Isabella I of Castile
Isabella I of Castile, depicted in the painting Virgen de la mosca at The Collegiate church of Santa María la Mayor (Church of Saint Mary the Great)
Isabella in the Rimado de la Conquista de Granada, from 1482, by Pedro Marcuello
The wedding portrait of Ferdinand and Isabella (c.1469)
Ferdinand and Isabella
Anonymous portrait of Queen Isabella (1490)
Ferdinand and Isabella with their subjects
Isabella depicted with darker hair (c.1485)
1470
Isabella of Castile, (1451 - 1504), queen of Spain, who in 1469 married King Ferdinand II of Aragon; they ruled as joint sovereigns.
Ferdinand II of Aragon
Isabella I of Castile, depicted in the painting Virgen de la mosca at The Collegiate church of Santa María la Mayor (Church of Saint Mary the Great)
Isabella in the Rimado de la Conquista de Granada, from 1482, by Pedro Marcuello
The wedding portrait of Ferdinand and Isabella (c.1469)
Ferdinand and Isabella
Anonymous portrait of Queen Isabella (1490)
Ferdinand and Isabella with their subjects
Isabella depicted with darker hair (c.1485)
Statue of Isabella by Felipe Bigarny; it resides in the Capilla Real, in Granada.
Portrait of a woman, possibly Isabella I of Castile, late 15th-early 16th century, (1930). Painting previously believed to have been of Mary Tudor, but the sitter wears the Crown Jewels of Castile and therefore may be Isabella I (1451-1504).
Queen Isabella I of Castile dictating her last will and testament, 1864.
Isabella I of Castile, known as Isabella the Catholic, Queen of Castile and Leon (1451-1504), detail of wooden altar, Peruvian folk art.
Portrait of Queen Isabella I of Castile. Found in the Collection of Ayuntamiento de Sevilla.
A painted ceramic tile representing Queen Isabella I of Castile at the Palacio Real Testamentario in Medina del Campo, Valladolid Province, Castile and Leon, Spain.
Isabella pledging her jewels to finance the expedition of Christopher Columbus in 1492. Isabella I, 1451 - 1504. Queen of Castile. Christopher Columbus, c.?1451 - 1506. Italian explorer, navigator, and colonizer. From Hutchinson's History of the Nations, published 1915.
Isabella of Portugal
Ferdinand II of Aragon, the Catholic
Isabella of Aragon
Joanna the Mad
Maria of Aragon
Catherine of Aragon
Isabella was born on April 22, 1451 in Madrigal de las Altas Torres, the daughter of John II of Castile, and her mother was his second wife, Isabella of Portugal. Only three years after her birth, her half-brother Alfonso became the king of Spain and took the name Henry IV. In the beginning, she led a quiet life with her mother in Arevalo Castle, but an end had to come to her quiet life as she was drawn into the politics of the castle.
Isabella's early and only education in life included reading, mathematics, grammar, spelling, arts, music, dancing, embroidery, chess, and religious instructions from tutors who visited the castle. She spent time with her in-house mistress playing, dancing, and entertaining each other with various forms of arts.
When Isabella's brother, King Henry V died, she was at Segovia, which was claimed to her. For that same claim, she was supported by many Castilian nobles, such as Pedro Gonzalez de Mendoza, a cardinal. She was also supported by Enrique, a castilian admiral ans she was also given support by the constable of Castile. The opposers of her claiming the throne and Segovia were Archbishop of Toledo and the young, but powerful Marques de Villena. The third supporter of Joanne succeeding, not Isabella, was the Master of Calatrava. All of them were supported by The King of Portugal, Afonso V. Afonso later attacked Castile. A civil war started and was 4 years in duration. It resulted in the defeat of Portugal (1479).
In 1479, John II of Aragorn died, and the Castile kingdom and Aragon kingdom are bound together. Spain became a unified country, but not officialy. Each kingdom was governed by its own institutions. But the two knigdoms were united in one common aim - to take over Granada kingdom, under the process of Reconquista. Granada was the only place left where Muslim people resided. At first, Reconquista proved itself to be difficult and unsuccessful. Isabella I showed interest in Granada. She has modernized her military and moved her headquarters to Santa Fe, near Granada. It was conquered on January 2, 1492. In Santa Fe, Christopher Columbus paid a visit to Isabella I to inform her about his planned voyage to discover the New World. He was seeking her support. Isabella I gave him the support, blessings and finances for his voyage. Though later, she was not in favour of Columbus' enslavement of the American natives and attempted to enforce the recent policies of the Canaries upon the 'New World', stating that all peoples were under the subject of the Castilian Crown and could not be enslaved in most situations. The principles she established would have very little effect during her lifetime, however.
Isabella and her husband had created an empire and in later years were consumed with administration and politics; they were concerned with the succession and worked to link the Spanish crown to the other rulers in Europe. Isabella officially withdrew from governmental affairs on September 14, 1504 and she died that same year on 26 November at the Medina del Campo Royal Palace. It is said that she had truly already been in decline since the death of her son Prince John of Asturias in 1497.
Her marriage with Ferdinand II of Aragorn was a basis for the political unification of Spain. Whole government system was reorganized by her. She took the kingdom out of an enormous debt it was in. She is also known for giving permission to Christopher Columbus for his 1492 voyage which led to the discovery of New World.
She was a Roman Catholic to the extreme. She recived the title Catholic Monarch by Pope Alexander VI. Because of her strong Christianity faith, she was named "Isabella La Catolica,“ which means Isabella The Catholic.
Isabella I was a diarch, meaning she ruled the kingdom together with her husband. She led the politics of Spanish purification, she only wanted Spanish people to live in Spain. She forbade Muslims and Jews to live in Spain through Reconquista and Inquisition.
Isabella I maintained an austere, modest life, and was an endeavored woman. Her religious beliefs had a great influence in her life. She felt hostility for Muslims in Andalusia. Also, she was described as powerful, wise, honest, devout and truthful.
Physical Characteristics: She was around 165 meters tall. Her hair color was auburn. She had a very pale complexion. Her physical build was strong for a woman.
Quotes from others about the person
"The world is only as small as we see it, my lady. Imagination knows no limits." - C.W. Gortner, The Queen's Vow: A Novel of Isabella of Castile
"And I vowed that were it ever within my power, I would see to it that he had his voyage." - C.W. Gortner, The Queen's Vow: A Novel of Isabella of Castile
Isabella I married Ferdinand II secretly in 1469. They had five children.
He was King of Castile and León from 1406 to 1454.
She was Queen consort of Castile and León.
He was King of Sicily from 1468 and King of Aragon from 1479 until his death.
She was a Queen consort of Portugal and heir presumptive of King Ferdinand II of Aragon and Queen Isabella I of Castile
He was the only son of Queen Isabella I of Castile and King Ferdinand II of Aragon who survived to adulthood.
Known historically as Joanna the Mad (Spanish: Juana la Loca), she was Queen of Castile from 1504, and of Aragon from 1516.
She was a Spanish infanta, and queen consort of Portugal as the second spouse of Portuguese King Manuel I.
She was Queen of England from June 1509 until May 1533 as the first wife of King Henry VIII; she was previously Princess of Wales as the wife of Henry's elder brother Arthur.
