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HISTORY
CASTILE
The
origin
of
the
name
Castile
is
a
matter
of
dispute,
but
it
is
more
than
probably
derived
from
the
fortified
castles
(castillos),
built
first
by
the
Romans
to
protect
themselves
from
the
Cantabrians
whom
they
had
not
completely
subjugated,
and
afterwards
by
the
Christians
to
defend
the
northern
regions
which
they
had
conquered
from
the
Moors.
At
the
present
time
this
name
is
given
to
the
extensive
region
which
forms
the
central
portion
of
Spain,
and
is
bounded
on
the
north
by
the
Bay
of
Biscay
(the
ancient
Sinus
Cantabricus),
on
the
east
by
the
provinces
of
Navarre,
Aragon,
and
Valencia,
on
the
south
by
Andalusia,
and
on
the
west
by
Portugal
and
the
Asturias,
and
is
divided
into
Old
Castile
and
New
Castile.
Old
Castile
(Castilla
la
Vieja)
It
is
asserted
by
some
(Fernández
Guerra,
Cantabria)
that
Old
Castile
was
called
Vellegia
and
afterwards
Vétula,
that
it
was
called
Vieja,
or
Antiqua,
to
distinguish
it
from
Castilla
la
Nueva
—
the
New
Castile
formed
from
the
lands
which
since
the
eleventh
century
had
been
reconquered
beyond
the
mountain
chain
of
the
Carpetano-Vetónica.
Old
Castile
is
in
outline
an
irregular
triangle,
the
western
frontier
bordering
on
the
ancient
Kingdom
of
Leon,
the
south-eastern
boundary
being
the
Sierras
de
Gredos,
Guadarrama,
and
the
Moncayo
(Mons
Caunus),
and
the
north-eastern,
the
river
Ebro.
In
the
political
division
of
Spain
the
ancient
province
of
Cantabria,
which
is
included
in
Castile,
does
not
belong
to
it
either
ethnographically
or
geographically,
but
forms
a
separate
district
called
by
those
who
inhabit
it
de
Peñas
al
Mar,
or
more
commonly
La
Montaña.
In
the
present
political
division
Old
Castile
comprises
a
population
of
3,654,585,
and
since
the
division
of
1833
it
has
included
the
eight
provinces
of
Burgos,
Palencia,
Valladolid,
Avila,
Segovia,
Soria,
León,
Logroño,
Salamanca,
Santander
and
Zamora.
Old
Castile
forms
the
highest
plateau
of
Spain,
perhaps
of
Europe,
the
mean
height
being
880
feet.
The
mountain
streams
of
this
region
feed
the
river
Ebro
in
the
north-
east,
the
Duero,
which
flows
through
the
centre,
and
the
Pisuerga,
which
is
a
tributary
of
the
Duero.
Owing
to
its
situation
it
has
the
most
extreme
climate
of
Spain,
both
as
to
cold
and
heat,
and
its
fertile
soil
produces
vineyards,
wheat
and
other
cereals.
The
most
important
cities
are:
Burgos,
famous
for
its
Gothic
cathedral,
which
is
one
of
the
most
beautiful
in
the
world;
Valladolid,
which
was
the
capital
of
Spain
until
the
time
of
Philip
II;
Santander,
capital
of
Cantabria,
a
maritime
city
with
an
extensive
commerce;
Segovia,
where
the
ancient
Alcazar
and
the
artillery
school
are
situated;
León,
Salamanca,
Logroño
and
Avila,
the
city
of
St.
Teresa.
New
Castile
As
has
already
been
said,
this
name
was
given
to
the
territory
reconquered
from
the
Arabs,
from
the
time
of
Alfonso
VI
to
that
of
St.
Ferdinand.
This
region
also
forms
a
great
table-land,
not
quite
so
lofty
as
that
of
Old
Castile,
and
is
bounded
on
the
north
by
the
mountain
chain
of
the
Carpetano-Vetónica,
on
the
south
by
the
Sierra
Morena,
on
the
east
by
the
mountains
of
Cuenca;
the
mountains
of
Toledo,
which
merge
into
the
Sierra
de
Guadalupe
in
Estremadura,
run
through
the
centre
and
separate
the
two
great
valleys
into
which
New
Castile
is
divided,
that
of
the
Tagus
to
the
north,
and
that
of
the
Guadiana
to
the
south.
The
river
Jucar,
which
flows
through
the
south-east,
rises
in
the
mountains
of
Cuenca.
