3-097-595 - Heritage Art/Heritage Images

King Ferdinand II of Aragon, 17th century. Ferdinand (1452-1516), also known as Ferdinand the Catholic, is considered the de facto first king of Spain. He was King of Aragon, and as the husband and co-ruler of Queen Isabella I of Castile, he was also King of Castile (as Ferdinand V). His reign marked the end of the Reconquista (the overthrow of Muslim rule on the Iberian Peninsula) and also the start of the Spanish Empire.