Spain was once one of the most powerful nations on earth

A surefire way to make a visit to a foreign country more enjoyable is to understand a bit about the country's history, heritage, culture and politics. The history of Spain has been molded by many influences. The Iberian Peninsula, which encompasses Spain and Portugal has been occupied through the ages by the Romans, the Moors and others. If you have no knowledge of the influence of these ancient cultures, you will not appreciate and understand the castles, churches, fortresses and other buildings throughout the country. There are even edifices that show the influence of many of these cultures in Thai same building.

Spain was once one of the most powerful nations on earth. Wars and political upheavals placed a drain on the economy and this country experienced a period of sad decline and a long dictatorship that stifled growth. Recent changes in political power and structures have forged a turnaround, and this combined with a strong surge in tourism has reestablished Spain as a political and economic success. The Roman Empire ruled almost all of Europe at one point, including Spain. After the fall of the Roman Empire, Moorish invaders were able to take control of the country. To this day, you see their architectural influence in many of the castles and ancient fortresses throughout the country. This Muslim influence persisted until about the year 1000, when Christians tried to purge the country of Islam. Revolts and wars between these two powerful forces persisted through the centuries until about the end of the fourteenth century.

In the fifteenth century, the two powerful Christian kingdoms of Castile and Aragon were united through the marriage of Ferdinand and Isabella. This was a turning point in the direction of the country, since political, economic and religious power was now in the hands of one ruling family. Catholicism was made the official religion, and any Muslims who did not convert were expelled or worse.