The Spanish Golden Age, or Siglo de Oro, was a period of flourishing in the arts and literature in Spain, which coincided with the political rise of the Spanish Empire under the Habsburg monarchs. It is often dated from 1492, the year of the fall of Granada, Columbus's first voyage and the publication of the first grammar of Spanish by Antonio de Nebrija, to the death of the playwright Calderon de la Barca in 1681. Miguel de Cervantes wrote Don Quixote, Lope de Vega and Calderon wrote hundreds of plays, and poets such as Gongora and Quevedo created new styles. In painting, Velazquez, El Greco, Murillo and Zurbaran produced their masterpieces. The era's wealth came from the American silver, but wars and economic troubles gradually weakened the empire.
Before and after
- 28 June 1491Birth of Henry VIII of England
- 1 November 1491Birth of Ignatius of Loyola
- 31 December 1491Birth of Jacques Cartier
- 1492European colonization of the Americas
- from 1492 to 1681Spanish Golden Age
- 2 January 1492The fall of Granada ends Muslim rule in Spain
- 31 March 1492Alhambra Decree
- from 1493 to 1593Hundred Years' Croatian–Ottoman War
- 1493Askia Muhammad I takes power and builds the Songhai Empire
More in Civilizations & archaeology
- 1066Construction of Tower of London
- 1342Construction of Palace of Westminster
- from 1368 to 1644Ming dynasty
- from 1370 to 1789Construction of Bastille
- 1386Construction of Heidelberg University
- from 1438 to 1533Inca Empire
The era
This moment belongs to the Medieval world (500 CE to 1500 CE), kingdoms, faiths and trade routes. You can also browse everything in the 15th century.