Castile

Kingdom founded in the 10th century, occupying the central plateau of Spain. Its union with Aragón in 1479, based on the marriage of Ferdinand and Isabella, effected the foundation of the Spanish state, which at the time was occupied and ruled by the Moors. Castile comprised the two great basins separated by the Sierra de Gredos and the Sierra de Guadarrama, known traditionally as Old and New Castile. The area now forms the autonomous communities of Castilla-León and Castilla-La Mancha.

The kingdom of Castile grew from a small area in the north. In the 11th century, Old Castile was united with León; the kingdom of Toledo was captured from the Moors in 1085 and became New Castile, with Toledo the capital of the whole. Castile was united with Aragón in 1479, and in 1492, after routing the Moors, Ferdinand and Isabella established the Catholic kingdom of Spain.