Golden Age of Spain

Flourishing arts, daring theatre, and seminal pieces of literature; Spain's prosperous period in the late 1500s birthed what became known as the Golden Age (Siglo de Oro in Spanish). Although the Spanish renaissance period arrived later than much of the rest of Europe, it was no less impressive and left a lasting mark on culture and arts.

How did the Golden Age of Spain come about?

There are three main factors that supported the Golden Age of Spain: the Conquest of Granada, overseas exploration, and King Philip II’s patronage of the arts.

Golden Age of Spain: the Conquest of Granada

While many other countries in Europe had begun their journeys into the new Renaissance period in the fourteenth and fifteenth centuries, Spain was preoccupied with the Reconquista -an 800-year war that Christians had been fighting against Muslim Moors in an effort to regain the territories that they had lost to them in the eighth century.

After the successful Conquest of Granada in 1492, Christians managed to reconquer the different kingdoms and were free to set their sights on other objectives. One major goal was to catch up to the rest of Europe and enter the Renaissance period.

Golden Age of Spain: overseas exploration

A Golden Age needs, surprisingly enough, gold, or at least some form of economic support. Hence, one of the most important factors in establishing Spain's Golden Age was the success of Spanish exploration. When, in 1492, the rogue seafarer Christopher Columbus came to ask for funding for an expedition, the Catholic Monarchs agreed. This decision essentially sealed the fate of Spain for the next few centuries, as Columbus would chance across Cuba, which paved the way for the Spanish colonisation of the rest of the Americas. Two subsequent conquistadors, Cortés and Pizzaro, however, really drove the Golden Age with their exploration and plundering of Mexico and Peru, which were rich in precious metals.

Fig. 1 - Map showing King Phillip II's territories in 1598.

Golden Age of Spain: King Philip II

Isabella and Ferdinand's consolidation of royal power and the expansion of the Spanish empire under Charles I contributed to the making of the Golden Age. However, its true patron was King Philip II, whose zeal for cultural development and patronage of the arts drove the Golden Age of Spain. He funded the arts by giving them patronage.

Art during the Golden Age of Spain

Art and architecture were key features of this period. Art was heavily influenced by the Counter-Reformation, so works heavily featured religious themes and mysticism. One major style was Mannerism, where features were exaggerated, often creating asymmetrical paintings. Famous and influential artists of the era include:

The architecture of this period was grand and ornate. Juan de Herrera, a Spanish architect, mathematician and geometrician, was a highly influential figure and developed the Herrerian style that characterised many Golden Age buildings.

Many of these are key sites in Spain today, such as:

• The palace of Charles V

• El Escorial (Philip II’s residence and resting place)
• The Plaza Mayor in Madrid

• Granada Cathedral

• Valladolid Cathedral

Fig. 3 - Monastery San Lorenzo de El Escorial in Madrid, Spain. It was built between 1563 and 1584 by the order of King Philip II (who reigned from 1556 to 1598). It is the largest Renaissance building in the world.

Theatre during the Golden Age of Spain

Theatre blossomed in this age, rivalling the Elizabethan and Jacobean dramatists of the English Renaissance. In Spain, three main styles evolved and took centre stage: the comedia (comedy), the auto sacramental (a short allegorical religious play performed in verse), and the entréme (a short piece performed during intervals of full theatre performances).

Some of the most famous plays of this period include:

• Life is a Dream - Calderón de la Barca (a philosophical drama)

• Fuente Ovejuna - Lope de Vega (a historical play)

• The Trickster of Seville - Tirso de Molina

Fig. 4 - Title page from a comedy by Spanish playwright Lope de Vega

Literature during the Golden Age of Spain

The Golden Age is often seen as the high point of Spanish literature. Many of the works that emerged from this period were religious, realist, and patriotic.

The most important literary works were Miguel de Cervantes Saavedra's Don Quixote (published in two parts in 1605 and 1615), which tells the story of a Spanish noble who goes in search of his own chivalrous adventures, inspired by his love of reading.

Fig. 5 - Title page of Cervante's Don Quixote.

The economy during the Golden Age of Spain

The exploitation of the colonies in the Americas reaped enormous amounts of wealth for Spain. Most historians believe that in the mid-sixteenth century, Spain reached the height of its economic growth. However, the extent to which this actually benefitted the Spanish people themselves is questionable.

During this age, Spain poured vast amounts of money into the fight against Protestantism, which put the country in huge amounts of debt. The costs of the Eighty Years War and the Armada's disastrous attack on England far superseded the amount of money Spain was generating from the Americas, hence Philip had to introduce heavy taxation and use loans. By 1596, Philip's government had declared its third bankruptcy. In the late sixteenth century, the Spanish economy was on a downward trajectory, which culminated in a severe economic crisis until the mid-seventeenth century.

Golden Age of Spain: population

A rapid decline in the population led to economic problems in Spain, which came to a head during the Golden Age. Attacks and expulsions against Jews and Muslims, as well as famines and plagues, wiped out a large amount of the population.

Many of the people that left were skilled workers, such as traders, business people, and farmers, creating a labour shortage in Spain. This led to a decline in agriculture, which directly affected the poor. Many moved to urban areas in search of work, leading to plagues, high unemployment, inflation, and famine.

Golden Age of Spain: class disparity

There was a high amount of disparity between the different classes. Increased trade benefitted merchants, sheep owners, and industrialists but not the poor, who still suffered from plagues, inflation, and famines. The cultural developments were of interest to Philip II and some of the higher classes but had little effect on the poor.

The end of the Golden Age of Spain

The Golden Age of Spain ended in the late seventeenth century as Spain entered a new era and its power and prosperity began to decline. Some mark the Golden Age of Spain by Caldéron's (one of the greatest writers of the age) death in 1681, whilst others argue it ended earlier with the Treaty of the Pyrenees in 1659 that ended the Franco-Spanish war and signalled Spain's end as the dominant power in Europe.