Refine your search

The results of your search are listed below alongside the search terms you entered on the previous page. You can refine your search by amending any of the parameters in the form and resubmitting it.

Select all Deselect all Add selection to lightbox
Large Small
Thumbnails per page
Madrid is the capital of Spain and the largest municipality in both the Community of Madrid and Spain as a whole.<br/><br/> The Plaza de España is a plaza in the Parque de María Luisa (Maria Luisa Park), in Seville, Spain, built in 1928 for the Ibero-American Exposition of 1929. It is a landmark example of the Regionalism Architecture, mixing elements of the Renaissance Revival and Moorish Revival (Neo-Mudéjar) styles of Spanish architecture.
Madrid is the capital of Spain and the largest municipality in both the Community of Madrid and Spain as a whole.<br/><br/> The Plaza de España is a plaza in the Parque de María Luisa (Maria Luisa Park), in Seville, Spain, built in 1928 for the Ibero-American Exposition of 1929. It is a landmark example of the Regionalism Architecture, mixing elements of the Renaissance Revival and Moorish Revival (Neo-Mudéjar) styles of Spanish architecture.
Ramiro I (c. 790 – 1 February 850) was King of Asturias from 842 until his death. He was son of King Bermudo I, and became king after the struggle for succession that followed the death of Alfonso II, who died without issue.<br/><br/> Ramiro was a contemporary of Abd ar-Rahman II, Umayyad Emir of Córdoba. During his turbulent reign, the chronicles relate that he had to fend off attacks from both Vikings and Moors.
Alfonso II of Asturias (c. 760 – 842), nicknamed the Chaste, was the king of Asturias during two different periods: first in the year 783 and later from 791 until his death in 842. Upon his death, Nepociano, a family member of undetermined relation, attempted to usurp the crown in place of the future Ramiro I.
Íñigo Arista (c. 790 – 851 or 852) was a Basque leader, considered the first King of Pamplona. He is thought to have risen to prominence after the defeat of local Frankish partisans in 816, and his rule is usually dated from shortly after the defeat of a Carolingian army in 824.
Alfonso I of Asturias (c. 693 – 757) , called the Catholic, was the third King of Asturias, reigning from 739 to his death in 757. His reign saw an extension of the Christian domain of Asturias, reconquering Galicia and León.<br/><br/> He succeeded his brother-in-law Favila, and was succeeded by his son, Fruela I. Alfonso's youngest son, Mauregatus, also became king, and his daughter Adosinda was consort to King Silo of Asturias. The dynasty started by Alfonso was known in contemporary Al-Andalus as the Astur-Leonese dynasty.
Pelagius (Pelayo, Pelayu; c. 685 – 737) was a Visigothic nobleman who founded the Kingdom of Asturias, ruling it from 718 until his death. Through his victory at the Battle of Covadonga, he is credited with beginning the <i>Reconquista</i>, the Christian reconquest of the Iberian peninsula from the Moors. He established an independent Christian state in opposition to Moorish hegemony.
Wamba (VVamba, Vamba; c. 643 – 687 / 688) was the king of the Visigoths from 672 to 680. During his reign, the Visigothic kingdom encompassed all of Hispania and part of southern Gaul known as Septimania.
Suintila, or Swinthila, Svinthila; (c. 588 – 633 / 635) was Visigothic King of Hispania, Septimania and Galicia from 621 to 631. There was a new peace in the Kingdom of the Visigoths. As a direct result, by 624 the king was able to retake those lands that had been under the control of the Eastern Roman Empire. He was a son of Reccared I and wife Bado, and a brother of the general Geila.<br/><br/> It was around Suintila’s time that a secondary form of the word Hispania was growing in usage: Spania, from which the modern name of Spain originated.
Liuvigild, Leuvigild, Leovigild, or Leovigildo (Spanish and Portuguese), (c. 519 – 21 April 586) was a Visigothic King of Hispania and Septimania from 568 to April 21, 586. From 585 he was also King of Galicia. Known for his Codex Revisus or Code of Leovigild, a unifying law allowing equal rights between the Visigothic and Hispano-Roman population, his kingdom covered modern Portugal and most of modern Spain down to Toledo.