The
climate
is
not
so
cold
as
that
of
Old
Castile,
and
the
soil
not
so
fertile,
there
being
a
scarcity
of
water,
especially
in
La
Mancha.
Its
present
limits
comprise
an
area
of
28,017
square
miles,
and
is
divided
into
the
five
provinces
of
Madrid,
Albacete,
Toledo,
Ciudad
Real,
Cuenca,
and
Guadalajara.
The
principal
cities
are:
Madrid,
the
capital
of
Spain
since
the
time
of
Philip
II,
noted
for
its
royal
palace,
picture
gallery,
containing
specimens
of
Velasquez,
Murillo,
etc.,
and
armoury
(Museo
de
la
Real
Armería);
Toledo,
ancient
capital
of
the
kingdom
of
the
Visigoths,
honoured
by
Charles
I
with
the
title
of
"Imperial",
and
noted
for
its
cathedral,
one
of
the
finest
monuments
of
Spain,
and
the
see
of
the
cardinal
primate,
as
well
as
for
its
military
school;
Guadalajara,
which
has
a
military
school
for
engineers;
Aranjuez,
where
one
of
the
favourite
country
residences
of
the
Spanish
royal
family
is
situated;
and
Alcalá,
the
seat
of
the
university
founded
by
Cisneros,
which
has
since
been
transferred
to
Madrid.
The
Escorial,
near
Madrid,
contains
the
famous
mausoleum
of
Philip
II,
and
is
one
of
the
historic
monuments
of
New
Castile.
History
The
Countship
(Condado)
of
Castile
The
territory
of
Old
Castile
began
to
be
reconquered
in
the
time
of
the
first
three
Alfonsos,
who
entrusted
to
several
counts
the
repopulation
and
defence
of
these
cities;
thus
Ordoño
I
entrusted
the
repopulation
of
Amaya,
on
the
Pisuerga,
to
Rodrigo,
a
Goth
by
extraction,
and
his
son,
Diego
Porcellos,
fortified
and
repopulated
Burgos
under
the
orders
of
Alfonso
III.
Nuño
Núñez
de
Roa,
Gonzalo
Téllez
de
Osma,
and
Fernán
González
de
Sepúlveda
appear
also
in
the
same
rôle.
In
910
a
Count
of
Castile,
Nuño
Fernández,
assisted
the
sons
of
Alfonso
III
in
their
rebellion
against
their
father,
and
Ordoño
II
of
Leon
(924)
was
defeated
by
the
troops
of
Abdérraman
in
Valdejunquera
because
the
Counts
of
Castile
did
not
come
to
his
assistance;
in
punishment
of
their
disloyalty,
Ordoño
had
them
imprisoned
and
executed
in
Leon.
Tradition
hands
down
the
names
of
these
counts
as
Nuño
Fernández,
Abolmondar
el
Blanco,
his
son
Diego,
and
Fernando
Ansúrez.
Further
on
mention
is
made
of
the
judges
of
Castile,
Lain
Calvo
and
Nuño
Rasura,
established
to
facilitate
the
administration
of
justice,
but
who
fostered
the
spirit
of
independence.
The
hero
of
this
movement
was
Count
Fernán
González,
to
whom
legendary
lore
has
attributed
all
manner
of
heroic
achievements.
It
is,
however,
known
that,
after
having
fought
with
Ramiro
II
against
the
Arabs,
and
after
the
battle
of
Simancas
and
the
retreat
of
Abdérraman,
this
count,
dissatisfied,
as
it
appears,
because
the
King
of
Leon
distributed
his
troops
in
the
frontier
towns,
rose
in
rebellion
against
him.
He
was,
however,
vanquished
and
made
prisoner.
He
became
reconciled
with
his
sovereign,
giving
his
daughter
Urraca
in
marriage
to
the
king's
son,
Ordoño,
who
afterwards
became
Ordoño
III.
Notwithstanding
this
alliance,
Fernán
González
continued
to
foment
trouble
and
discord
in
Leon,
aiming
to
secure
his
independence.
He
successively
aided
Sancho
against
his
brother,
Ordoño
III,
and
Ordoño,
son
of
Alfonso
IV
(the
Monk),
against
Sancho
the
Fat
(el
Graso).
After
the
death
of
Fernán
González
(970)
there
followed
the
campaigns
of
Almánzor,
in
which
all
the
reconquered
territory
was
at
stake.
