She was the "Catholic Monarch" who unified Spain and ushered in a Golden Age, but her legacy is defined by both exploration and expulsion. In this episode of pplpod, we dive into the tumultuous life of Isabella I of Castile. We explore how she went from a precarious childhood and a secret elopement with Ferdinand of Aragon to fighting a civil war to secure her throne,,.

Join us as we examine how Isabella reorganized the government, established the Santa Hermandad police force, and pulled her kingdom out of debt,,. We break down the monumental events of 1492: the conquest of Granada which ended the Reconquista, the sponsorship of Christopher Columbus’s voyage to the New World, and the infamous Alhambra Decree which expelled the Jews from Spain,,,. Finally, we discuss the complexity of her character—from her patronage of fem ...