Blanche of Castile: Did you mean...?

Taifas ("factions" or "camps") were small independent Muslim kingdoms and principalities that emerged after the fall of hegemonic Muslim caliphates in al-Andalus – the Muslim-controlled part of the Iberian peninsula – during the High Middle...

The emergence of Spain as a global imperial power began with the dynastic union of the crowns of Castile and Aragon under Isabella I of Castile (reign 1474–1504) and Ferdinand II of Aragon (reign 1479–1516). Their reigns marked a turning...

The first taifa period followed the collapse of Umayyad authority in al-Andalus. The Umayyad Emirate of Córdoba (756–929) had become the Caliphate of Córdoba (929–1031), but civil war and elite rivalry broke central power apart, leading to...

The knights of medieval Europe were meant to be the finest fighting men of their age, even more important, they were expected to be pure in thought and deed, as exemplified in the chivalrous code which they (usually) followed. Here are the...

European explorers began to probe the Western Hemisphere in the early 1500s, and they found to their utter amazement not only a huge landmass but also a world filled with several diverse and populous indigenous cultures. Among their most...

This map illustrates the four voyages of Christopher Columbus between 1492 and 1504, commissioned by Queen Isabella I of Castile (reign 1474–1504) and King Ferdinand II of Aragon (reign 1479–1516). Overlaid on the prevailing winds and currents...

An image of Christopher Columbus (1451-1506) seeking an audience with Isabella I of Castile (1451-1504) and Ferdinand II of Aragon (1452-1516). Painted by Eugène Delacroix in 1839. Oil on Canvas. Located in the Toledo Musuem of Art in Toledo...

Geoffrey Chaucer (l. c. 1343-1400 CE) was a medieval English poet, writer, and philosopher best known for his work The Canterbury Tales, a masterpiece of world literature. The Canterbury Tales is a work of poetry featuring a group of pilgrims...

Henry IV of England ruled as king from 1399 to 1413 CE. Known as Henry Bolingbroke, Duke of Lancaster before he became king, Henry clashed with his cousin Richard II of England (r. 1377-1399 CE) and was exiled in 1397 CE. Returning to England...

The Canterbury Tales (written c. 1388-1400 CE) is a medieval literary work by the poet Geoffrey Chaucer (l. c. 1343-1400 CE) comprised of 24 tales related to a number of literary genres and touching on subjects ranging from fate to God's...