Crisis, Expansion and Unification in Medieval Spain

Demographic, Economic and Political Crisis in the Late Middle Ages

The late 14th and 15th centuries saw a deep, widespread crisis, marked by the Black Death and recurring plague outbreaks that interrupted the expansive growth of the previous period.

Demographic Aspects

Population growth was reversed by high mortality. In the Kingdom of Aragon the population fell by about one third, and in Castile by about one fifth. Adverse causes included famines, bad harvests, and epidemics (especially the plague).

Economic Aspects

Economic activity declined sharply, and much of the land was left uncultivated, with a shortage of labour in Castile and a fall in construction. The development of transhumant livestock farming, which obtained large profits from wool, benefited the powerful Castilian Mesta and its privileged trade in wool with Flanders.

Social and Political Aspects

Peasants began to resist the abuses of the lords and nobles. These peasant struggles led the Crown to side with the nobility against the rebels, and conflicts and civil wars became frequent. The Catholic Monarchs eventually took control at the end of the crisis, and rebellions were often met with harsh repression.

Crown of Aragon Expansion in the Mediterranean

In the 13th century, once the Reconquista in the peninsula had concluded, the Crown of Aragon pursued a continuing expansion across the Mediterranean. Seizing the opportunity presented by Sicily, it conquered the island. The success of the almogavars (Catalan-Aragonese troops) led to their hiring by the Byzantine Empire to defend its frontiers against the Turks.

This episode broke commitments made with the Byzantines, and the almogavars seized Athens and the Duchy of Athens, which remained under Aragonese control until the 15th century. After the conquest of Sardinia and the Kingdom of Naples, the economic benefits generated by these campaigns demanded trade and military resources. The monarchs sought support from the estates in exchange for privileges.

This expansionism had a collateral effect: the Aragonese clash with the French, who wanted to control Italy, gave rise to the Italian Wars. These continued with the Crown of Castile and ended with the victory of Charles I and Francis I at the Battle of Pavia in 1525.

Dynastic Union and Integration of the Crowns of Castile and Aragon

The rebirth of the Catholic Monarchs is considered the end of the old medieval order and the start of the modern, authoritarian monarchical state. The marriage of Isabella and Ferdinand led to the dynastic and political union of Castile and Aragon, bringing harmony between the two realms.

They established the government system of Segovia. The joint decision of Castile and Aragon to pursue a political project was driven by Isabella's successional rights. This made it possible to unite the Crowns simply by placing Ferdinand on the throne.

The project had its limitations: Castile dominated the construction of the Spanish state. The monarchy was not a true integration but a juxtaposition of Castile and the Crown of Aragon, each with its own institutions and laws.

As the project advanced, the nobility joined in, Granada and Navarre were conquered, and the factor of religion was used to unify the realms. The most ambitious wing of politics led to the conquest of America, which became the foundation of a European power.

After the deaths of Isabella and Ferdinand, the succession project failed, and the maintenance of the union depended on the personal union of the Crowns under a single ruler.