Historia mediaval de España, en inglés, para alumnos de 5º de Educación Primaria. Colegio Sagrados Corazones (Santo Domingo de la Calzada). Realizado por el profesor Marcos Bustillo Ramírez.

1. MEDIEVAL SPAIN
----------------
5TH PRIMARY
COLEGIO SAGRADOS CORAZONES
(SANTO DOMINGO DE LA CALZADA)

2. I - VISIGOTHIC SPAIN
(5th
century AD - 711 AD)

3. In the 5th century some barbarian tribes from north and eastern Europe
attacked the Empire. They were the Germanic tribes.
1.1 The end of the Roman Empire
In the 3rd century
the Roman Empire
began to weaken.
The army was not
strong anymore
and the borders of
the empire were
unprotected.
Germanic warriors attack the Roman army

4. In 476 AD, the last
Roman Emperor
was defeated and
the Western Empire
divided into several
small Germanic
Kingdoms.
The Fall of the
Roman Empire is
the landmark to
begin the Middle
Ages.
1.2 The Germanic Kingdoms
Europe about 500 AD.

5. 1.3 The Visigothic Kingdom
Some years before the Fall
of the Roman Empire, the
Visigoths arrived in
Southern France and Spain.
Later, they were expelled
from France by another
Germanic tribe, the Franks.
The Visigoths established a
kingdom in the Iberian
Peninsula, with Toledo as
its capital.
Visigothic Kingdom in Southern France and Spain (5th
and 6th
centuries)

6. The Visigoths decided to speak in Latin, to use Roman laws and to adopt
the Catholic religion in all their territories.
They built many churches using the horseshoe arch. They were good
goldsmiths too.
1.4 Visigothic art and culture
Visigothic crown
Visigothic church
Horseshoe arch

7. There are many words of Visigothic
origin in Spanish language, such as
aspa, barón, brida, botín, dardo,
espuela, hacha, tapa or yelmo.
Visigothic window
Horseshoe arch
Visigothic brooch

8. II - ISLAMIC SPAIN
(711 AD – 1492 AD)

9. Soon they conquered almost the whole Iberian Peninsula and the
Balearic Islands. The Muslims were nor Christians. They professed
the Islamic religion.
2.1 The end of the Visigothic Kingdom
In 711 A.D. the
Muslims from
North Africa
attacked the
Visigothic
Kingdom and
defeated it in the
battle of Guadalete.
In the battle of Guadalete (711 AD) a Muslim army defeated the Visigoths.

10. In 756 A.D. al-Andalus was converted into an emirate (province)
because it was ruled by an Emir.
The Emir of Córdoba obeyed the Caliph of Damascus, in Syria (Asia).
They called this land al-
Andalus and they
established their capital in
Córdoba.
The only area free of their
domination was the
mountainous North of the
Peninsula, were the
Christian Visigoths resisted.
2.2 al-Andalus: the Emirate
al-Andalus in 756 AD.

11. The Caliphs were supreme rulers. They took all the political and religious
decisions. The capital of the Caliphate was Córdoba, which became the
greatest city in Western Europe.
2.3 al-Andalus: the Caliphate
In the 10th
century al-
Andalus became
independent
from Damascus
and turned into a
Caliphate, a
territory ruled by
a Caliph. The Caliph of Cordoba receives a Christian embassy

12. Along the times of Caliphate
of Cordoba the Muslims and
Christians were in constant
fight. One of the bravest and
most intelligent of the Islamic
military leaders in al-Andalus
was Almanzor, who even
destroyed Santiago de
Compostela, one of the most
important Christian cities.
Andalusian warriors.

13. In the 11th century the Caliphate of Cordoba disappeared and al Andalus
split into small kingdoms called taifas.
The Taifa Kingdoms fought each other and against the Christians.
The Christian
Kingdoms took
advantage of the
division of the Taifa
Kingdoms. Little by
little, the Christian
Kingdoms conquered
the Islamic territories.
2.4 al-Andalus: the Taifa Kingdoms
Al-Andalus in 1036 AD: the Taifa Kingdoms

14. After this battle the Christian Kings conquered almost all the Muslim
Kingdoms, except the Nazari Kingdom of Granada, which became the last
Muslim Kingdom in the Iberian Peninsula. It was conquered by the
Christian Kingdoms of Castile and Aragon in 1492.
In 1212 there was a huge battle
in Las Navas de Tolosa (province
of Jaén).
The Christian Kingdoms of
Castile, Aragon and Navarre
won the battle against the
Muslim troops.
2.5 The end of al-Andalus
Battle between Muslims and Christians.