Euric (also known as Evaric, or Eurico in Spanish and Portuguese, c. 440 – 28 December 484), son of Theodoric I, ruled as king of the Visigoths, after murdering his brother, Theodoric II, from 466 until his death in 484. Sometimes he is called Euric II.<br/><br/> With his capital at Toulouse, Euric inherited a large portion of the Visigothic possessions in the Aquitaine region of Gaul, an area that had been under Visigothic control since 415. Over the decades the Visigoths had gradually expanded their holdings at the expense of the weak Roman government, including Euric's sieges of Clermont in 475 and 476, as well as advancing well into Hispania in the process.<br/><br/> Upon becoming king, Euric defeated several other Visigothic kings and chieftains in a series of civil wars and soon became the first ruler of a truly unified Visigothic nation. Taking advantage of the Romans' problems, he extended Visigothic power in Hispania. By the time the Western Roman Empire ended in 476 he controlled nearly the entire Iberian peninsula.
Ataulf (also Athavulf, Atawulf, or Athaulf, Latinized as Ataulphus, c. 370 – 15 August 415) was king of the Visigoths from 411 to 415. During his reign, he transformed the Visigothic state from a tribal kingdom to a major political power of Late Antiquity.
Sancha was a daughter of Alfonso V of León by his first wife, Elvira Menéndez. In 1032, Sancha was married to Ferdinand I of León and Castile.<br/><br/> At the Battle of Tamarón in 1037 Ferdinand killed Sancha’s brother Bermudo III of León, making Sancha the heir and allowing Ferdinand to have himself crowned King of León, Sancha thereby became Queen.
Ferdinand I (c. 1015 – 24 December 1065), called the Great (<i>el Magno</i>), was the Count of Castile from his uncle's death in 1029 and the King of León after defeating his brother-in-law in 1037.<br/><br/> According to tradition, he was the first to have himself crowned Emperor of Spain (1056), and his heirs carried on the tradition. While Ferdinand inaugurated the rule of the Navarrese Jiménez dynasty over western Spain, his rise to preeminence among the Christian rulers of the peninsula shifted the locus of power and culture westward after more than a century of Leonese decline.
Ramiro I (bef. 1007 – 8 May 1063) was the first King of Aragon from 1035 until his death. Apparently born before 1007, he was the illegitimate son of Sancho III of Pamplona by his mistress Sancha of Aybar.
Alfonso V (994 – 7 August 1028), called the Noble, was King of León from 999 to 1028. Enough is known of him to justify the belief that he had some of the qualities of a soldier and a statesman.<br/><br/> Like other kings of León, Alfonso used the title emperor to assert his standing among the Christian rulers of Spain. He succeeded his father, Bermudo II, in 999. His mother Elvira García and count Menendo González, who raised him in Galicia, acted as his co-regents. Upon the count's death in 1008, Alfonso ruled on his own.
Fernán González (died 970) was the first autonomous count of Castile, son of Gonzalo Fernández de Burgos, who had been named count of Arlanza and the Duero around the year 900.<br/><br/> Fernán González was a colourful character of legendary status in Iberia, and founder of the dynasty that would rule a semi-autonomous Castile, laying the foundations for its status as an independent kingdom.
Ramiro II (c. 900 – 1 January 951), son of Ordoño II, was a King of León from 931 until his death. Initially titular king only of a lesser part of the kingdom, he gained the crown of León (and with it, Galicia) after supplanting his brother Alfonso IV and cousin Alfonso Fróilaz in 931.
Ordoño II (c. 873 – June 924) was a king of Galicia from 910, and king of Galicia and León from 914 until his death. He was an energetic and feisty ruler who fought successfully against the Muslims, who still dominated most of the Iberian Peninsula at that time.
Alfonso III (c. 848 – 20 December 910), called the Great, was the king of León, Galicia and Asturias from 866 until his death. He was the son and successor of Ordoño I. In later sources he is the earliest to be called 'Emperor of Spain'.
