Page 46 - (DK Eyewitness) Travel Guide 2017 - Northern Spain

44  INTRODUCING NOR THERN SP AIN

across Europe. Under him, Spain
acquired vast lands in the Americas,
becoming the first world-wide
empire. His successor, Felipe II,
made Madrid the capital.

The Golden Age
The discovery voyages led to growth
in trade, which encouraged the
develop ment of north coast towns.
Growth was somewhat limited by
The Santa Maria, Christopher Columbus’s caravel the king’s insis tence that all large-
scale trade with the American
Discovery and Exploration colonies go through Seville. The Spanish
Through their marriage in 1469, the Empire also engaged in constant wars – in
Catholic Monarchs – Fernando II of Aragón the colonies, against the French, Turks and
and Isabel I of Castile – united almost all the Protestants. The Dutch wars started in the
territories of the peninsula. 1560s, and in 1588 part of the Spanish
The process was completed Armada set out from Vigo to attack England.
when Navarra was In 1589, Francis Drake led attacks on Vigo
incorpor ated in 1512. and A Coruña, in response to the Armada.
When Christopher The north provided a lot of Spain’s soldiers.
Columbus discovered Related to this militarism was the founding
America in 1492, this of the Jesuits by the Basque Saint Ignatius,
marked the beginning of himself a soldier once. The constant wars
Spain’s overseas ex pansion. exhausted the country, however, and by
Many of the ships and 1650 the process of inexorable imperial
navigators came from decline began, following defeats against
the Basque Country the Dutch and French.
and Cantabria. Among
Juan Sebastián notable seamen were Juan
Elcano Sebastián Elcano – the first
to circumnavigate the
globe after Magellan died during his journey
– and Juan Sebastián de la Cosa, who sailed
with Columbus and mapped the new lands.
In 1517 Carlos I, of the Habsburg dynasty,
inherited the thrones of Spain, Austria and
Burgundy, giving him huge territories El Escorial, the palace designed by Juan de Herrera

1502 Expulsion of unconverted 1512 Annexation of Navarra 1618 Spain joins
Moors from Spain completes the unification of Spain the Thirty Years’
War against
1491 Birth of St Ignatius
of Loyola, founder of 1521 Basque seaman Juan Sebastián Elcano France
the Jesuits completes circumnavigation of the globe
1400 1450 1500 1550 1600 1650
1492 Columbus
discovers America 1540 Founding of Basque 1659 Peace of the
university in Oñati Pyrenees signed
A 15th-century 1500 Juan de la Cosa creates the with France
knight first map of the New World Isabel I, Queen of Castile
(1474–1504)

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