How Did Ferdinand And Isabella Lay Foundations For The Spanish Golden Age

Within the context of the period 1474-1598 to what extent did Ferdinand and Isabella lay the foundations for a Spanish ‘golden age’ in the 16th Century?

Within the period of 1474 and 1598, it can be argued that Ferdinand and Isabella did lay significant foundations for a Spanish ‘golden age’ in the 16th Century, through their political, religious and economic policies, such as the sponsorship of the voyages of discovery. These may have in turn created stability and security, which could have formed the foundations for a golden age. A golden age is considered to be a flourishing period in the history of a nation and whether a time like this actually occurred in Spain in the 16th Century has been widely speculated. This is because whether the

The Catholic monarchs’ marriage itself in 1469 had strengthened the country, through the union of Castile and Aragon in 1479, but prospects of stability were still fragile as the union was intended to end after their reign. However, the success of the Spanish monarchs’ peripatetic style of government was beneficial through, as Elliott argues in bringing new ideas and influences across Spain . Moreover, Kamen comments that their court enforced personal authority , particularly over the nobles. This stabilised Spain significantly because the nobles’ ambitions meant they had ruled areas traditionally with private armies, which were in continual wars and divided the country. To encourage their loyalty to the Crown the nobles were rewarded with lands in Granada for fighting the Moors there in the War of Granada in 1492. Consequently, first the union of Castile and Aragon and then the Catholic monarchs’ style of government involving all regions of their country, contributed to providing stability across

The main sources of income in Charles’s reign were trade, taxation, such as on the Church and bullion from the New World, which Kamen states was a fundamental cash resource . Trade was especially profitable as initially Castile had the exclusive right to trade with the New World. Imports of bullion from the New World to Spain provided a cash inflow as Charles was able to apply a 20% tax called the ‘royal fifth’ on all precious metals. From the Church Charles was able to gain income from the tercias reales tax, which was a 2/9 share of all the income paid in tithes to the Church. However, these sources were insufficient for the high costs of the royal household in Castile, wars in the Holy Roman Empire and the increasing amount spent on the arts. Charles spent a tenth of royal expenses on furnishings and the arts, including a famous portrait of him Titian in 1548 . Lavishing money on the arts enhanced the perception of Spain on the international scene, and encouraged Charles to resort to borrowing money, such as from the Fuggers in Germany. Hunt observes that Charles borrowed a total of 39 million ducats , which Bonney highlights as roughly equal the entire receipts from the New World during his reign. Borrowing such large sums meant payments were at high interest rates, which were approximately 17%, which continued to rise through Charles’s reign.