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Isabel was born in Madrigal de las Altas Torres, a village in Ávila, Spain. Her mother was Isabel of Portugal and her father was Juan II of Castilla.
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Isabel's half brother reached the throne and became King Enrique IV of Castilla. Isabel and her younger brother, Alonso, went to live with their mad mother. In this time, Isabel spent most of her time reading and learning by her own.
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Isabel and her brother Alonso travelled to the court in Segovia to be closer to their half brother, Enrique IV, and his wife who was going to have a child, Juana ("la Beltraneja").
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With only fifteen years old, Isabel's brother, Alonso was poisoned and died. That same year Isabel became the Princess of Asturias because of the Treaty of Guisando's Bulls ("Tratado de los Toros de Guisando").
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Isabel married Prince Fernando II of Aragón, son of King Juan II of Aragón. The wedding was in secret because it was against her half brother's, Enrique IV, wishes.
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Isabel gave birth to her first daughter, Isabel of Aragón. She successively married two kings of Portugal, Alfonso and Manuel I. She died in 1497.
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King Enrique IV died and Isabel became Queen of Castilla instead of Juana, Enrique's daughter, because of an agreement that was signed some years before (The Guisando's Treaty).
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The people that were in favor of Queen Isabel I, fighted agaist the ones who were in favor of Juana I of Castilla. The war finished with the Treaty of Alcovas, in which Fernando and Isabel were recognised as king and queen of Castilla, in exchange of giving some concessions to Portugal.
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Isabel gave birth to her first son, Juan of Aragón. He married Margarita of Austria but because of his bad health, he died in 1497, so he didn't reach the throne of Castilla and Aragón.
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Isabel gave birth to her second daughter, Juana of Castilla. She married Felipe of Hansburgo (Felipe the Beauty), brother of Margarita of Austria. After her mother's dead, she became the queen of Castilla and Aragón. She was called "Juana the mad" and after her husband's death, she lived her last 47 years locked up in Tordesillas, first by her father and then by her son, Carlos I.
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Isabel established the "Holy" Inquisition, a religious organization that was in charge of controlling the religious practice in the territory.
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Isabel gave birth to María of Aragón. She married Manuel I of Portugal, the second and last husband of her sister Isabel. She died in 1517.
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Isabel and her children were always close to Fernando during war time, they used to be prepared and help their army to do their best. Isabel's help was decisive in the surrender of Baza, in Granada, she visited the soldiers, that were in the front line of battle, to encourage them and when the enemy saw her, they gave up; they surrendered to their brave queen and not to their fighting king. She also made a great job helping in the field hospitals after the battles.
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Isabel gave birth to her last daughter, Catalina of Aragón. She married Enrique VIII of England and she died in 1536.
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Isabel sopported and subsidized Cristobal Colón's expeditions to América. Then she began the mission to evangelize indigenous people.
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Fernando and Isabel received the title of "Catholic Kings" from Pope Alexander VI.
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She suffered a serious illness, a dropsy, that ended his life. After her death, King Frenando II ruled until he died, in 1516, and Carlos I became King of Castilla, Aragón and all their colonies. Isabel was an excepcional woman and she will be remembered because of her courage and great work for her people and kingdom.
