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Castile

(Encyclopedia)Castile kästēˈlyä [key], historic region and former kingdom, central and N Spain, traditionally divided into Old Castile and New Castile, and now divided among the autonomous communities of Castil...

Columbus, Christopher

(Encyclopedia)Columbus, Christopher, Ital. Cristoforo Colombo krēstōˈbäl kōlōnˈ [key], 1451–1506, European explorer, b. Genoa, Italy. Columbus was not the first European mariner to sail to the New World�...

Aneto, Pico de

(Encyclopedia)Aneto, Pico de pēˈkō dā änāˈtō [key], Fr. Pic de Néthou or Pic d'Anethou, peak, 11,168 ft (3,404 m) high, NE Spain, in the Maladetta group near the French border. It is the highest peak of th...

Finisterre, Cape

(Encyclopedia)Finisterre, Cape fĭnĭstârˈ [key] [Lat. finis terrae=land's end], rocky promontory, extreme NW Spain, on the Atlantic coast of Galicia. Off the cape, the English won two naval battles against the F...

Rioja, La

(Encyclopedia)Rioja, La lä rēōˈhä [key], autonomous community (2011 pop. 321,173), 1,948 sq mi (5,045 sq km), N Spain, coextensive with La Rioja prov. A fertile region, it is famous for its fine wines, which a...

Boscawen, Edward

(Encyclopedia)Boscawen, Edward bŏskōˈən [key], 1711–61, British admiral. He was a popular naval hero, famous for his decisive courage displayed against France and Spain at Portobelo (1739), Cape Finisterre (1...

Moriscos

(Encyclopedia)Moriscos môrĭsˈkōz [key] [Span.,=Moorish], Moors converted to Christianity after the Christian reconquest (11th–15th cent.) of Spain. The Moors who had become subjects of Christian kings as the ...

Moro, Antonio

(Encyclopedia)Moro, Antonio môˈrō [key], c.1519–c.1575, Flemish portrait painter, known as Antonis Mor or Moor and as Sir Anthony More. He studied with Jan van Scorel. In 1547 he was a free master at Antwerp ...

Guzmán, Nuño de

(Encyclopedia)Guzmán, Nuño de no͞oˈnyĕth bĕltränˈ [key], d. 1544, Spanish conquistador. After serving as governor of Panuco in NE Mexico, he became president of the first audiencia of New Spain (1528). His ...

Roderick

(Encyclopedia)Roderick rŏdˈərĭk [key], d. 711?, last Visigothic king in Spain (710–711?). After the death of King Witiza, a group of nobles chose Roderick, duke of Baetica, as successor to the king. Having de...