Without the knowhow of the country’s culture, heritage, history and politics you cannot enjoy visit to that country. Especially when you visit the country like Spain which is as rich as would find in any part of the world. Its history is full of twists and turns. Spain had remain under the influence of the Romans, the Muslims and others for centuries. Until you know their history and knowledge of these ancient cultures, you cannot treasure these beautiful castles, fortresses, mosques and churches and other beautiful ruins that are present thought out the Country.
Once, Spain was among the most powerful nations on the planet. But the country suffered a lot due to wars and political turmoil. It had a bad effect on its economy and overall growth. Today, fortunes of Spain have turnaround due to positive changes in power of political structure. The country’s tourism industry has been the major cause for its political and economic success.
At one time Roman Empire ruled most of the Europe, including Spain. After the demise of Romans, Moorish invaders took control of the country. These were Muslims of black African and Arab descent. This is why today you can see lot of influence of Islamic architecture in many building throughout Spain. You will see lot of beautiful castles and fortresses that were made by the Muslims at that time. Their influence lasted about 1000 years. Muslims reign lasted up to 14th century.
In the 15th century, Castle and Aragon, powerful Christian kingdoms united after the marriage of Ferdinand and Isabella. This changed the country as all the powers came in the hands of ruling family. Catholicism was now the official religion of the country. Muslims at that time were given option to convert to Christianity or they were either expelled or worse.
The new ruling family set out to discover New Worlds and for this reason sent Christopher Columbus on a mission to find new route to the east. Instead Columbus discovered America and bought lot of gold and silver with him. This new found wealth made the kingdom even stronger. This monarchic rule continued until the 20th centuries.
In 1930, country went through a savage Civil War, left and right wing factions struggled for power. At the end the Nationalist were victors and as a result Francisco Franco became ruling dictator. The country struggled throughout his reign and it was not until his death in 1975 that country found its strength.
After the death of Franco, Prince Juan Carlos became the King. It was he who transformed the country to modern democracy and made Spain the political and economic powerhouse of Europe.