In
995
the
King
of
Navarre
and
García
Fernández,
the
son
of
Fernán
González,
made
an
attempt
to
oppose
him,
but
were
defeated
at
Alcocer.
Sancho
Garcia,
grandson
of
Fernán
González,
took
part
in
the
victory
of
Calatañazor,
which
put
an
end
to
the
campaigns
of
the
victorious
Moslem
hájib
(1002).
This
Count
Sancho
García
was
called
El
de
los
Fueros
(literally,
"He
of
the
Rights"
or
"of
the
Charters"),
because
of
the
rights
or
charters
which
he
granted
to
the
various
cities.
His
son,
García
Sánchez,
gave
one
of
his
sisters,
Elvira,
in
marriage
to
Sancho
the
Great
of
Navarre,
and
another,
Jimena,
to
Bermudo
III
of
Leon,
and
was
himself
about
to
marry
Sancha,
Bermudo's
sister,
when
he
was
assassinated
by
the
Velas,
Counts
of
Alava.
At
his
death
Sancho
of
Navarre
reclaimed
the
countship
of
Castile,
and
took
possession
of
it,
notwithstanding
the
resistance
of
Bermudo
III.
The
Kingdom
of
Castile
Sancho
the
Great
divided
his
possessions
among
his
sons.
Castile,
with
the
title
of
king,
was
given
to
Ferdinand,
who
had
married
Sancha,
the
sister
of
Bermudo,
who
was
to
have
married
García
Sánchez,
the
last
independent
count.
Ferdinand
I,
of
Castile,
united
Castile
and
Leon,
the
latter
having
fallen
to
his
wife
upon
the
death
of
her
brother,
Bermudo
III.
Thus
reinforced,
Ferdinand
extended
his
conquests
as
far
as
Coimbra;
but
he
committed
the
fatal
error
of
dividing
his
possessions
among
his
three
sons
and
two
daughters.
Sancho,
who
inherited
the
Kingdom
of
Castile,
began
encroaching
upon
the
rights
of
his
brothers,
but
was
assassinated
at
the
siege
of
Zamora,
which
he
was
trying
to
take
from
his
sister
Urraca,
and
was
succeeded
by
Alfonso
VI.
This
monarch
began
to
reunite
the
estates
of
his
father,
and
carried
the
war
of
reconquest
beyond
the
mountain
chain
of
the
Carpentano-Vetónica,
capturing
Madrid
and
Toledo,
and
thus
laying
the
foundations
of
New
Castile.
He
gave
his
daughter
Teresa
in
marriage
to
Henry
of
Burgundy,
forming
for
them,
with
the
western
territory
reconquered
from
the
Moors,
the
Countship
of
Portugal,
which
was
the
beginning
of
the
Portuguese
monarchy.
His
daughter
Urraca
succeeded
him,
the
first
queen
to
reign
in
the
kingdom
where
Isabella
the
Catholic
was
later
to
hold
the
sceptre.
Alfonso
VII
bore
the
title
of
emperor,
and
extended
his
conquests
as
far
as
Almeria,
but
he,
also,
at
his
death
in
1157,
divided
his
possessions
among
his
children,
giving
Leon
to
Ferdinand
II,
and
Castile
to
Sancho,
in
whose
short
reign
the
Military
Order
of
Alcántara
was
founded.
Alfonso
VIII
(1158-1214)
conquered
Cuenca
and
defeated
the
Almohades
in
the
battle
of
Las
Navas
de
Tolosa
(1212),
which
definitively
freed
New
Castile
from
the
Mussulman
yoke.
This
decisive
victory
is
annually
commemmorated
by
the
Church
in
Spain
on
the
16th
of
July,
under
the
title
"El
Triumfo
de
la
Santa
Cruz"
(The
Triumph
of
the
Holy
Cross).
After
the
brief
reigns
of
Henry
I
and
Doña
Berengaria,
Castile
and
Leon
were
definitively
united
under
St.
Ferdinand
III
(1219-52),
who
conquered
the
greater
part
of
Andalusia
(Jaen,
Cordova,
and
Seville,
1248),
leaving
the
Mohammedans
only
the
Kingdom
of
Granada.
The
cathedral
of
Burgos
occupies
the
first
place
among
the
monuments
of
his
greatness.
His
successors
failed
to
carry
on
the
reconquest.
