Golden Age & Colonies (1492–1700)

With the discovery of America, Spain's Siglo de Oro — the Golden Age — began, during which the country rose to world power and simultaneously sowed the seeds of its decline.

The Largest Empire in History

Under Charles V (Emperor of the Holy Roman Empire and King of Spain, 1516–1556) and his son Philip II (1556–1598), the Spanish Empire extended from the Philippines across South America to the Netherlands. "In my empire, the sun never sets," said Charles V — and it was true.

The Conquistadors — Hernán Cortés (Aztecs, 1519–1521), Francisco Pizarro (Incas, 1532) — brought immense wealth to Spain: gold and silver from Mexico and Peru. Seville became the gateway to the New World; the Archivo de Indias (now UNESCO World Heritage) houses 80 million pages of colonial documents.

Cultural Flourishing

Paradoxically, Spain experienced its greatest cultural flourishing while the empire was already beginning to crumble:

• Cervantes wrote "Don Quixote" (1605/1615) — the first modern novel in world literature
• Velázquez painted "Las Meninas" — one of the most analyzed paintings in art history
• El Greco created his mystical visions in Toledo
• Lope de Vega and Calderón de la Barca revolutionized the theater

Decline

The gold from America was squandered on endless wars (Netherlands, England, France) instead of being invested in the economy. The Spanish Armada failed in 1588 off England. In the 17th century, Spain lost its possessions piece by piece. The War of the Spanish Succession (1701–1714) ended the Habsburg line and brought the Bourbons to the throne — who still reign today.