15. Islam is the religion of Muslims. It was born in the Arabic Peninsula.
There, in the 7th century, Muhammad began to speak about the existence
of a One God, Allah.
The doctrine of Allah is in the Koran, which is the sacred book for the
Muslims.
2.6 The Islamic religion
The Koran is the sacred book for the Muslims.

16. Every Muslim must fulfill five duties:
 To accept Allah as the One God and Muhammad as His Prophet.
 To pray five times a day
 To go on a pilgrimage to Mecca (in Arabia) once in a lifetime.
 To fast during the month of Ramadan.
 To give alms to poor.
Muslims go to mosques to pray and to study their religion´s precepts.
The Kaaba, in Mecca (Arabia).

17. The inside of the mosque is formed by a yard that provides access to the
prayer hall. That is the most important area of the mosque.
2.7 The mosque
The mosque is the
building where the
Muslims gather to pray
and to study the
precepts of Islam.
Every city had one or
more mosques..
From the minaret, or
tower, the muezzin
calls the believers for
the prayer. Drawing of a mosque

18. The Muladíes were former Christians who had converted to Islam.
The Mozarabs were Christians under the rule of the Muslims in al-
Andalus.
The Jews were a minority. They lived in separate quarters in the cities.1
2.8 Society
The society in al-Andalus
was composed by people of
different religions.
The Muslims were the most
powerful group. They
occupied the ruling roles in
government and owned
most of the best lands.
Social classes in al-Andalus

19. Most of the Andalusi people lived in the
countryside.
Muslims introduced many new crops in Spain, such
as artichokes, oranges, aubergines, cotton and rice.
They built new methods of irrigation and built
canals (acequias) and waterwheels.
2.9 The countryside
Waterwheel
New crops brought by
the Muslims to Spain
Artichokes
Rice
Aubergines

20. The cities were surrounded by walls and their governors lived in the
alcázar, a fortified palace. The streets were narrow and sinuous. In the
center of the city was the souk (zoco) or market, where people traded and
met with other people. Besides, in every city there were mosques.
2.10 The city
An andalusian city

21. 2.11 Culture and legacy
From the 10th century on al-
Andalus became a very important
cultural center where famous
doctors, astronomers and
philosophers taught in
Universities and studied in
libraries. Some of them were the
Muslim Averroes or the Jew
Maimonides.
Muslims were also interested in Literature, Mathematics and
Astronomy. They took paper and silkworms from China, the compass
and the numerals that we use, taken from India, including the numeral
zero.
The cordobese doctor Averroes

22. Nowadays we still conserve many features from the islamic culture. For
example, many words (not only in Spanish language) are of Arabic
origin, such as aceite, naranja, sandía, limón, zanahoria, bellota, acequia,
noria, gandul, rubia, olé, mazmorra, rincón, chisme, jirafa, joroba, jinete,
alcohol, baño, almohada, hazaña, hasta, ajedrez or alcalde; or the names
of many places, such as Madrid, Albacete or Albelda.
2.12 The influence of Arabic language
Two Muslims playing chess (Ajedrez)

23. The Islamic architecture mainly used
bricks decorated with paintings, tiles
and plasterboards. They also used a
great variety of arches. One of them
was the horseshoe arch, like in
Visigothic art. They liked gardens and
ponds.
Some of the most famous Islamic
buildings of the world are in Spain:
The Córdoba Mosque, the Palace of La
Alhambra in Granada or the Palace of
Aljafería, in Zaragoza.
2.13 Andalusi art
Mosque of Córdoba
Palace of Alhambra (Granada)

24. III -THE CHRISTIAN KINGDOMS
(722 AD – 1492 AD)

25.  the Kingdom of Asturias, which later became the Kingdom of León.
 The County of Castile (later Kingdom of Castile),
 The Kingdom of Pamplona (later Kingdom of Navarre),
 The Kingdom of Aragón and
 The Catalan Counties.
3.1 The formation of the Christian Kingdoms
The northern Christians put up
great resistance against the
Muslims. In 722 A.D. a
Visigothic army defeated the
Muslims in the battle of
Covadonga (Asturias).
Later, the Christians were
organized in different kingdoms
and counties:The Iberian Peninsula in 1036 AD