Alfonso
X,
"The
Wise"
(el
Sabio),
was
too
much
taken
up
with
his
vain
pretensions
to
the
imperial
crown
of
Germany,
Sancho
the
Brave
(1248-95)
and
Ferdinand
IV,
"The
Cited"
(el
Emplazado),
with
their
domestic
struggles.
In
the
time
of
Sancho
IV
the
celebrated
defence
of
Tarifa
took
place,
giving
to
Alonso
Pérez
de
Guzmán,
to
whom
it
was
entrusted,
the
title
of
"The
Good"
(el
Bueno).
Alfonso
XI
(1310-50)
in
the
battle
of
Salado
annihilated
the
last
of
the
Mussulmans
who
attempted
the
reconquest
of
Spain.
The
irregularity
of
his
private
life,
however,
paved
the
way
for
the
disorders
and
nobles
ambitions
of
the
misunderstood
reign
of
his
son
Pedro
I,
the
Cruel,
who
met
death
at
the
hands
of
his
bastard
brother,
Henry
II
(1369-79).
Bertrand
du
Guesclin,
with
his
famous
companies,
was
the
ally
of
Henry
II.
John
I
attempted
to
obtain
possession
of
Portugal,
but
was
defeated
by
the
Portuguese
at
Aljubarrota
(1385),
and
his
grandson,
John
II,
turned
over
the
government
to
his
favourite,
Alvaro
de
Luna,
whom
he
afterwards
caused
to
be
decapitated
(1453).
Henry
IV,
"The
Impotent",
was
the
tool
of
the
nobles,
who
forced
him
to
declare
illegitimate
his
daughter
Juana,
known
as
la
Beltraneja
(the
daughter
of
Beltran),
and
the
succession
thus
passed
to
his
sister
Isabella
the
Catholic
(1474).
ARAGON
Aragon
derives
its
name
from
the
river
Aragon,
a
small
tributary
of
the
Ebro
near
Alfaro,
and
forms
an
irregular
ellipse,
bounded
on
the
north
by
the
Central
Pyrenees
(Pic
du
Midi),
on
the
east
by
Catalonia
and
Valencia
(Provinces
of
Lérida,
Tarragona,
and
Castellon),
on
the
south
by
Valencia
and
New
Castile
(Provinces
of
Valencia
and
Cuenca),
and
on
the
west
by
Navarre
and
Castile
(Provinces
of
Guadalajara
and
Soria).
It
is
one
of
the
most
mountainous
regions
of
Spain,
perhaps
of
Europe,
surrounded
as
it
is
on
the
north
by
the
Pyrenees
mountains
and
the
Sierras
de
la
Peña
and
de
Guara,
on
the
west
by
the
Moncayo
and
the
mountains
of
Cuenca,
and
on
the
south
by
the
Montes
Universales
and
the
Sierra
de
Gúdar.
From
north-west
to
south-
east
it
is
traversed
by
the
River
Ebro,
of
which
almost
all
the
rivers
of
this
region
are
tributaries,
the
Aragon,
Gallego,
and
Cinca
emptying
into
it
from
the
north,
and
the
Jiloca,
the
Jalon,
and
others
of
lesser
importance
from
the
south.
The
Guadalaviar
and
the
Mijares,
however,
are
fed
directly
from
the
mountains
of
Teruel.
These
topographical
conditions
made
the
soil
of
Aragon
very
fertile;
the
mountains
are
covered
with
great
forests,
and
fruits
grow
abundantly,
but,
on
account
of
the
isolation
of
the
mountains
and
the
scarcity
of
water
on
some
of
the
high
table-lands,
some
regions
are
but
thinly
populated.
According
to
the
modern
division
of
provinces
(30
Nov.,
1833),
Zaragoza
(Saragossa),
Huesca,
and
Teruel
belong
to
Aragon.
The
principal
cities
are
Saragossa,
famous
for
its
sieges
in
the
War
of
Independence
and
for
the
ancient
shrine
del
Pilar,
where
from
very
remote
times
the
Blessed
Virgin
has
been
venerated,
and
Huesca
(Osca),
where
Pedro
IV
established,
in
1354,
a
university
to
which
was
given
the
name
of
the
Sertorio,
in
memory
of
Quintus
Sertorius,
who,
in
77
B.
C.,
founded
here
a
school
for
the
sons
of
native
chiefs.
History
We
must
depend
principally
on
legend
for
information
about
the
origin
of
the
Aragonese
monarchy.
