King Philip II and Spain's golden age

Philip II is known for... - ruling over Spain for 42 years during the country’s Golden Age (16 th Century) -expanding Spain’s territories greatly -Fighting a lifelong battle against the Protestant church -Being a devout Catholic

Philip’s Fight for Catholicism -the Moors were a group of Muslims that inhabited Spain and Portugal from the 700s to the 1490s CE. -When Philip came into power, he tried to convert the Moors to the Catholic faith. -The Muslim people revolted and Spain became a battleground for many Catholic-Muslim struggles. -The Moors were most heavily concentrated in Granada, a town in Southern Spain. It was in Granada that they built the Alhambra, a fortress which was later taken over by the Catholic kings and converted to a palace.

The Alhambra

El escorial: philip’s home -Because Spain’s economy was flourishing, in 1563 King Philip built a palace called El Escorial near Madrid. -El Escorial served as a Catholic headquarters because it was not only a palace but also a monastery and a church. -Philip kept huge collections of writings, tapestries and other artifacts that documented the rise of Spanish power in Europe. -an entire room was dedicated entirely to maps. These maps were drawn by the conquistadores who went across the globe looking for lands to conquer. This period is the first time in which more accurate world maps were drawn. -El Escorial is also home to a mausoleum, in which all of the Catholic Kings and Queens of Spain (including Philip) are laid to rest.

El Escorial The library The royal crypt Philip’s deathbed (the door in the background opens to the church, so when he was sick he could still “go” to mass)

Spain Today -Spain remains heavily Catholic, partially due to the early efforts of Catholic kings such as Philip -The clash between the Moorish influence, the Catholics, and the Jews that inhabited Spain from ancient times is evident. The Mezquita in Cordoba was a Moorish temple that was converted to a Catholic Church. -Some places of worship have served as churches, temples AND synagogues!