Wilfred or Wifred, called the Hairy, (died 11 August 897) was Count of Urgell (from 870), Cerdanya (from 870), Barcelona (from 878), Girona (from 878, as Wilfred II), Besalú (from 878) and Ausona (from 886). On his death in 897, his son, Wilfred Borrell, inherited these Catalan counties.
Ordoño I (c. 821 – 27 May 866) was King of Asturias from 850 until his death. He was born in Oviedo, where he spent his early life in the court of Alfonso II. He died in Oviedo and was succeeded by his eldest son, Alfonso III.
Philip IV of Spain (8 April 1605 – 17 September 1665) was King of Spain (as Philip IV in Castile and Philip III in Aragon) and Portugal as Philip III (Filipe III). He ascended the thrones in 1621 and reigned in Spain until his death and in Portugal until 1640. Philip is remembered for his patronage of the arts, including such artists as Diego Velázquez, and his rule over Spain during the Thirty Years' War.<br/><br/> On the eve of his death in 1665, the Spanish Empire had reached approximately 12.2 million square kilometers (4.7 million square miles) in area but in other respects was in decline, a process to which Philip contributed with his inability to achieve successful domestic and military reform.
Philip IV of Spain (8 April 1605 – 17 September 1665) was King of Spain (as Philip IV in Castile and Philip III in Aragon) and Portugal as Philip III (Filipe III). He ascended the thrones in 1621 and reigned in Spain until his death and in Portugal until 1640. Philip is remembered for his patronage of the arts, including such artists as Diego Velázquez, and his rule over Spain during the Thirty Years' War.<br/><br/> On the eve of his death in 1665, the Spanish Empire had reached approximately 12.2 million square kilometers (4.7 million square miles) in area but in other respects was in decline, a process to which Philip contributed with his inability to achieve successful domestic and military reform.
The Plaza Mayor was first built (1580–1619) during Philip III's reign. The plaza as we see it today was the work of the Spanish architect Juan de Villanueva (1739 - 1811) who reconstructed the plaza in 1790.
Philip III (14 April 1578 – 31 March 1621) was King of Spain. He was also, as Philip II, King of Portugal, Naples, Sicily and Sardinia and Duke of Milan from 1598 until his death.<br/><br/> The Plaza Mayor was first built (1580–1619) during Philip III's reign. The plaza as we see it today was the work of the Spanish architect Juan de Villanueva (1739 - 1811) who reconstructed the plaza in 1790.
Philip III (14 April 1578 – 31 March 1621) was King of Spain. He was also, as Philip II, King of Portugal, Naples, Sicily and Sardinia and Duke of Milan from 1598 until his death.<br/><br/> The Plaza Mayor was first built (1580–1619) during Philip III's reign. The plaza as we see it today was the work of the Spanish architect Juan de Villanueva (1739 - 1811) who reconstructed the plaza in 1790.
Philip III (14 April 1578 – 31 March 1621) was King of Spain. He was also, as Philip II, King of Portugal, Naples, Sicily and Sardinia and Duke of Milan from 1598 until his death.<br/><br/> The Plaza Mayor was first built (1580–1619) during Philip III's reign. The plaza as we see it today was the work of the Spanish architect Juan de Villanueva (1739 - 1811) who reconstructed the plaza in 1790.
Philip III (14 April 1578 – 31 March 1621) was King of Spain. He was also, as Philip II, King of Portugal, Naples, Sicily and Sardinia and Duke of Milan from 1598 until his death.<br/><br/> The Plaza Mayor was first built (1580–1619) during Philip III's reign. The plaza as we see it today was the work of the Spanish architect Juan de Villanueva (1739 - 1811) who reconstructed the plaza in 1790.
The Plaza Mayor was first built (1580–1619) during Philip III's reign. The plaza as we see it today was the work of the Spanish architect Juan de Villanueva (1739 - 1811) who reconstructed the plaza in 1790.
The Plaza Mayor was first built (1580–1619) during Philip III's reign. The plaza as we see it today was the work of the Spanish architect Juan de Villanueva (1739 - 1811) who reconstructed the plaza in 1790.