It
is
certain
that
a
portion
of
the
Goths
driven
northward
by
the
Mussulman
invasion
sought
refuge
among
the
mountaineers,
who
were
never
completely
subjugated
by
any
conqueror
(indoctus
juga
ferre
—
Horace),
and
there
formed
certain
independent
countships,
principally
those
of
Sobrarbe,
Aragon,
and
Ribagorza.
The
legend
designates
the
Montes
Uruel
or
S.
Juan
de
la
Peña
as
the
spot
where
the
patriots
assembled,
and
from
a
cross
which
appeared
over
a
tree
the
name,
Sobrarbe,
and
the
coat
of
arms
were
derived,
just
as
Aragon
took
its
name
from
the
river
which
flows
west
of
Jaca,
which
appears
to
have
been
its
capital.
About
724
mention
is
made
of
a
García
Jiménez
who
was
Count
of
Sobrarbe,
and
further
on
we
find
that
García
Iñiguez
bestowed
the
Countship
of
Aragon
upon
a
knight
named
Azmar,
who
had
obtained
possession
of
Jaca.
This
countship
then
embraced
the
valleys
of
Canfranc,
Aisa,
Borao,
Aragües,
and
Hecho.
After
Aznar
(d.
975)
we
find
the
names
of
several
counts
of
Aragon
—
Galindo,
Jimeno
Aznar,
Jimeno
García
Aznar,
Fortunio
Jiménez,
and
Urraca,
or
Andregoto,
who
married
García
of
Navarre,
thus
uniting
Navarre
and
Aragon.
The
Countship
of
Ribagorza,
established
under
the
protection
of
the
Franks,
was
reconquered
by
Sancho
the
Great
of
Navarre,
who
at
his
death
left
Aragon
to
his
son
Ramiro,
and
Sobrarbe
and
Ribagorza
to
his
son
Gonzalo
(1035),
but
at
Gonzalo's
death
Ramiro
was
elected
to
succeed
him,
the
Aragonese
monarchy
being
definitively
founded.
Sancho
Ramírez
(1069-94)
took
a
great
part
of
the
deep
valley
of
the
Cinca
from
the
Moors,
with
the
strongholds
of
Barbastro
and
Monzon,
and
died
while
besieging
Huesca.
His
son
Pedro
I,
after
vanquishing
the
Moorish
auxiliary
army
in
the
battle
of
Alcoraz,
took
possession
of
the
city.
His
brother,
Alfonso
the
Fighter
(El
Batallador,
1104-34),
who
succeeded
him,
captured
Saragossa
(1118),
but
died
from
the
effects
of
wounds
received
in
the
siege
of
Fraga,
willing
his
estates
to
the
military
orders
of
Jerusalem,
thinking
that
they
would
be
best
able
to
bring
the
war
of
reconquest
to
a
successful
close.
His
subjects,
however,
would
not
accept
this,
and
obliged
his
brother
Ramiro,
who
was
a
monk
in
the
monastery
of
Saint-Pons
de
Tomières,
to
accept
the
crown.
Dispensed
by
the
pope
from
his
vows,
he
married
Agnes
of
Poitiers,
and
when
the
birth
of
a
daughter,
whom
he
married
to
Raymond
Berengar
IV,
Count
of
Barcelona,
assured
the
succession,
he
returned
to
his
cloister.
Thus
a
permanent
union
was
effected
between
Aragon
Kingdom
and
Catalonia
Count.
Raymond
Berengar
reconquered
Fraga,
and
his
son
Alfonso
II
finished
the
reconquest
of
Aragon,
adding
Teruel.
Pedro
II,
"The
Catholic"
(El
Católico,
1196-1213),
made
his
kingdom
a
dependency
of
the
Holy
See,
although
not
with
the
consent
of
his
subjects,
but
died
in
the
battle
of
Muret,
in
which
he
took
part
to
aid
his
kinsman,
the
Count
of
Toulouse,
in
the
war
against
the
Albigenses.
Jaime
the
Conqueror
(El
Conquistador)
successfully
terminated
the
conquest
of
Valencia
(1238)
and
Majorca
(1228),
and
aided
Alfonso
X
of
Castile
to
reconquer
Murcia,
thus
accomplishing
the
reconquest
of
the
western
part
of
the
Peninsula.
