1. Departamento de Geografía e Historia
UNIT 4.RECONQUISTA.
KEYS FOR THE EXAM (you have to know…):
- Define:
• Reconquista:
• Repoblación:
• Courts:
• Mesta:
• Council (Consejo):
• Parias:
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• Letters of Settlement (Cartas
de Poblamiento):
• Jurisdictions:
• Latifundio:
• Military Orders:
• Jewish (Judería) o Aljama:
- Define and Compare Mozárabe with Mudéjar/Moriscos.
- Recognize the maps of the different stages of the Spanish conquest.
- Point in the map the territory of each of the peninsular Kingdoms.
- Point in the map the European territories conquered by Aragon.
- Recognizes the Romanesque and Gothic art.
- List the advantages contained in a letter of settlement.
- List some of the main military orders.
- List the medieval peninsular kingdoms.
- List the most important works of Romanesque style.
- List the reason for medieval courts.
- Explain the origin of:
• Castilla as a county of Asturias.
• Aragon and Catalonia as marca Hispanica.
• Portugal from Castilla.
• Camino de Santiago.
- Explain the cause of the progress of the reconquest in XIII century.
- Compare the social and economic characteristics of Castilla and Aragon
- Explain who was and what did characters like Borrel, Wilfredo el velloso,
Rodrigo Díaz de Vivar, Alfonso X…
- Appreciate the importance of the battles of Navas de Tolosa and
Covadonga.
- Appreciate the importance of the unequal distribution of land.
- Appreciate the contribution of each of the cultures that lived in Spain.
- Appreciate the role of Camino de Santiago to bring European influences.
2. Departamento de Geografía e Historia
ACTIVITIES: THE ORIGIN OF CRISTIAN KINGDOMS.
(Be careful: these activities have two pages)
1. Read these texts about the battle of Covadonga and answer:
[In Spanish in the original]
Recibió en efecto el valí Ambassa el gobierno de España (…). Y se hizo dueño de Galicia,
Álava y Pamplona, sin que quedase en Galicia alquería por conquistar, si se exceptúa la
sierra, en la cual se había refugiado con 300 hombres un rey llamado Belay (Pelayo), a
quien los musulmanes no cesaron de combatir y acosar hasta el extremo de que muchos
de ellos murieron de hambre (…) hasta quedar reducidos a 30 hombres (…). Era dificil
para los musulmanes llegar a ellos, y los dejaron diciendo: “Treinta hombres, ¿Qué
pueden importar?”
Crónica musulmana. Siglo XI.
Y ahora el dicho Alkama ordena que se inicie el combate (…) pero en esto no faltaron las
grandezas del señor, pues una vez que las piedras habían salido de las catapultas y
llegaban a la iglesia de Santa María Virgen, que está dentro en la cueva, recaían sobre las
que la lanzaban y hacían gran mortandad a los musulmanes. y alli se dio muerte a Alkama.
Y en el mismo lugar fueron muertos 124.000 de los musulmanes. y 63.000 que había
quedado (…) bajaron a Liévana. Cuando marchaban por lo alto del monte (…) ocurrió por
sentencia de Dios que ese monte, revolviéndose desde sus fundamentos, lanzó al río a los
65.000 hombres y allí los sepultó.
Crónica cristiana de Alfonso III. Siglo IX.
a) Why, according to Muslims, was the existence of a Christian group
allowed in the mountains?
b) What is different in the number of fighters?
c) Which do you think is more realistic and what is more fantastic?
d) Why is it necessary to check the documents of both sides?
2. Are these statements true or false? Correct the false ones.
a) In the teenth Century Astur Kingdom adopted the name of Leon Kingdom,
and moved the capital city from Leon to Oviedo.
b) The county of Castilla was created from the eastern part of the Astur
kingdom, and ended becoming independent as a separate kingdom.
c) On Sancho´s III period, Pamplona became the capital of Navarra Kingdom.
d) Sancho III conquered Castilla, Aragon and part of Leon.
e) The Sancho`s III Kingdom was divided at his death.
f) The Catalonian counties were part of the Spanish brand created by the
Carolingians.
g) Wilfredo el Velloso all the Catalonian counties in 874 as independent of the
Francos.
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3. Complete both maps in your notebook and answer the questions:
3. Departamento de Geografía e Historia
[Use the textbook]
- Colour in yellow the original area of Asturias Kingdom and in brown the
Leon Kingdom, including Castilla.
- Colour, in the colour indicated by the legend, the Pamplona Kingdom and
Aragon and catalanian Counties.
- Colour in green the territory occupied by Muslims.
- Retint in red the border between Christian and Islam territories.
a) What river was the border between Leon kingdom and Al-Andalus?
b) What cities defeated Al-Mansur?
c) Why do you think Castilla has its name?
4. Who was, what he did and what kingdom belonged…?
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a) Don Pelayo:
b) Wilfredo el Velloso:
c) Borrel II:
d) Sancho III:
4. Departamento de Geografía e Historia
ACTIVITIES: THE CHRISTIAN EXPANSION.
1. Define in your own words:
a) Reconquista: b) Parias: c) Hueste:
2. Complete the map in your notebook and answer: [Look at the textbook]
a) Who were the almoravids and the almohads? Why did they come?
b) Why the “Reconquista” was in favour of Christians?
c) How important was the battle of Navas de Tolosa?
d) Which kingdom got more territories? What was the only Muslim
kingdom that survived?
