VISIGOTHIC SPAIN(409 – 711)

THE BEGINIG OF THE MIDDLE AGES IN SPAIN

ALEJANDRO REIRIZ Y MARCOS SOTO09/10/2015

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INDEX:

- THE FORMATION OF THE VISIGOTHIC KINGDOM……………………………….........................................................……. 2

- POLITICAL STRUCTURE……………………………………………………………….………. 3

- ECONOMIC ACTIVITIES, SOCIAL STRUCTURE AND RELIGIONS………………………………………………………………………… 4

- CULTURAL ACHIEVMENTS…………………………….…………………………….............. 5

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THE FORMATION OF THE VISIGOTHIC KINGDOM

The Visigoth Kingdom was a Western European power in the 5 to 7 centuries; created in France, also called Galia; also were a town of Germanic origin hat constituted, Near the Goths, one of the main of the Goths.

They had a war with the Barbarian Kingdom who were in Hispania (Swevians, Vandals and Alans), they win and the Barbarians falled and went to North Africa. Then then the Visigoths put their capital in France, called Toulousse.

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POLITICAL STRUCTURE

Leovigild was an extreme Arian Christian who tried to expand the Visigoths in the Iberian Peninsula. He was constantly at war and he conquered Leon and Zamora in 569 from the suebi. He also took Cordoba from the Greeks. He then was able to conquer all of the Iberian Peninsula.

Reccared was the son of Leovigild and was completely the opposite of his father. He was always seeking peace. When he was king he noticed that the majority of the population was catholic so he decided to switch from Arian Christian to Catholic so that the people would like him better.

Receswinth was a very important king because he completed something called the law code. The law code where written statements of law and these laws brought the Visigoths and the romans together.

The Visigoths used a government called the Selective Monarchy. The selective monarchy would work sometimes but the Visigoths had a lot of problems. Once the king died the noble people would be chosen to be king. The noble people would choose who would be king among themselves. This was a problem because maybe the people who were not noble may not agree that the person who was chosen to be king should be king. Another problem was assassination, the king would get assassinated often because noble people would think that by assassinated the king they would be chosen king but that was not always the case.

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ECONOMIC ACTIVITIES, SOCIAL STRUCTURE AND RELIGION

RELIGION

There were a religious between the Visigoths, who were Arians and his Catholics subjects in Hispania. The Iberia Visigoths carry on been division until 589, also was a prefunded sectaries enter the Catholics of the population of the Iberian Peninsula.

Arianism was an old tribe who lived in the western of Afghanistan. Their name mean noble. They are called ´´Arios´´ founded in the modern ´´Hari Rudi ´´. They also were nomads in the prehistory of central Asia.

SOCIAL STRUCTURE

There were 2 main social groups:

HispanoromansThe hispanoromans were mediterraneanlatins, founded in the Mediterranean Sea. They were Christian people.

Visigoths The visigoths are founded in north Scandinavia and Ariana. They were Christian people.

ECONOMIC ACTIVITIES

Was mainly Agrarian and Pastoral life in the urban centers gradually decayed, and society in general became predominantly rural.

A major characteristic of this society was its inequality.

Many freemen in towns burned by heavy tributes and other types of social duties.

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VISIGOTH´S ART

´´Tesoro de Guarrazar´´

They use different materials like: gold, beautiful rocks, pares, nacre, sputters of glass. There is founded in Toledo (Spain). They start it and finished in (621 – 672) Century.

´´San Pedro de la Nave´´

Discovered by M.Gómez Moreno in 1906. It was declared church and national monument in 1912.

´´Ermita Santa María´´

The chapel of Santa Maria de Quintanilla of the Vines was declared a National Monument in 1929.

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