La+Reconquista+de+Madrid+(+english+)

This page has been created by Celia Pastor Carbonell, María González, Patricia Izquierdo and Alejandra Fernández.

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The Reconquest was the process which consisted on reconquering the territories that had been invaded by the Muslims. This process took place between the year 722 and the year 1492. In the XI century Madrid was a covetted aim by the Christian troops, which realized that it was not possible to conquer Toledo if they did not conquer Madrid before. Finally, king [VI of Portugal-Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alfonso_VI_of_Portugal |Alfonso VI] conquered the city in the year 1083 and two years later he entered Toledo. He also conquered [de Henares-Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/alcal%C3%A1_de_Henares|Alcalá de Henares] and The Castle of Oreja. The new territories conquered by the Christians were divided into different regions. The territorial fragmentation was the result of a long and hard process which was divided into two steps:
 * The first step took place between the XI and the XII centuries. The aim of this step was to consolidate the militar territories with a defensive intention. When these terrritories were consolidated, the process looked for sociodemographic and economis aims.
 * The second step took place between the XIII and the XV. It was especially complicated because the Castilian cities wnted to take control over the new territories and the feudal monarch's power increased. Madrid was the only region which maintain an active role during this part of the process because it was the only urban centre which maintain a juridic personality with the Real [the free encyclopedia http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fuero|Fuero] and the Old Fuero.

Some monuments have been kept from this time. For example:

The Monastery Cisterciense of Santa María of Valdeiglesias.



The [churches in the Community of Madrid-wikipedia commons http://commons.wikipedia.org/wiki/Category: churches_in_the_Community_of_Madrid|Church of San Bautista of Talamanca of Jarama].



The Church of San Nicolás of los Servitas.