabel of
Portugal.

7. In 1468 her step-brother
Enrique IV recognized
Isabel as the successor of
the kingdom.
But In 1469 Enrique IV
disinherited Isabel and
declared his daughter Juana
Beltraneja, as the heiress to
the throne.

8. When her step-brother died in 1474,
Isabel established a war with her niece
Juana for the crown of Castile.
Finally Isabel won that war.
In that same year she got
married to Fernando de
Aragon.
Both kingdoms (Castilla
and Aragon) joined.

9. Isabel’s Family tree
She died the 26 of November , 1504 at the
age of 53 years.

10. 1504-
Isabel’s
death
1474- Isabel I
got married to
Fernando
of Aragon
1400-1425 1425-1450 1450-1475 1475-1500
1479-
Territorial
Union
1492-
Arrival in
America
1451- Isabel I
was born
1474- step-brother
died
To sum up…

12. Historical
situation

13. Context
• In the XV century, Spain was divided in kingdoms: Kingdom of Castile and Crown of Aragon, The Muslim
kingdom of Granada, Navarra and Portugal.
• In 1472 one of the most important Queens of the Kingdom of Castile and Crown of Aragon, Isabella I the
Catholic queen was born.
• There were lots of problems with religion and the Holy Inquisition appeared to fight the Protestants. Few of
new derivations of Christian religion appeared, like Anglicans, Calvinists and Lutherans too
• Queen Isabella I and her husband Fernando, the Catholic king and Queen, added new territories to the
Kingdom of Castile:
• Navarra, that was part of France, was conquered.
• The Muslim kingdom of Granada, that was the only part of Spain that was in power of the Muslim authorities
since 711, was conquered.
• Portugal was added because of marriages too.

14. Context
• In 1492, Christopher Columbus, with the help of the Catholic King and Queen, got
enough money to be able to travel through the Atlantic Ocean, and thanks to that
he arrived in what is now America.
• This new territory brought lots of benefit like silver and gold to the kingdom. The
Crown of Castile was bigger than ever, and there is a famous sentence that says:
‘In the kingdom of Castile the sun never sets’. It was so big that when it was night
time in Europe it was day time in America, and the other way round
•

15. Context
• Time line
• In 1451 Isabella the first was born.
• In 1474 she married Fernando of Aragon, who helped her to
conquer territories.
• In 1479 the territorial union was produced.
• In 1492 Columbus arrived in America
• Isabel died in 1504.

16. •Population growth (agricultural improvements, less
epidemics)
•Growth of cities and increase in commerce and crafts.

17. + commerce

18. The Holy
Inquisition

19. The Holy Inquisition
• The Tribunal of the Holy Office of the Inquisition (Spanish:
Tribunal del Santo Oficio de la Inquisición ), commonly
known as the Spanish Inquisition (Inquisición española ), was
established in 1478 by Catholic Monarchs Ferdinand II of
Aragon and Isabella I of Castile. It was intended to maintain
Catholic orthodoxy in their kingdoms and to replace the
Medieval Inquisition which was under papal control

20. Conquests

21. Arrival in America

22. Important events

23. When Isabel of Castile married Fernando of Aragón,
the kingdoms of Castilla and Aragón joined .This was
like the beginnings of Spain like it is today although
Spain, as a kingdom, did not exist yet.

24. She also completed the reconquest of
Spain, expelled the jews and made laws
for the protection of the native
population of America and started its
expansion together with Colombus.
Isabel agreed to sponsor Cristopher
Columbus on an expedition to reach the
Indies . He arrived in what is now known as
Watling Island

25. To sum up
• The two most important things Isabel did I are
• - First of all, she promoted and gave money to Cristobal Columbus for being able to travel across
the ocean and discover America. This was the most important hit in the 15 century. A new world of
possibilities, to obtain wealth and to acquire knowledge of a new culture were the greatest
consequences of this event for the kingdom of Castile.
• - On the other hand, she completed the ‘Reconquista’ of Spain expelling the Jews and making laws
for the protection of the native population.
• On November 26, 1504 she died at age 53 in Probate Castile Palace because of uterine cancer. Her
daughter Juana I, better known as La Loca (the mad one) was the one who replaced her in the
crown.

26. Interesting Images

27. Isabel’s Will
Coins and notes with
the faces of Isabel and
Fernando