Ferdinand and Isabella – first king and queen of Spain

Ferdinand and Isabella were the first king and queen of Spain. They were called the Catholic Monarchs because they strongly supported the Roman Catholic Church.
Ferdinand II of Aragon, Ferdinand the Catholic, was king of Castile (Fernando the V), Aragon (Fernando II), Sicily and Naples (Ferdinando III). He was the husband and co-ruler of Queen Isabella of Castile. He ruled for nearly four decades and played a significant role in pan-European politics. In 1475 the political unity of Castile and Aragon was created, in 1492 America was discovered and in 1494 the era of the Italian Wars began. He together with his matchmaker Maximilian I was one of the architects of World Empire of his grandson Charles V.
Ferdinand was born on March 10, 1452 and Isabella was born on April 22, 1451.
In 1461 after the death of his older brother Ferdinand became the heir to the crown of the Kingdom of Aragon, was appointed chief governor of Catalonia (1462) and in 1468 the King of Sicily. During the Catalan Civil War he met the public administration of his father.

On October 19, 1469 Ferdinand married princess of Castile. In 1474 Isabella became queen of Castile. In 1475 Ferdinand began to rule Castile as Fernando V together with his wife, Queen Isabel. In 1479 Ferdinand became king of Aragon. Castile and Aragon were then joined under the rule of King Ferdinand and Queen Isabella. The combined kingdom was the beginning of Spain.

The couple had five children: Isabella of Aragon (1470-98), Juan of Aragon (1478-97), Juana of Castile (1479-1551), Maria of Aragon (1482-1517), and Catherine of Aragon (1485-1536). The children were married into European royal dynasties.
Ferdinand and Isabella wanted inquisition to turn people into “one flock” in the religious sense. For the first 16-18 years of the Inquisition, about 104 thousand people were convicted in Spain by inquisitorial tribunal; 8800 of them were burned alive.
In 1492 Ferdinand and Isabella defeated Granada.
They are also known for sending Christopher Columbus to explore the New World.
Isabella died November 26, 1504.
On October 19, 1505 Ferdinand married Germaine de Foix, niece of King Louis XII.
Ferdinand II of Aragon died on January 23, 1516. King Ferdinand was buried in the Royal Chapel of Granada.