(1452–1516 and 1451–1504, respectively). The marriage of Ferdinand and Isabella brought together the two kingdoms of Aragon and Castile, creating the nation of Spain. The two rulers are known as the sponsors of Christopher Columbus' voyages to the New World. They are famous also for their strong support of the Roman Catholic church, which earned them title Los Reyes Católicos (The Catholic Monarchs).

Early years

Ferdinand was born on March 10, 1452. His name in Spanish was Fernando. He was the son of King John II of Aragon and Juana Enríquez. His father tried to get him the best instruction in the art of government, but Ferdinand was more interested in art and music.

Isabella was born on April 22, 1451. Her name in Spanish was Isabel. She was the daughter of King John II of Castile and his wife, Isabella of Portugal. Castile was the largest of the kingdoms on the Iberian Peninsula, the land now occupied by the countries of Spain and Portugal. Isabella was the leading candidate to inherit the throne. Therefore, whom she should marry was an important matter of state. Isabella's half-brother, King Henry IV, wanted her to marry Afonso V, king of Portugal. Without her brother's approval, Isabella married Ferdinand in October 1469.

Reign

When Henry IV died in 1474, Isabella named herself queen of Castile. She and Ferdinand still had to fight Afonso V for control of the kingdom, however. They defeated him in 1479. In the same year, John II died and Ferdinand became king of Aragon. The kingdoms of Castile and Aragon were united under the joint rule of Ferdinand and Isabella.

The two rulers reformed the way that Castile was governed. They reduced the power held by the nobility and banned all religions other than Roman Catholicism. In 1478 they established the Spanish Inquisition. The court used harsh methods on people accused of opposing the Roman Catholic church. In 1492 the Inquisition expelled from the kingdom all Jews who refused to convert to Christianity. (See also Inquisition.)

Another priority for Ferdinand and Isabella was the fight against the Muslims in Spain. Back in the 8th century AD Muslim armies had conquered most of the Iberian Peninsula. Over a period of hundreds of years, Christians gradually drove the Muslims back. The Christians called this campaign the Reconquest. In a ten-year war that ended in 1492, Ferdinand completed the Reconquest by defeating the Muslim kingdom of Granada.

The other momentous event of Ferdinand and Isabella's reign was Christopher Columbus' first journey across the Atlantic Ocean. The successful conquest of Granada gave Ferdinand time to help plan Columbus' voyage. Ferdinand also helped to obtain the pope's backing for the trip. Due to the efforts of Ferdinand and Isabella, the places that Columbus visited became colonies of Spain.

The family life of Ferdinand and Isabella was sometimes difficult. Their son and their oldest daughter died in the late 1490s. Another daughter, Juana, eventually lost her sanity. Their youngest daughter, known in the English-speaking world as Catherine of Aragon, was the first of six wives of Henry VIII of England.

Later years

Isabella died on November 26, 1504, in Medina del Campo. In 1505 Ferdinand married Germaine de Foix, a niece of the king of France. In 1512 he expanded the kingdom of Castile by occupying the northern kingdom of Navarre. By 1513 Ferdinand's health had begun to fail. He died on January 23, 1516, in Madrigalejo. With his death the crowns of all the Spanish kingdoms passed on to his grandson, Charles I.