She was married to Ferdinand II of Aragon. When Henry IV died on December 10, 1474, Isabella acted quickly. The queen was still concerned with these problems when she died in 1504. Their rule effected the permanent union of Spain and the beginning of an overseas empire in the New World, led by Christopher Columbus under Isabella’s sponsorship. Let us know if you have suggestions to improve this article (requires login). Isabella married Ferdinand of Aragon, a second cousin, in October 1469 without Henry's approval. The monarchs were interested in the reform of the secular clergy and still more in that of the orders of monks, friars, and nuns; Isabella took a particular interest in the reform of the Poor Clares, an order of Franciscan nuns. Meanwhile, in 1480 the Inquisition had been set up in Andalusia. Yet, however meritorious the expulsion may have seemed at the time in order to achieve greater religious and political unity, judged by its economic consequences alone, the loss of this valuable element in Spanish society was a serious mistake. When her father died in 1454, Isabella’s half-brother, Henry IV, became the new king of Castile. Good sense and statesmanship were equally reflected in Isabella’s will and codicil. The last decade of her reign took place against a background of family sorrows brought about by the deaths of her only son and heir, Juan (1497); of her daughter Isabella, queen of Portugal, in childbirth (1498); and of her grandchild Miguel (1500), who might have brought about a personal union between Spain and Portugal. When her father, John II, died, her half brother became king of Castile as Henry IV. At Henry's death in 1474, a war of succession ensued, with Alfonso V of Portugal, prospective husband of Isabella's rival Juana, supporting Juana's claims. Despite the fact that she had a younger brother, Alfonso, and that her early years were spent quietly with her mother at Arévalo, Isabella was soon drawn into Castilian politics. That same year, Isabella and Ferdinand issued an edict expelling all Jews in Spain who refused to convert to Christianity. Isabella I was the Queen of Castile and after her husband Ferdinand II became the King of Aragon, Isabella became the Queen consort of Aragon. She had also sponsored Christopher Columbus’s expedition. But each kingdom continued to be governed according to its own institutions. But I want to stay. Isabella was granted, together with her husband, the title "the Catholic Monarch" by Pope Alexander VI, and was recognized in 1974 as a Servant of God by the Catholic Church. Updates? The two young monarchs were initially obliged to fight a civil war against Juana, princess of Castile (also known as Juana la Beltraneja), the purported daughter of Henry IV, but were ultimately successful. In 1974, centuries after her death, Isabella of Castile and her … The Four Marriages of King Philip II of Spain, Eleanor of Aquitaine’s Descendants Through Eleanor, Queen of Castile, Catherine of Aragon - Early Life and First Marriage, Catherine of Aragon - Marriage to Henry VIII, Powerful Women Rulers Everyone Should Know, Eleanor of Aquitaine's Children and Grandchildren, Medieval Queens, Empresses, and Women Rulers, Famous Mothers in History: Ancient Through Modern, M.Div., Meadville/Lombard Theological School. The Inquisition was aimed mostly at Jews and Muslims who had overtly converted to Christianity but were thought to be practicing their faiths secretly. Henry seems to have wanted his half sister to marry Afonso V, king of Portugal. Isabella I of Castile was born on April 22, 1451 in the village of Madrigal de las Altas Torres, Spain. Jone Johnson Lewis is a women's history writer who has been involved with the women's movement since the late 1960s. The queen of Castile died on November 24th, 1504. Yet the unexpected discoveries quickly brought fresh problems to Isabella, not the least of which was the relationship between the newly discovered “Indians” and the crown of Castile. Her father's father was Henry III of Castile, and his mother was Catherine of Lancaster, the daughter of John of Gaunt (third son of England's Edward III) and John's second wife, the Infanta Constance of Castile. Ferdinand, indeed, in his first will (1475) made Isabella his heir in Aragon and openly declared the advantages his subjects would derive from the union with Castile. Be on the lookout for your Britannica newsletter to get trusted stories delivered right to your inbox. By signing up for this email, you are agreeing to news, offers, and information from Encyclopaedia Britannica. 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) Queen of Castile and León. Henry's first marriage ended in divorce and without children. Isabella I of Castile (1451-1504) was one of the most significant figures in world history. Isabella I, byname Isabella the Catholic, Spanish Isabel la Católica, (born April 22, 1451, Madrigal de las Altas Torres, Castile—died November 26, 1504, Medina del Campo, Spain), queen of Castile (1474–1504) and of Aragon (1479–1504), ruling the two kingdoms jointly from 1479 with her husband, Ferdinand II of Aragon (Ferdinand V of Castile). Her father was John of Castile, and her mother Isabella of Portugal. Among Isabella's other religious pursuits, she took a special interest in the Poor Clares, an order of nuns. The queen and her councillors were more ready to recognize the rights of the Indians than was Columbus; she ordered some of those he had brought back as slaves to be released. She married Ferdinand II of Aragon, bringing the kingdoms together into what became Spain under the rule of her grandson Charles V, the Holy Roman Emperor. At court she encouraged such notable scholars as Pietro Martire d’Anghiera, whom she set up as the head of a new palace school for the sons of the nobility. Coronation. She did not, however, play the role thus designed for her, and the fruit of her wisdom was recognition as his heiress by Henry IV at the agreement known as the Accord of Toros de Guisando (September 19, 1468). 1489-05-01 Christopher Columbus proposes his plan to search for a western route to India in an audience with Spanish monarch, Isabella I. She sponsored Columbus's journey all through out his expedition to the 'New World'. The dispute was settled in 1479 with Isabella recognized as Queen of Castile. Isabella I (22 April 1451 – 26 November 1504) reigned as Queen of Castile from 1474 until her death. It is difficult to disentangle Isabella’s personal responsibility for the achievements of her reign from those of Ferdinand. propel the west towards global dominance. Queen of Castile, Sicily, and Aragon. In seeking to control appointments to Castilian sees, Isabella was not simply inspired by national sentiments. Furthermore, she was a very religious person and often had contact with Tomás de Torquemada, Grand Inquisitor and her personal confessor. ThoughtCo. Emeritus Fellow of Merton College, Oxford; former Lecturer in Modern History, University of Oxford. In her early life she had a hard childhood, when her father died she and her brother were left in the care of their older brother. The marriage to Ferdinand resulted in the physical unification of Spain. 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