The Tribunal of the Holy Office of the Inquisition (Spanish: <i>Tribunal del Santo Oficio de la Inquisicion</i>), commonly known as the Spanish Inquisition (<i>Inquisicion espanola</i>), was established in 1478 by Catholic Monarchs Ferdinand II of Aragon and Isabella I of Castile.<br/><br/> The Inquisition was originally intended primarily to ensure the orthodoxy of those who converted from Judaism and Islam. The regulation of the faith of the newly converted was intensified after the royal decrees issued in 1492 and 1502 ordering Jews and Muslims to convert or leave Spain.<br/><br/> The Inquisition was not definitively abolished until 1834, during the reign of Isabella II, after a period of declining influence in the preceding century.
Theodosius I (347-395), also known as Theodosius the Great, was born into a military family in Hispania. He served with his father until his execution in 374 CE, after which Theodosius retired to Hispania until he was given the position of co-emperor by Emperor Gratian after Emperor Valens' death in 378 CE.<br/><br/> Theodosius ruled the East Roman Empire, and after Gratian himself was killed in 383 CE, appointed his son Arcadius as his co-ruler in the east while briefly acknowledging the usurper Magnus Maximus before agreeing to a marriage with Emperor Valentinian II's sister Galla and defeating Maximus in battle. He then appointed his trusted general Arbogast to watch and effectively rule over the young Valentinian II in the west, making Theodosius de facto ruler of both West and East.<br/><br/> Arbogast eventually killed Valentinian II and placed Eugenius as his puppet emperor in the west in 392 CE, forcing Theodosius to march against him, giving his son Honorius the title of co-emperor in the West instead. Eugenius and Arbogast were defeated in 394 CE, the latter executed while the former committed suicide, leaving Theodosius as the last sole emperor to truly rule over both halves of the Roman Empire. He eventually died in 395 CE from severe edema, leaving his sons ruling each half of the empire.
The Tribunal of the Holy Office of the Inquisition (Spanish: <i>Tribunal del Santo Oficio de la Inquisicion</i>), commonly known as the Spanish Inquisition (<i>Inquisicion espanola</i>), was established in 1478 by Catholic Monarchs Ferdinand II of Aragon and Isabella I of Castile.<br/><br/> The Inquisition was originally intended primarily to ensure the orthodoxy of those who converted from Judaism and Islam. The regulation of the faith of the newly converted was intensified after the royal decrees issued in 1492 and 1502 ordering Jews and Muslims to convert or leave Spain.<br/><br/> The Inquisition was not definitively abolished until 1834, during the reign of Isabella II, after a period of declining influence in the preceding century.
The Tribunal of the Holy Office of the Inquisition (Spanish: <i>Tribunal del Santo Oficio de la Inquisicion</i>), commonly known as the Spanish Inquisition (<i>Inquisicion espanola</i>), was established in 1478 by Catholic Monarchs Ferdinand II of Aragon and Isabella I of Castile.<br/><br/> The Inquisition was originally intended primarily to ensure the orthodoxy of those who converted from Judaism and Islam. The regulation of the faith of the newly converted was intensified after the royal decrees issued in 1492 and 1502 ordering Jews and Muslims to convert or leave Spain.<br/><br/> The Inquisition was not definitively abolished until 1834, during the reign of Isabella II, after a period of declining influence in the preceding century.
Theodosius I (347-395), also known as Theodosius the Great, was born into a military family in Hispania. He served with his father until his execution in 374 CE, after which Theodosius retired to Hispania until he was given the position of co-emperor by Emperor Gratian after Emperor Valens' death in 378 CE.<br/><br/> Theodosius ruled the East Roman Empire, and after Gratian himself was killed in 383 CE, appointed his son Arcadius as his co-ruler in the east while briefly acknowledging the usurper Magnus Maximus before agreeing to a marriage with Emperor Valentinian II's sister Galla and defeating Maximus in battle. He then appointed his trusted general Arbogast to watch and effectively rule over the young Valentinian II in the west, making Theodosius de facto ruler of both West and East.<br/><br/> Arbogast eventually killed Valentinian II and placed Eugenius as his puppet emperor in the west in 392 CE, forcing Theodosius to march against him, giving his son Honorius the title of co-emperor in the West instead. Eugenius and Arbogast were defeated in 394 CE, the latter executed while the former committed suicide, leaving Theodosius as the last sole emperor to truly rule over both halves of the Roman Empire. He eventually died in 395 CE from severe edema, leaving his sons ruling each half of the empire.
