Christian Andalucía in the Middle Ages

It was only after their victory at the Battle of Navas de Tolosa (1212) that the Christians were able to establish a lasting foothold in Andalucía, for the first time since the Muslim invasion of 711. Their first priority was to take the Guadalquivir valley and Atlantic coast, which was achieved in the 13^th century by Ferdinand III of Castile and his son Alfonso X. Between them they conquered Úbeda, Baeza, Jaén, Córdoba, Seville, Sanlúcar de Barrameda, Jerez de la Frontera and Cádiz. This left the Kingdom of Granada as the last remaining Muslim stronghold.

In this period, Úbeda and Baeza took on great importance, as towns guarding the frontier between Castile and Granada. Nobles were encouraged to move there with their knights, in return for numerous privileges, including lordship over large tracts of lands.

Following the victory, Alfonso was able to take heavily fortified frontier towns like Alcalá la Real, Priego de Córdoba and Algeciras, but he died of the Black Death laying siege to Gibraltar, which remained in Muslim hands until 1462.

The castles at Alcalá la Real and Priego de Córdoba, which combine Muslim and Christian elements, are both worth a visit.

Alfonso XI was responsible for the construction of most of the Castle of the Christian Monarchs (Alcázar) in Córdoba, including Doña Leonor’s Royal Baths, which were built in the Moorish style for his beloved mistress Leonor de Guzmán. She helps to explain why Alfonso XI’s legacy was decidedly mixed, in spite of his success on the battlefield: he had just one legitimate son with his wife, but ten with Leonor.

Throughout this period, the Castilian monarchs had an itinerant court, which meant that their court followed them around wherever they went, often to raise taxes or deal with rebellions or disputes. In Andalucía, Seville was their most important base, and this is where Alfonso X had built his grand Gothic palace in the mid-13^th century. Pedro I also established his court there for a number of years, and his palace is perhaps the finest example of Mudéjar architecture in Andalucía. Together, the two palaces now constitute the Real Alcázar.

In 1406 Castile again went to war with Granada. Castile suffered a humiliating defeat at Collejeras near Baeza, but in 1410 Prince Ferdinand of Castile took the vital fortress of Antequera – known as the “key to Granada”. However, Castile failed to capitalise on its success, partly due to further internal disputes between the kings and their increasingly powerful and disobedient nobles.

In spite of this turmoil, the 15^th century did see the construction of Seville’s cathedral, built in the Gothic style on the site of the former great mosque, which had previously been reconsecrated as a cathedral. The Giralda and orange tree courtyard still stand as reminders of the mosque that once stood there.

In 1469, the future Isabella I of Castile and Ferdinand II of Aragón married, bringing together the two most powerful kingdoms of the Iberian Peninsula and setting the stage for the final successful campaign against Granada. This involved gradually tightening the noose around Granada from all sides, starting in the west, where Ronda and Marbella were taken in 1485. The fortresses just to the north and west of Granada fell next, in 1486: Íllora, Moclín, Montefrio and Loja.

On the south coast, Vélez-Málaga was captured in 1487, followed by Málaga after a bloody four-month siege. Next the focus moved to the east, where the Christian army took Vélez-Blanco and Vélez-Rubio in 1488. After a six-month long siege, Baza capitulated in December 1489, precipitating the Christian conquest of Almería and the remaining coastal fortresses, including Salobreña and Almuñecar.

In 1492, Isabella and Ferdinand – jointly known as the Catholic Monarchs – could finally enter Granada.