The Reconquista

The Reconquista was a centuries-long series of military campaigns in the Iberian Peninsula (modern-day Spain and Portugal) aimed at reclaiming territory from Muslim rulers who had conquered much of the region in the early Middle Ages. Starting in the 8th century and concluding in 1492 with the fall of Granada, the Reconquista involved Christian kingdoms gradually pushing southward. It was significant not only for its military conquests but also for its cultural and religious implications, as it marked the culmination of Christian efforts to unify the region under Catholic rule, influencing the identity of Spain and Portugal thereafter.