26. As time passed, the Christians joined together and formed four great
kingdoms: the Crown of Castile, the Crown of Aragón, the Kingdom of
Navarre and the kingdom of Portugal. At first La Rioja, our
Autonomous Region, belonged to the Kingdom of Nájera-Pamplona
and later to the Crown of Castile.
The Christian Kingdoms fought for
almost eight centuries against the
Muslims to conquer their territories
and recover the old Visigothic territory.
That is the reason why this period is
known as "The Reconquista".
3.2 The Reconquista
The Iberian Peninsula in 1210 AD

27. In 1212 the Christian kingdoms joined together and defeated the
Muslims in the battle of Las Navas de Tolosa. This was a decisive blow
against the Muslims in the Peninsula.
In the following centuries, the Kingdom of Castile conquered most
Andalucía and the Kingdom of Aragón conquered Valencia and the
Balearic Islands.
3.3 The Christian advance
King Jaime I, “The Conqueror”, of Aragón
King Alfonso X, “The Wise”, of Castile

28. The Christian advance finished in 1492, when the Catholic Kings, Isabel
of Castile and Fernando of Aragón, conquered the Kingdom of Granada,
the last Muslim territory in the Iberian Peninsula. This put an end to the
Reconquista after eight centuries of wars.
3.4 The end of the Reconquista
Boabdil, the last king of Granada, surrenders. (1492 AD).
Isabel, Queen of CastileFernando, King of AragónBoabdil

29. The society in the Christian kingdoms was divided into three groups or
classes: nobility, clergy and the common people. Among them you can
find Christians, Muslims and Jews.
3.5 The society
Social classes in the Christian kingdoms.

30. The nobility (nobles, lords and knights), who were vassals of the kings,
that is, they depended on him. They lived in castles and their main
activity was war.
3.6 The noblemen
Medieval knights.

31. The clergy was formed by bishops,
abbots, abbesses, priests, monks and
nuns). Monks and nuns lived in
monasteries. They were dedicated to
praying, medicine, helping the poor and
culture.
Monks working in a
monastery. They copied books.
3.7 The clergy
The tomb of Urraca Díaz de Haro, abess of
the monastery of Cañas (La Rioja).

32. Most of the common people were peasants who lived in small villages and
worked as farmers. Some were artisans or traders and were freemen,
Other were serfs, depended on a nobleman or an abbot and had no rights.
There were also Muslims living under the rule of Christians: these were
the Mudejars. They were very good gardeners.
3.8 The common people
Serfs harvesting.

33. Many Jew and Mudejar farmers stayed in their lands when they were
conquered by the Christians. In addition, other Christian and Mozarab
(Christians who had escaped from al-Andalus) farmers came.
As a result of it people of three different religions lived in the Christian
kingdoms: Christians, Muslims (Mudejars) and Jews.
3.9 The repopulation
The Christian kings
needed to occupy the
conquered lands with
people to farm and to
defend them. This
occupation is known as
repopulation.
The house of a medieval farmer.

34. Fiefs worked as little countries. In their territories, the lords or owners
administered justice, had their own armies, collected taxes, controlled the
serfs who worked for them and even coined their own money.
When the conquered
territories were too large
and under populated the
king gave them to chief
nobles or to some
monasteries, thereby
becoming great owners.
These large territories were
the fiefs.
3.10 A fief
Drawing of a fief.

35. The cities were divided into quarters. The people who lived in the cities
were the burghers. Most of them were artisans and worked as traders.
Jews lived in separated quarters. They were good traders and doctors.
3.11 Life in a Christian city
In the Middle Ages,
most of population
were peasants and
they lived in small
villages. But from the
13th century on, the
cities grew thanks to
the rise of commerce.
A medieval city.
Walls
Marketplace
Cathedral

36. There was a large open area, the marketplace, where artisans and traders
installed their stalls. There took place the most important events in the
city.
Cities were ruled by a council in which traders and artisans participated.
This was the origin of modern city halls.
Medieval cities were surrounded by
walls and their gates were closed by
night. The main buildings were the
cathedral (the most important
church, made of stone), the town hall
and the palaces of nobles and
wealthiest traders.
The marketplace

