Rhyme of the Conquest of Granada

At the beginning of the year 1482 in the Emirate of Granada, riots and small battles broke out between Moors and Christians. The Iberian Peninsula had been conquered by the Muslims in the 8th century. Moorish rule, which also strongly influence Spanish culture, had to accept an increasing loss of power leading up to the 15th century. The struggles of the year 1482 was finally widened into a war by the intervention of King Ferdinand, who would seal the famous Reconquista – the re-conquest of the Iberian peninsula from the Moors – and therewith the end of Muslim hegemony in Spain. As an endpoint to this significant chapter in Spanish history, the Treaty of Granada was signed on November 25th, 1491.

The Historic Events in Verse

These events belong among the highpoints of the rule of the Catholic Monarchs: Ferdinand of Aragon (1452–1516) and Isabella of Castile (1451–1504). This splendid manuscript arose during the years 1482–1502 in their honor with a poem about the conquest of Granada. After the death of the royal couple, this precious literary-cultural work of art presumably came into the possession of their daughter Johanna the Mad and finally made its way to the Palace Library of Chantilly, France.

The Author and his Work

The author of the poem concerning the historical events occurring during the rule of the Catholic Monarchs was Pedro Marcuello, an Aragonese poet. With this work, he created an accolade of historiographical significance to the rulers and their accomplishments. It was probably even intended as a precious gift and was presented to them in the year 1503 – shortly before the death of Isabella. Aside from the Catholic Monarchs with baby Johanna in-between them, the author himself is continuously depicted, sometimes even with his daughter. 58 full-page miniatures in the Gothic style with the first echoes of the Renaissance decorate and illustrate the Spanish story. This pictorial adornment is completed with splendid gold leaf and numerous historiated initials.