medieval spain
the start of the middle ages
1.- visigoths
Visigoths were a Germanic tribe that came to live in Hispania after the fall of the Roman Empire in AD 476.
Visigoths defetead other Germanic tribus such as the Vandals , Alans and Suevi.
They conquered most of the Iberian Peninsula by the end of the 5th Century.
Toledo was the most important capital.
They existed from AD 507 to AD 711. They learnt to speak latin, learnt to read and adopted Catholicism and Roman Law.
2.- al-ándalus
The Moors invaded the Iberian Peninsula and defetead the Visigoths at the Battle of Guadalete in AD711.
Their territory was called Al-Ándalus.
Society.
The Muslim, Christian and Jewish coexisted pacefully for many years. In the 12th century , some families created the Toledo School of Traslators. They traslated important works into spanish to hepl the people to understand important scientific and philosophical text.
LIFE IN Al- ál andalus
Most people in Al-Ándalus lived in wall towns.
The town centre had the medina were the craftpeople leave and the zoco, the market place. The citizents were famous for their craft and trade, thus they were known as merchats.
The Moors prayed in the mosque.
Inside the town walls there was the alcazaba, alcázar and the local bath.
Jewish people live separeted areas called juderías.
Farmers grew food like grapes, cereals and olives and animals outside the town walls in the fields.
the town wall
3.- the christian kingdoms
The Christians fought again the Moors to conrol the Iberian Peninsula. This period of time was know as the Reconquista.
8TH-10TH CENTURIES
.- The Christians lived in the north of Spain.
.- In AD 722, Don Pelayo, the king of Asturias fought and won againts the Moorish at the Battle of Covadonga. It marked the Beginning of the Reconquista.
11TH-12TH CENTURIES
.-Most of the Iberian Peninsula was divided into taifas.
.-Alfonso VI King of Castilla and León conquered Toledo in 1085. ( Alfonso VI El Bravo)
.-Later,Alfonso IX promoted the first Cortes of León. representatives of the city took part in parlamentary discussions.
13TH-14TH CENTURIES
.- In 1212, The kingdoms of Aragón, Navarra, castilla and Portugal fought together and defeated the Moors at the Battle of Las Navas de Tolosa.
After that the kings Fernando III , AlfonsoX , and Jaime I ( " El conquistador" conquered the rest of the country.
15TH CENTURY
.- In 1469, King Fernando II of Aragón and Queen Isabel of Castilla ( Catholic Monarchs /"Los Reyes Católicos") got married and they created the kingdom of Spain.
.- In 1492, They conquered the last territory of Al Ándalus, the Kingdom of Granada and it marked the end of Reconquista.
The reconquista
3.1.-Life in the Christiab kingdoms
Society and the economy
Feudalism was the social structure in the Middle Ages. The social systems had different levels and roles:
1. Monarchy.
The king and the queen ruled the country and everything belongs to them.
2. Nobles.
The were loyal to the king and the queen. The were rich and had titles.
3. Knights.
Their duty was to protect citizens. The nobles gave them land.
4. Clergy.
They were religious people like priest, monks and nuns. The Church had a lot of power.
5. Peasants.
They were farmesrs and they worked on the nobles´ land and lived in villages.
6. Some of the peasants were serfs, not free people. they had to give the nobles some of their crops.
Arquitectural styles
The mixture of cultures in the Middle Ages resulted in various architectural styles such us:
- 11th and 12th centuries. Romanesque popular in christian territories: - small windows,- round arches,thick walls and low structures.
- Mudejar architectural was a misture of islamic and Christian styles: - tileword and brick work.
- 11th to 16th centuries. Gothic architectural: stained glass windows, pointed arches, thin walls, tall buliding with rose windows.
town
In the 12th century cities were built near rivers and roads to facilitate trading.
Parts:
Town hall , main square and the noble´s houses were located in the town center.
The queen and the king lived in the castle.
The cathedral was the place were people prayed.
The cities were protected by the city wall.