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Isabella I of Castile

Type Figure Region Castile Time 1451–1504 Also known as Isabella of Castile、Queen Isabella of Castile、Isabella the Catholic

Isabella I (1451–1504), Queen of Castile (r. 1474–1504), one of the founders of a unified Spain;…

Timeline

  1. 1451–1454Madrigal de las Altas Torres · Iberian PeninsulaOn 22 April 1451 Isabella was born in Madrigal de las Altas Torres, daughter of King John II of Castile and his second wife Isabella of Portugal. Her brother Alfonso was also born that year. The young Isabella received her education at court, learning Latin, music, and court etiquette, and showed great intelligence. Castile under her father John II was politically turbulent, with the powerful minister Álvaro de Luna dominating government and frequent strife within the royal family.
  2. 1454–1460Arevalo · Iberian PeninsulaJohn II died in July 1454 and her half-brother Henry IV succeeded him; Isabella moved with her mother to the castle of Arevalo. Her mother, Isabella of Portugal, gradually withdrew due to court disappointments and mental illness, and Isabella and her young brother Alfonso grew up in relative isolation, receiving a devout religious education. These years profoundly shaped her resolute character and deep Catholic faith, laying the spiritual foundation for her later political career.

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