Claudius was the first Roman emperor to be born outside of Italy, and he was ostracised and exempted from public office for much of his life due to slight deafness and being afflicted with a limp. It was his infirmity that would save him from the noble purges that occurred during the reigns of Tiberius and Caligula, as he was not seen as a serious threat.<br/><br/> Due to being the last surviving man of the Julio-Claudian family, Claudius was declared emperor by the Praetorian Guard after their assassination of Caligula. Despite his only previous experience being sharing a consulship with his nephew Caligula in 37 CE, he proved to be a capable administrator, as well as an ambitious builder across the Empire. The conquest of Britain began under his reign, and his seeming vulnerability meant that Claudius often had to shore up his position, usually through the deaths of rival senators and nobles.<br/><br/> He was succeeded after his death in 54 CE by his adopted son, Nero.
The Spanish Civil War was fought from 17 July 1936 to 1 April 1939 between the Republicans, who were loyal to the democratically elected Spanish Republic, and the Nationalists, a rebel group led by General Francisco Franco. The Nationalists prevailed, and Franco ruled Spain for the next 36 years, from 1939 until his death in 1975.<br/><br/> The Nationalists advanced from their strongholds in the south and west, capturing most of Spain's northern coastline in 1937. They also besieged Madrid and the area to its south and west for much of the war. Capturing large parts of Catalonia in 1938 and 1939, the war ended with the victory of the Nationalists and the exile of thousands of leftist Spaniards, many of whom fled to refugee camps in southern France.
John VII Grammatikos or Grammaticus, i.e., 'the Grammarian' (Greek: Ιωάννης Ζ΄ Γραμματικός, Iōannēs VII Grammatikos), Ecumenical Patriarch of Constantinople from January 21, 837 to March 4, 843, died before 867.<br/><br/> John was renowned for his learning (hence the nickname Grammatikos), and for his persuasive rhetoric in the endless debates that are a favorite subject of hagiographic sources reflecting the second period of Iconoclasm. John was also charged with tutoring the future Emperor Theophilos during the reign of his father Michael II, and is credited with instilling strong Iconoclast sympathies in his student. On the accession of Theophilos, John was appointed synkellos (patriarch's assistant), a position that made him a likely heir to the patriarchate.<br/><br/> In c. 830, John was dispatched on an embassy to the Caliph al-Ma'mun, but this did little to prevent a period of fierce warfare between the Byzantine Empire and the Abbasids. He did, however, bring back a plan of the Abbasid palace at Baghdad for the amusement of his emperor and supervised the building of a similar structure in Bithynia.<br/><br/> The circumstances of John VII's patriarchate are obscure. He was appointed patriarch by his student Theophilos and may have been responsible for the slight intensification of the persecution of Iconodules. He was deposed by Theophilos' widow Theodora (his own relative) as a preliminary towards the ending of Iconoclasm in 843. The deposed patriarch survived into the 860s.
Francisco Franco Bahamonde (4 December 1892 – 20 November 1975) was the dictator of Spain from 1939 to his death in 1975.<br/><br/> A conservative, he was shocked when the monarchy was removed and replaced with a democratic republic in 1931. With the 1936 elections, the conservatives fell and the leftist Popular Front came to power. Looking to overthrow the republic, Franco and other generals staged a partially successful coup, which started the Spanish Civil War. With the death of the other generals, Franco quickly became his faction's only leader.<br/><br/> Franco received military support from local fascist, monarchist and right-wing groups, and also from Hitler's Nazi Germany and Mussolini's Fascist Italy. Leaving half a million dead, the war was eventually won by Franco in 1939. He established an autocratic dictatorship, Francoist Spain, which he defined as a totalitarian state, installing himself as head of state and government, with one legal political party: a merger of the monarchist party and the fascist party which had helped him.<br/><br/> Franco established a repression which was characterized by concentration camps, forced labor and executions, mostly against political and ideological enemies, being estimated to have caused from about 200,000 to 400,000 deaths.<br/><br/> After ruling for nearly forty years, Franco died in 1975. He had restored the monarchy and left King Juan Carlos I as his successor. Juan Carlos led the transition to democracy, leaving Spain with its current political system.
