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For the next 700 years, the Moors ruled Spain and influenced the Andalusia area where their artistic and intellectual influence can still be seen. The Andalusia area thrived and became known as a centre of trade, strength and learning. During this time, the culture of the Christian Spaniards and the Moors began to blend in numerous ways including food, art and language. A small group of Christians were determined to conquer the Moors as they did not want the country to be ruled by Islam. This small group grew at speed and it was not long before the Spanish began to reclaim their land. By the middle of the 13th century, most of Spain had been reclaimed and many native Spaniards had been converted to the church. The Moors were finally overthrown in 1492. However, in spreading their armies to so many places, their strength was actually diminished and by the late 1800s the country had lost almost all of its territory. Economically, the 20th century was a disaster for Spain with political clashes that culminated in the Spanish Civil War in 1936. General Francisco Franco, with the support of Hitler and Mussolini, was victorious and ruled Spain until his death in 1975. King Juan Carlos 1 then took over and led Spain towards democracy. | |
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