The Rise and Fall of the Spanish Empire

A Global Power

The Spanish Empire, also known as the Hispanic Monarchy or the Catholic Monarchy, was one of the largest empires in history and one of the first global powers. The empire was created in a time of rising European absolutism which flourished in both Spain and Spanish America and reached its height in the 16th and 17th centuries.

Dominating the World

The Spanish Empire became the foremost global power dominating the oceans as well as European battlefields. Spain enjoyed a cultural golden age in the 16th and 17th centuries. The empire controlled by the Kingdom of Spain endured from the 15th century all the way into the 20th century.