Medieval Iberian Peninsula: Cultures & Kingdoms

After the fall of the Roman Empire, the Iberian Peninsula was the Visigothic Kingdom. In 711, Muslim armies defeated the Visigoths and soon conquered the Iberian Peninsula and Balearic Islands. This event opened a new historical period characterized by two major aspects:

• First, three Hispanic cultures shared the territory: Christian, Islamic, and Jewish.
• Secondly, between 711 and 1492, two major areas coexisted: the Islamic domain in the south and Christian kingdoms in the north. The extent of both areas varied over time. In this context, the Catalan Counties were born, from which Catalonia was formed.

Al-Andalus: Islamic Rule in Iberia

• Between 711 and 716, Muslim armies conquered most of the Iberian Peninsula and the Balearic Islands. The peninsular lands dominated by Muslims were named Al-Andalus.
• The history of Al-Andalus passed through different stages: the Dependent Emirate, the Independent Emirate, the Caliphate, the Taifa Kingdoms, the domain of the North African dynasties (Almoravids and Almohads), and the Nasrid Kingdom of Granada. The Caliphate marked its moment of greatest splendor.

Al-Andalus emphasized economic development, based on strong agriculture, crafts, and trade, vibrant urban life, and rich culture and art, exemplified by the Mosque of Córdoba and the Alhambra.

Muslims settled throughout the Iberian Peninsula, including Catalonia. In the ninth century, Frankish pressure pushed them back from the lands south of the Llobregat and along the Ebro. Their presence in these territories lasted until the twelfth century, leaving an impression on many place names, architecture, urbanism, and languages.

Christian Kingdoms & The Reconquista

In the Cantabrian Mountains, the Kingdom of Asturias was founded, later known as León, which expanded to occupy the lands north of the Duero. The County of Castile became independent of León in the tenth century, and Castile and León were united in the thirteenth century under the name Crown of Castile. This crown conquered the valleys of the Tagus and Guadalquivir, becoming the most powerful mainland kingdom.

In the Pyrenees, three different nuclei formed: Navarre, Aragon, and the Catalan Counties. The Franks organized the territory into counties that eventually became independent. Aragon and Catalonia were united in the twelfth century, forming the Crown of Aragon. This crown conquered lands as far as Alicante and Murcia, and the Balearic Islands. Later, it also expanded into the Mediterranean.