History: Isabella and Ferdinand

1480

The marriage of Isabella of Castile, 1474- 1504, and Ferdinand of Aragon, 1479- 1516, served to unify much of Christian and Muslim Spain. Though both kingdoms maintained separate governing institutions, the two rulers were able to strengthen the bond between the two kingdoms by strengthening their respective monarchies. Isabella and Ferdinand built a national military with the purpose of controlling the aristocracy. They arranged with the pope to be able to appoint the top position in the Spanish church, and made other changes which strengthened the monarchy as a whole.