37. Traders gathered in fairs, where products from different places arrived.
Commerce made some cities prosper. Thus, bigger and more attractive
buildings were built, such as palaces, cathedrals and universities. These
were teaching centers that gave prestige to the cities in which they were.
3.12 Commerce
Commerce was an
important activity at
the end of the Middle
Ages.
Traders or dealers lived
in the cities and
exchanged their
products in the
marketplaces.Medieval traders

38. Those dedicated to the same job lived in a street named following that
job. For example, Coopers' street, Cutlers´street, Tanners' street..
The craftsmen who had the same job gathered in guilds. There were
three categories among craftsmen: master (who owned the
workshops), skilled workers and apprentices.
3.13 Craftwork
Many of the inhabitants of
the medieval cities were
craftsmen: carpenters,
weavers, blacksmiths...
Craftsmen worked in
workshops.
A street in Madrid named following the guild of the Cutlers.

39. The craft workshops
were buildings
owned by a master
craftsman. They
were homes and
workshops at the
same time.
In the ground floor
was the shop, where
all the products
made in the
workshop were
offered.

40. An emblem referring to that
activity was put in the outside
of the building.
The workshop itself was in the
first floor. There, the
apprentices and skilled workers
had their tools and materials
required to make their
products.
In the upper floor were the
dormitories, the kitchen and the
dining room.
Emblem of a cobbler (a shoe maker)

41. 3.14 The Toledo School of Translators
Alfonso Xth of Castile supported the School
The city of Toledo was an important cultural center. Many Muslim, Jew
and Christian scholars went there and translated classic Arabic and
hebrew literary works to Latin.

42. In architecture the main characteristic is the use of stone and the
round arch.
In those days many churches, monasteries and cathedrals with thick
walls and small windows were built, so that the inside was very dark.
3.15 The Romanesque art
During the 11th, 12th and
13th centuries an artistic style
called Romanesque developed
in Christian Europe. Through
the Road to Santiago this new
style came to the Christian
kingdoms of the Iberian
Peninsula.
Church of Santa María de la Piscina

43. Some Romanesque churches
survive in La Rioja, such as the
apse and other parts of the
Cathedral of Santo Domingo de
la Calzada, the church of La
Concepción in Treviana or the
church of Santa María de la
Piscina in Peciña.
Round arch
Small windows
Stone
Thick walls
The apse of the Cathedral
of Santo Domingo de la Calzada. 12th
century.

44. Walls were decorated with paintings depicting religious scenes which
transmitted the teachings of the Bible. This was very useful because in the
Middle Ages few people could read or write.
Paintings are made with bright colours and with thick black lines.
Facades, doors and
columns were decorated
with sculptures.
In these sculptures
religious and
mythological, vegetal and
geometric motifs are
shown.
Bright colours
Painted on a wall
Religious scene (The Three Wise Men adoring the Virgin and Child Jesus)
Thick black lines

45. 3.16 The Gothic art
During the 13th, 14th and 15th
centuries a new artistic style
called Gothic developed.
The Gothic cathedrals and
churches used the pointed arch
an were more illuminated than
the Romanesque ones.
They had large rose windows
and stained glass windows.
Thanks to the new techniques
churches were taller and their
pointed towers seemed to touch
the sky.
Pointed arch
Large stained glass
rose window
Tall towers
Cathedral of León.

46. Gothic paintings and sculptures
represented religious figures.
They were more realistic and
showed more movement than
the Romanesque ones.
We have some Gothic buildings
in La Rioja, such as the cloister of
the cathedral of Santo Domingo
de la Calzada, the churches of
Santa María la Real in Nájera
and San Juan Bautista in Grañón
and the monastery of Cañas.
Gothic sculptures of the Apostles in the door of a Cathedral
Religious figures (Apostles of Jesus)
Realism in faces and clothes

47. We have some Gothic buildings in La Rioja, such as the cloister of the
cathedral of Santo Domingo de la Calzada, the churches of Santa María la
Real in Nájera and San Juan Bautista in Grañón and the monastery of
Cañas.1
Cloister of the monastery of Santa
María la Real of Nájera. 16th
century.
Pointed arches