The Sack of Amorium by the Abbasids in mid-August 838 represents one of the major events in the long history of the Byzantine–Arab Wars. The exceptionally large Abbasid army was led by the Caliph al-Mu'tasim (r. 833–842), who was eager to avenge the almost unopposed expedition launched by the Byzantine emperor Theophilos (r. 829–842) into the Caliphate's borderlands the previous year. The Abbasids penetrated deep into Byzantine Asia Minor, defeating the emperor at Anzen, sacking Ancyra and finally reaching Amorium—at the time one of Byzantium's largest cities and the birthplace of its ruling Amorian dynasty. The city fell after a short siege, probably by treason, and a large part of its inhabitants were slaughtered, with the remainder driven off as slaves.
The Spanish Civil War was fought from 17 July 1936 to 1 April 1939 between the Republicans, who were loyal to the democratically elected Spanish Republic, and the Nationalists, a rebel group led by General Francisco Franco. The Nationalists prevailed, and Franco ruled Spain for the next 36 years, from 1939 until his death in 1975.<br/><br/> The Nationalists advanced from their strongholds in the south and west, capturing most of Spain's northern coastline in 1937. They also besieged Madrid and the area to its south and west for much of the war. Capturing large parts of Catalonia in 1938 and 1939, the war ended with the victory of the Nationalists and the exile of thousands of leftist Spaniards, many of whom fled to refugee camps in southern France.
The Spanish Civil War was fought from 17 July 1936 to 1 April 1939 between the Republicans, who were loyal to the democratically elected Spanish Republic, and the Nationalists, a rebel group led by General Francisco Franco. The Nationalists prevailed, and Franco ruled Spain for the next 36 years, from 1939 until his death in 1975.<br/><br/> The Nationalists advanced from their strongholds in the south and west, capturing most of Spain's northern coastline in 1937. They also besieged Madrid and the area to its south and west for much of the war. Capturing large parts of Catalonia in 1938 and 1939, the war ended with the victory of the Nationalists and the exile of thousands of leftist Spaniards, many of whom fled to refugee camps in southern France.<br/><br/> The Confederación Nacional del Trabajo (CNT; National Confederation of Labour) is a Spanish confederation of anarcho-syndicalist labour unions affiliated with the International Workers Association (IWA; Spanish: AIT – Asociación Internacional de los Trabajadores).<br/><br/> Historically, the CNT has also been affiliated with the Federación Anarquista Ibérica (Iberian Anarchist Federation – FAI). In this capacity it was referred to as the CNT-FAI. Throughout its history, it has played a major role in the Spanish labor movement.
The Sack of Amorium by the Abbasids in mid-August 838 represents one of the major events in the long history of the Byzantine–Arab Wars. The exceptionally large Abbasid army was led by the Caliph al-Mu'tasim (r. 833–842), who was eager to avenge the almost unopposed expedition launched by the Byzantine emperor Theophilos (r. 829–842) into the Caliphate's borderlands the previous year. The Abbasids penetrated deep into Byzantine Asia Minor, defeating the emperor at Anzen, sacking Ancyra and finally reaching Amorium—at the time one of Byzantium's largest cities and the birthplace of its ruling Amorian dynasty. The city fell after a short siege, probably by treason, and a large part of its inhabitants were slaughtered, with the remainder driven off as slaves.
The Spanish Civil War was fought from 17 July 1936 to 1 April 1939 between the Republicans, who were loyal to the democratically elected Spanish Republic, and the Nationalists, a rebel group led by General Francisco Franco. The Nationalists prevailed, and Franco ruled Spain for the next 36 years, from 1939 until his death in 1975.<br/><br/> The Nationalists advanced from their strongholds in the south and west, capturing most of Spain's northern coastline in 1937. They also besieged Madrid and the area to its south and west for much of the war. Capturing large parts of Catalonia in 1938 and 1939, the war ended with the victory of the Nationalists and the exile of thousands of leftist Spaniards, many of whom fled to refugee camps in southern France.
