biography
| name: |
Ferdinand (of Castile),
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known as the Catholic
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| sex:
| male
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| lived:
| (1452–1516)
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| biography:
| King of Castile as Ferdinand V (from 1474), of Aragón and Sicily as Ferdinand II (from 1479), and of Naples as Ferdinand III (from 1503), born in Sos, Aragón, Spain. In 1469 he married Isabella, sister of Henry IV of Castile, and ruled jointly with her until her death. He introduced the Inquisition (1478–80), and in 1492, after the defeat of the Moors, expelled the Jews. Under him, Spain gained supremacy following the discovery of America, and in 1503 he took Naples from the French, with the help of the Holy League. After Isabella's death (1504) he was regent of Castile for his insane daughter Juana, and in 1512 gained Navarre, thus becoming monarch of all Spain. To him and Isabella, Spain owed her unity and greatness as a nation and the foundation of her imperial influence. |
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