property, as well as prison,
burning or hanging to look
forward to soon after. Her
first Grand Inquisitor was
the fanatical FrayTomás de
Torquemada, inspiration
for a certain Monty Python
sketch. Debate rumbles
among historians about how
bad the Inquisition actually
was – some say its ferocity
has been exaggerated.
Either way, subsequent monarchs continued chasing
Jews and Muslims out of Spain (losing a highly skilled
clique in the process) and the Inquisition wasn’t officially
abolished until 1834.Mixed fortunes: life with the Habsburgs
As a Habsburg, Carlos I acceded not only to the Spanish
throne but also to lands in Austria, the Low Countries,
France and Italy. He reigned over the largest European
territory since Charlemagne and duly acquired the
title of Holy Roman Emperor, Charles V (to add to his
Spanish Carlos I). He also boasted the new Caribbean
possessions and, as his rule progressed, added large
chunks of the American mainland. His son, Felipe II,
inherited Spain in its pomp, with a vast New World empire
and much of Europe in his pocket. From Madrid, his new
capital, he orchestrated a series of wars against the
Dutch,Turks, English and French.Despite its territorial repertoire, Spain, the leading
European power, began imploding in the late 16thcentury.
Rural deprivation grew from fierce taxation, army
recruitment and migration, while war and corruption
devoured the national purse and the spoils of New World44- Identity: the
building blocks of
2. Literature
and philosophy
3. Art and
architecture
4. Performing
arts
5. Cinema
and fashion
6. Media and
communications
7. Food and drink 8. Living culture:
the details of
Columbus:
hero or villain?
Christopher Columbus
(Cristóbal Colón to the
Spanish) was Genoese
but earned his fame
working for the
Spanish Crown.
After his first landfall
in San Salvador
(Guanahani to the
natives), Bahamas,
he returned to the
Caribbean on three
further occasions, only
reaching the mainland
on his final visit in
- Throughout, he
remained convinced
that he’d found Asia.
He died a moderately
wealthy, arthritic 55
year old in Valladolid
in 1506, since when
he’s been judged both
a heroic adventurer
and the man who
opened the door to
genocide against the
Native Americans.
In Spain, Columbus
remains honoured.
Día de la Hispanidad,
Spain’s national day,
is celebrated on 12th
October, the day the
explorer first set foot
in the Americas.