Francisco Franco Bahamonde (4 December 1892 – 20 November 1975) was the dictator of Spain from 1939 to his death in 1975.<br/><br/> A conservative, he was shocked when the monarchy was removed and replaced with a democratic republic in 1931. With the 1936 elections, the conservatives fell and the leftist Popular Front came to power. Looking to overthrow the republic, Franco and other generals staged a partially successful coup, which started the Spanish Civil War. With the death of the other generals, Franco quickly became his faction's only leader.<br/><br/> Franco received military support from local fascist, monarchist and right-wing groups, and also from Hitler's Nazi Germany and Mussolini's Fascist Italy. Leaving half a million dead, the war was eventually won by Franco in 1939. He established an autocratic dictatorship, Francoist Spain, which he defined as a totalitarian state, installing himself as head of state and government, with one legal political party: a merger of the monarchist party and the fascist party which had helped him.<br/><br/> Franco established a repression which was characterized by concentration camps, forced labor and executions, mostly against political and ideological enemies, being estimated to have caused from about 200,000 to 400,000 deaths.<br/><br/> After ruling for nearly forty years, Franco died in 1975. He had restored the monarchy and left King Juan Carlos I as his successor. Juan Carlos led the transition to democracy, leaving Spain with its current political system.
The Spanish Civil War was fought from 17 July 1936 to 1 April 1939 between the Republicans, who were loyal to the democratically elected Spanish Republic, and the Nationalists, a rebel group led by General Francisco Franco. The Nationalists prevailed, and Franco ruled Spain for the next 36 years, from 1939 until his death in 1975.<br/><br/> The Nationalists advanced from their strongholds in the south and west, capturing most of Spain's northern coastline in 1937. They also besieged Madrid and the area to its south and west for much of the war. Capturing large parts of Catalonia in 1938 and 1939, the war ended with the victory of the Nationalists and the exile of thousands of leftist Spaniards, many of whom fled to refugee camps in southern France.
The Madrid Skylitzes is a heavily illustrated illuminated manuscript of the Synopsis of Histories by John Skylitzes, which covers the reigns of the Byzantine emperors from the death of Nicephorus I in 811 to the deposition of Michael IV in 1057. The manuscript was produced in Sicily in the 12th century, and is now at the Biblioteca Nacional de Espana in Madrid, so is known as the Madrid Skylitzes.
Francisco Franco Bahamonde (4 December 1892 – 20 November 1975) was the dictator of Spain from 1939 to his death in 1975.<br/><br/> A conservative, he was shocked when the monarchy was removed and replaced with a democratic republic in 1931. With the 1936 elections, the conservatives fell and the leftist Popular Front came to power. Looking to overthrow the republic, Franco and other generals staged a partially successful coup, which started the Spanish Civil War. With the death of the other generals, Franco quickly became his faction's only leader.<br/><br/> Franco received military support from local fascist, monarchist and right-wing groups, and also from Hitler's Nazi Germany and Mussolini's Fascist Italy. Leaving half a million dead, the war was eventually won by Franco in 1939. He established an autocratic dictatorship, Francoist Spain, which he defined as a totalitarian state, installing himself as head of state and government, with one legal political party: a merger of the monarchist party and the fascist party which had helped him.<br/><br/> Franco established a repression which was characterized by concentration camps, forced labor and executions, mostly against political and ideological enemies, being estimated to have caused from about 200,000 to 400,000 deaths.<br/><br/> After ruling for nearly forty years, Franco died in 1975. He had restored the monarchy and left King Juan Carlos I as his successor. Juan Carlos led the transition to democracy, leaving Spain with its current political system.
The Madrid Skylitzes is a heavily illustrated illuminated manuscript of the Synopsis of Histories by John Skylitzes, which covers the reigns of the Byzantine emperors from the death of Nicephorus I in 811 to the deposition of Michael IV in 1057. The manuscript was produced in Sicily in the 12th century, and is now at the Biblioteca Nacional de Espana in Madrid, so is known as the Madrid Skylitzes.