This year marks a major anniversary. It has 530 years since the momentous events of 1492.

The conquest of Grenada, the expulsion of the Jews from Spain, and the dispatching of

Christopher Columbus across the Atlantic. Each one of these had an incalculably great effect

on the course of history. And each one of these was the action of one couple, Isabel, known

in English as Isabella of Castile, and third and and of Argonne. There's was a royal

partnership characterized by the pursuit of piety, purity, and power. To explore their

rule and the actions and decisions of 1492, I'm delighted to be joined by Charles Tremblett.

Charles is a journalist, he writes for the Guardian, and he's the author of four books, including

a very good biography of Catherine of Argonne, and an even more excellent biography of Isabella

of Castile, which won the Elizabeth Longford Prize in 2018. He's a visiting fellow at the London

School of Economics, and is speaking to me from Madrid.

Does it is an absolute honour, I'd say, to speak to you, because I have been reading

you for so long and had your voice in my head for so long, that it's just fabulous to

see you in person and have a chance to chat with you.

Well, since that has lovely to hand, thank you very much indeed. I'm looking forward to

talking about such a fantastic year. Yes, so we are here in this big anniversary year of

1492, and I want us to get to talk about the key events of that year, but I suppose

we ought to start by setting the scene. Let's talk about Isabella and Ferdinand and who

they work. Can you introduce them, please?

Well, they are a remarkable couple. They are basically the founders of what we today

think of as Spain, one being the monarch of Argonne, which is Eastern Spain, sort of based

on Barcelona, and the other being the Queen of Castile, far more powerful and important

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