3. Complete the table (some spaces may be blank): [Page 2 of Resume]
Territory conquered
S. XI-XII
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Territory conquered
S. XIII
Main
cities
Main
Characters
Portugal Kingdom
Castilla y León
Kingdom
Pamplona Kingdom
Crown of Aragón
• Valle Guadalquivir
• Valle del Ebro
• Teruel, Valencia y Alicante
• Rodrigo Díaz de Vivar
• Fernando III
• Valle del Tajo
• Zaragoza
• Extremadura
• Toledo
• Algarve
4. Search about El Cid, prepare a PowerPoint presentation and present
it to the class.
[This exercise is voluntary]
5. Departamento de Geografía e Historia
ACTIVITIES: REPOPULATION OF THE CONQUERED TERRITORIES.
1. Define:
a) Repoblación:
b) Mudéjar:
c) Latifundio:
d) Military orders:
e) Councils (Consejos):
2. Answer the questions below:
a) The Muslim population living in Al-Andalus, Remained in the Iberian
Peninsula or go out after the “Reconquista”?
b) Where were the Christian who repopulated the Iberian Peninsula
from?
3. Read the text (In Spanish in original) and answer the questions?
Yo, Alfonso, concedo esta carta a vosotros cristianos mozárabes, a los
cuales yo saqué (…) del poder de los sarracenos y conduje a tierras
cristianas. Me complace, porque abandonasteis vuestras casas y vuestras
propiedades y vinisteis a poblar mis tierras, concederos buenos fueros en
toda mi tierra, que seáis libres y francos vosotros y vuestros hijos, en
todo cuanto podáis poblar y trabajar en las villas y términos que yo os
daré.
Carta puebla concedida por Alfonso I a los repobladores mozárabes del
a) Who writes this letter and what power has he to do it?
b) Why does the author say that he offer good privileges?
c) What privileges do the king offer to them?
d) What are “Fueros”?
e) What are the letters of settlement (Cartas Puebla o cartas de
poblamiento)?
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Valle del Ebro. 1126.
El día que aran, los campesinos reciben pan, vino y queso en la comida. Y
pan, vino y conducho [verduras cocidas] caliente en la cena.
Al segar reciben pan, queso y agua en la comida, y pan , vino y conducho
caliente en la cena.
Cuando trillan, el alimento consiste en pan, queso y agua en la comida, y
pan, vino y carne en la cena.
Fuero de Almaraz. 1175.
6. Departamento de Geografía e Historia
ACTIVITIES: THE CULTURE OF CHRISTIAN MEDIEVAL KINGDOMS.
(Be careful: these activities have two pages)
1. Define or explain the differences between:
a) Jewish (Judería) y Aljama:
b) Moriscos y mozárabes:
2. Observe the picture below and answer the questions:
a) What Style does the cathedral of Santiago Belong? Why?
b) What are the advantages of the “Camino de Santiago” for the
Iberian Peninsula?
3. In each of the following works of art, complete in your notebook a
table like this:
What is its name?
In which kingdom was it?
At what style does it belong?
What were their functions?
What are its main characteristics
(material, decoration…)?
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7. Departamento de Geografía e Historia
1) 2)
3)
4) 5)
4. Research about Alfonso X the wise, prepare a PowerPoint
presentation and present it to the class.
[This exercise is voluntary]
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8. Departamento de Geografía e Historia
ACTIVITIES: POLITICS, ECONOMY AND SOCIETY OF CHRISTIAN
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KINGDOMS.
1. Define:
a) Courts:
b) Mesta:
2. Read the page 5 of the summary and complete the table:
Crown of Aragón Castilla Kingdom
Did the courts have much or little power?
What was the main economic activity?
What was the most important social class?
3. ¡Look at the maps and answer the questions: [Look at the textbook]
a) Why was so important the merino sheep?
b) What means that the herds were migrating? What were the glens
(Cañadas)?
c) What products did the Castilian trade import and export?
d) Which European territories conquered Aragon Kingdom? Why?
9. Departamento de Geografía e Historia
ACTIVITIES: THE GOTHIC ART IN THE IBERIAN PENINSULA.
1. Write each name in its box:
a) Rosette
(Rosetón).
b) Tower.
c) Pointed arch.
d) Window with
stained glass.
2. Complete the table with each of the elements of the box. Some may
be repeated in both styles.
Romanesque Architecture Gothic Architecture • Pointed arch
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• Dome Canyon (Bóveda cañón)
• Midpoint arch
• Dark interior
• Buttress (Contrafuerte)
• Bóveda de crucería
• Planta de cruz latina
• Arbotantes
• Rosetón
• High Buildings
3. Observe the pictures and answer: [Look at the resume]
a) What kinds of arch are used?
b) How are the buildings decorated?
c) What influence these arches and decoration shows?
d) How is called this art style?
10. Departamento de Geografía e Historia
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REVIEW ACTIVITIES
1. Look at the chronological axis on the textbook and complete this
table:
Event Date Kingdom or crown
Battle of Guadalete
733
Asturias Kingdom is renamed Leon Kingdom
951
Battle of Navas de Tolosa
1137
Definitive union of Castile and Leon
1237
Trastámara dynasty begins in the crown of Castile
1412
Civil war in Catalonia
2. Complete the diagram below:
3. Define in your own words and tell which are characteristic of the
crown of Aragon and which of the crown of Castile:
a) Agreement Monarchy:
b) Consulado del mar:
c) Consejo de ciento:
d) Corregidor:
e) Almogávares: