A little insight into Spain's history

If you travel within Spain you will find it difficult to believe that some regions are part of the same country. During the Punic Wars between Rome and Carthago, Carthaginians invaded Spain, conquering and occupying large parts of it. Their most important colony was the island of Ibiza and Carthago, otherwise known as the "New Carthago". Following the defeat of the Carthaginians in Ibiza Romans, Spain was invaded and the entire peninsula conquered. The province Hispania became part and parcel of the Roman empire and acquired great importance reflected in the fact that two Roman emperors, Traian and Hadrian, were born there. Spaniards completely absorbed the Roman culture which even today is quite evident by their language.

In 409AD, when the Roman empire started to fall, Gothic tribes invaded the peninsula and established a presence, forming their own kingdom in 419. Moorish Epoch and Reconquista Gothic dominance lasted until 711, when Muslim armies crossed the Straights of Gibraltar and defeated Roderic, the last Visigoth king. The southern parts of Spain, especially those called al-Andalus, were prospering in the Moorish epoch, thanks to new sciences and agricultural techniques.

The Moors conquered major parts of the country until they were defeated for the first time by Visigoth king Pelayo at Covadonga in northern Spain in the year AD722. Though the small Christian kingdoms in the north were a nucleus of resistance, the Arabian culture was prospering in the rest of the country. By the time Muslim Spain had become politically independent of the Arabian empire in the 10th century, Abderraman III. made Al-Andalus his own caliphate. In this epoch Cordoba was the indisputable cultural centre of this area of the world. Decadence started in 11th century, when the various Arabian noble families were more and more at variance among themselves, and al-Andalus broke into numerous small caliphates. The Christian kingdoms in the north started then with the reconquest of Spain.

The marriage between Isabel of Castilia and Ferdinand of Aragon in 1469, united the two most important among them, which was the turning point of the Reconquista with the Muslims rapidly losing their territory and finally expelled following the loss of their last remaining caliphate, Granada, in 1492. The Catholic Monarchs, Isabel and Ferdinand, succeeded in uniting the whole country under their crown, and their effort to "re-christianize" Spain resulted in the Spanish Inquisition, when thousands of Jews and Moors who didn't want to convert to Christianity were expelled or killed.

After the discovery of "The New World" by Christopher Columbus in 1492, tons of gold and silver were brought in from the new continent, and Spain became one of the most powerful nations of the era which became known as the Golden Age. After Isabel died in 1504, her daughter Joan, who had married the German emperor's son Philip, succeeded to the throne. Spain prospered under the Habsburg crown, thanks to the trade with its American colonies, but was involved in wars with France, the Netherlands and England, the latter culminating in the disastrous defeat of the "invincible Armada" in 1588.

When the last Habsburg King Charles II. died without descendant, the nephew of French King Louis XIV Philip of Borbon, came to the throne. Following the French Revolution, Spain declared war on the new republic but was defeated. Napoleon, now firmly in power, sent his armies against Spain in 1808. He established his brother Joseph as Spanish king, but the Spanish fought for their independence over the next 5 years until the defeat of the French by the British at Waterloo in 1815.

Ferdinand VII. was restored to the Spanish throne and reigned with rigid absolutism. When he changed the law of succession to the throne and his daughter Isabel was established as queen, his brother Charles rebelled against it and the War of Seven Years broke out. Economical recession and political instability were the consequences, with Spain loosing its colonies with the exceptions of Puerto Rico, Cuba and the Philippines. The revolution of 1868 forced Isabel II. to renounce the throne, and the First Republic was proclaimed. It lasted for just about one year. Following a coup d'état, Isabel's son, Alphonse XII., restored the kingdom.

The rebellion of Cuba in 1895, resulted in a war against the United States. The results for Spain were disastrous in that it lost its last overseas possessions. The economic crisis of the early 1920s led the country to the brink of civil war, and General Primo de Ribera established a military dictatorship which lasted until 1930. Elections in 1931 saw a triumph for the political left and Alphonse XIII. left the country. Increasing conflicts between the Republican government and the Nationalist opposition led to the Spanish Civil War (1936-39). The Nationalists, led by General Franco, received extensive support from Nazi-Germany and fascist Italy and succeeded against the Republican block which was officially supported only by Russia, although many intellectuals such as Earnest Hemingway and others politically committed from other countries fought in the International Brigades.

Although Franco kept Spain neutral during World War II, his military dictatorship led to political and economical isolation. During the 1950s and 60s every effort was taken to improve international relations, and the country's economy recovered. In 1969 Franco proclaimed Juan Carlos de Borbon, the grandson of Alphonse XIII., his successor with the title of king. Franco died in 1975, and a constitutional monarchy was established. President Adolfo Suarez introduced important political reforms, which were unpopular with some in that in 1981, a group of military leaders tried to take power with a coup, but failed. In 1982 the socialist party won the elections and Felipe Gonzalez became president of the government. Spain became member of NATO in 1985 and entered the European Community in 1986. In 1992 it appeared impressively on the world stage when Barcelona hosted the Olympic Games, Seville the world exposition EXPO'92, and Madrid was declared European Cultural Capital.

Today, modern Spain has a healthy economy, largely funded by tourism. Some 60,000,000 people visit each year to spend their annual holidays under the sun and clear blue skies of Spain. Many eventually choose to make Spain their permanent home.

Some of the history you have just read about may give some insight to the reasoning behind the many different fiestas which are held especially during the summer months in most villages and towns. I’m sure you will have heard of the very famous previously mentioned “Moors & Christians” celebrations which date back to the 16th century.