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Habsburg Spain

Explorer · ages 7 and underAdapted from Wikipedia
A 16th-century map from Sebastian Münster's Cosmographia that shows Europe drawn as a queen, with Spain forming her crown and head and Italy and Denmark forming her arms.

Spain Long Ago

Habsburg Spain, also known as the Catholic Monarchy, was a time in Spanish history that lasted from 1516 to 1700. Kings from the House of Habsburg ruled the country. This time is also called the "Age of Expansion."

During this time, the Spanish Empire was very large. Spain had lands in the West Indies, the Philippines, and Southeast Asia. It also had lands in Europe, such as the Low Countries, Italian territories, Portugal, and parts of France.

Kings and Queens

In 1469, Isabella I of Castile and Ferdinand II of Aragon were married. Their marriage joined two important kingdoms. In 1494, the Pope gave them the special title "Catholic Monarchs of Spain."

Later, Charles became Holy Roman Emperor. His son, Philip II of Spain, also ruled. In 1700, the last Habsburg king, Charles II, passed away. After that, Philip V of the Bourbon dynasty became the new king.

Art and Stories

The Spanish Golden Age was a time when art and stories were very special in Spain. It lasted from about 1550 to 1650. Painters like El Greco and Diego Velázquez made beautiful pictures.

Writers such as Miguel de Cervantes and Pedro Calderón de la Barca also shared their ideas. Cervantes wrote Don Quixote de la Mancha, which is one of the most famous books of that time. Juana Inés de la Cruz was another great writer from this golden age.

Quiz time!

3 questions about Habsburg Spain

Question 1 of 3

What is Habsburg Spain also called?

Pictures

A historical map showing the lands ruled by the Habsburgs after the Battle of Mühlberg in 1547, spanning parts of Europe including Spain, the Netherlands, Italy, and Central Europe.
The royal standard of King Philip II of Spain, showing the coat of arms used by the Spanish monarchy during the Habsburg period (1580-1668).
A historical map from the early 1700s showing the kingdoms of Spain and Portugal, divided by their kingdoms and provinces, with decorative coats of arms.
A map showing the lands ruled by King Philip II of Spain in 1598, with each colored area belonging to a different royal council that governed it.
A 1588 painting showing English and Spanish ships during the Spanish Armada campaign. The Spanish galleass in the centre is shown with satirical touches, as a 'ship of fools'.
Kenau Hasselaar standing on the walls of Haarlem, a painting showing the Dutch heroine who helped defend the city during the Siege of Haarlem in 1573.
A map showing the routes taken by the Spanish Armada as its ships sailed around Britain and Ireland in 1588.
Arms of Charles I, representing his territories in Spain (top) and his other European possessions (bottom)
A Spanish galleon, the symbol of Spain's maritime empire
View of Zaragoza, 1647, by Juan Bautista Martínez del Mazo

Keep exploring

Madrid
Spain
Age of Discovery
Spanish Empire
Southeast Asia
Iberian Union

This article is a child-friendly adaptation of the Wikipedia article on Habsburg Spain, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.

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