Castile (historical region)

Castile, or Castille, is a historical area in Spain. Its borders are not always clear, but it usually includes Old Castile and New Castile, as defined in the 1833 territorial division of Spain.

The name Castile likely comes from the word for "land of castles." Many castles were built there during a long time when Christian groups were taking back land from the Moors. This period is known as the Reconquest. These castles helped protect the people and the land.

History

Originally part of the kingdom of León, Castile became its own kingdom in the 1100s, with Burgos as its main city. It grew by taking back land from the Moorish rulers who had controlled much of Spain since the 700s.

Important events include capturing Toledo in 1085, which added more land. The battle of Las Navas de Tolosa in 1212 brought more victories against the Moors. Over time, Castile joined with Aragon in 1469 through marriage, leading to the creation of Spain in 1516. In 1492, the last Muslim area, Granada, was taken, adding to Castile’s lands.

Geography

Castile is a region in Spain without clear borders today. It began as the Kingdom of Castile. Over time, it joined with other places to become the Crown of Castile and later the Kingdom of Spain. Today, people often think of Castile as including Castile and León and Castile–La Mancha, with Madrid as the central city.

Since 1982, Spain has two areas called autonomous communities that include "Castile" in their names: Castile and León and Castile-La Mancha. Madrid is also seen as part of Castile because it is surrounded by these areas and its laws support this idea.

Language

The language of Castile became the main language of Spain. People often call it castellano and in English, it is sometimes called Castilian, but usually just Spanish. The people and kingdom of Castile helped shape Spain by expanding and joining with nearby regions. For a long time, only the Castilian language was the official language of Spain, from the time of the Bourbon Monarchy until democratic government began in 1977.

Main article: Names given to the Spanish language
Main articles: Castilian Kingdom, people
See also: Moors, War of the Spanish Succession

Maps

Here are some maps showing the area known as Castile through history.

• Kingdom of Castile in 1210
• The kingdoms of the Crown of Castile in 1400. Old Castile was called the Kingdom of Castile and New Castile was called the Kingdom of Toledo.
• Castile and other Iberian regions in 1770
• The regions of Old Castile and New Castile from 1833 until the early 1980s.
• Federal states proposed in the 1st Spanish Republic according to the Constitution in 1873. This included Old and New Castile.
• Autonomous communities that use "Castile" in their names since the 1980s, plus the community of Madrid. The Leonese region joined with Old Castile, Albacete region joined with New Castile, while Cantabria, La Rioja and Madrid became their own administrative regions.