Pedro
III,
"The
Great"
(El
Grande,
1276-85),
after
the
Sicilian
Vespers
took
possession
of
Sicily
as
heir
of
the
Hohenstaufen,
and
the
wars
and
disputes
which
followed
in
Italy,
and
the
dissensions
of
the
Aragonese
nobles
occupied
the
reigns
of
Alfonso
III
(1285-
91),
Jaime
II,
Alfonso
IV
(1327-36),
and
Pedro
IV
(1336-87).
John
I
and
Martin
(1395-1410)
dying
without
heirs,
the
Conpromiso
de
Caspe
(a
commission
of
nine
members,
three
from
the
Cortes
of
each
province)
was
assembled
and
gave
the
crown
of
Aragon
to
Ferdinand
of
Antequera,
Infante
of
Castile.
Alfonso
V,
his
son
and
successor,
renewed
the
wars
in
Italy.
As
the
adopted
son
of
Joanna
of
Naples,
he
laid
claim
to
the
throne
of
Naples,
and
obtained
possession
of
it
(1416-58).
John
II
disturbed
the
peace
of
his
reign
by
the
unjust
persecution
of
his
son
the
Prince
of
Viana,
and
at
his
death
was
succeeded
by
Ferdinand
the
Catholic,
who
by
his
marriage
to
Isabella
the
Catholic
definitively
united
the
Kingdoms
of
Castile
and
Aragon.
RELATIONS
BETWEEN
CASTILE
AND
ARAGON
The
will
of
Sancho
the
Great
of
Navarre
had
in
1035
separated
these
two
kingdoms;
in
the
twelfth
century
they
were
temporarily
united
by
the
marriage
of
Doña
Urraca
to
Alfonso
I,
"The
Fighter",
but
this
unhappy
marriage
caused
a
war
which
ended
in
the
separation
of
the
couple
(1114),
and
Alfonso
VII
was
afterwards
obliged
to
recover
the
strongholds
of
La
Rioja,
which
had
remained
in
the
possession
of
the
Aragonese
monarch
(1134).
At
the
death
of
Alfonso
I
of
Aragon
Alfonso
VII
reclaimed
and
occupied
part
of
his
estates,
but
Alfonso
II
aided
by
Alfonso
VIII
in
the
siege
of
Cuenca
(1177)
obtained
for
his
kingdom
freedom
from
the
dependence
on
Castile,
to
which
it
had
been
subjected
since
the
time
of
Ramiro
the
Monk.
The
two
great
warriors,
St.
Ferdinand
III
and
Jaime
el
Conquistador,
were
contemporaries
and
lived
in
harmony.
Jaime
helped
Alfonso
X
in
the
conquest
of
Murcia,
which
remained
to
Castile.
Later,
however,
the
relations
between
Castile
and
Aragon
again
became
involved,
on
account
of
the
claims
for
the
succession
to
Alfonso
X,
which
the
Infantes
of
la
Cerda,
aided
by
Philip
III
of
France
and
Alfonso
III
of
Aragon,
put
forth.
The
Compromiso
de
Caspe
placed
the
crown
of
Aragon
on
the
head
of
an
Infante
of
Castile,
Ferdinand
of
Antequera
(1412),
and
the
marriage
of
Isabella,
heiress
of
Henry
IV
of
Castile,
to
Ferdinand,
the
heir
of
John
II
of
Aragon,
finally
united
these
kingdoms
and
formed
the
beginning
of
the
Spanish
monarchy.
The
linguistic
unity
of
Castile
and
Aragon
is
a
very
notable
fact
because
although
Aragon
and
Catalonia,
united
since
the
twelfth
century
(1137),
possess
two
very
different
languages,
Castile
and
Aragon,
although
they
had
an
entirely
independent
historical
development
until
the
sixteenth
century,
have
the
same
language
with
the
exception
of
some
minor
dialectical
differences.
After
the
union
the
political
individuality
of
Aragon
was
lost
in
that
of
Castile,
and
in
the
time
of
Philip
II,
on
account
of
the
Antonio
Pérez
incident,
the
ancient
kingdom
lost
part
of
its
fueros,
or
political
liberties.
In
the
War
of
Succession
it
sided
with
the
Archduke
Charles,
and
the
victory
of
Philip
V
served
still
more
to
increase
its
dependence.
|
Nine
provinces form this Autonomous Community: Avila, Burgos, Leon,
Palencia, Salamanca, Segovia, Soria, Valladolid and Zamora. It
occupies about one fifth of the total area of Spain.