Castile

Castile (Spanish Castilla), former kingdom in northern Spain. At its height during the late Middle Ages it extended from the Bay of Biscay on the north to Andalusia on the south and included most of the central Iberian Peninsula. Old Castile, which derived its name from the large number of castles built on its frontier with the Moors, was under the suzerainty of the kings of Asturias and León from the 8th century to 1037, when Ferdinand I established the united kingdom of Castile and León. In 1058 Ferdinand initiated the first of a series of wars against the Moors, beginning the conquest of what came to be known as New Castile. The country expanded especially during the reigns of Alfonso VI (1065-1109) and Alfonso (1126-1157). Under Alfonso X, the cultural life of the kingdom developed but a long period of internal strife followed. In 1469, the marriage of Ferdinand II of Aragón (later Ferdinand V of Castile) and Isabella I of Castile laid the basis for the union of the kingdoms of Aragón and Castile and, eventually, of all Spain.

Today the name of Castile survives in two autonomous regions of Spain: Castile-La Mancha and Castile-León. Castile-La Mancha, with its capital at Toledo, includes the provinces of Albacete, Ciudad Real, Cuenca, Guadalajara, and Toledo. Area, 79,226 sq km (30,350 sq mi); population (1986) 1,665,029. Castile-León, with its capital at Valladolid, includes the provinces of Ávila, Burgos, León, Palencia, Salamanca, Segovia, Soria, Valladolid, and Zamora. Area, 94,147 sq km (36,350 sq mi); population (1986) 2,600,330.