The Reconquest Of The Iberian Peninsula

Crusading ideas had a profound impact on peninsular life. After the eleventh century, northern influences such as crusading ideology permeated Spain in many ways. The notion of crusading fueled nationalist fervor as generations were taught that their ancestors had waged a crusade against threatening Muslims, leading the crusading ideology of the reconquest to be transferred to the experiences of the New World. Because of the international character of the reconquest and the involvement of the papacy and subsequent use of indulgences, the reconquest of the Iberian Peninsula can be rightfully classified as a crusade.