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In October 1469, two 17-year-old cousins made a decision that would change European history. Their secret marriage, performed with a possibly forged papal bull and in direct defiance of the King of Castile, sparked a decade-long struggle that would determine the future of medieval Spain.

This episode details the unlikely alliance between Isabel of Castile and Fernando of Aragon—from their secret wedding in Valladolid to their ultimate victory in the War of Succession. We examine how Isabella, raised in provincial obscurity and not expected to rule, claimed her right to the Castilian throne, and how Ferdinand, a battle-hardened prince from a struggling kingdom, became her vital partner in power.

Through military defeats and financial crises, Portuguese invasion, and noble betrayal, the young monarchs forged a partnership that combined Isabella's moral authority with Ferdinand's military expertise. The Battle of Peleagonzalo, the siege of Toro, and the subsequent diplomatic maneuvering demonstrate how two inexperienced rulers became the founders of early modern Spain.

Their success set the precedents that would shape Spanish imperial expansion, from finishing the Reconquista to funding Columbus's voyage to the New World. But it all started with a risky gamble: a secret marriage that triggered a civil war and challenged the political order of fifteenth-century Iberia.

Resources:

The Spain of the Catholic Monarchs by John Edwards

Isabel the Queen by Peggy K. Liss

The Spanish Kingdoms: 1250-1516, Vol 2: Castilian Hegemony by J.N. Hillgarth

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Intro Music: Hayden Symphony #39
Outro Music: Vivaldi Concerto for Mandolin and Strings in D