Joanna of Castile’s Departure for Flanders (August 22, 1496)

On August 22, 1496, Joanna of Castile, daughter of Isabella I of Castile and Ferdinand II of Aragon, set sail from Laredo, a northern Spanish port on the Bay of Biscay, to embark on her journey to Flanders in the Low Countries.

This journey marked the beginning of her marriage to Philip the Handsome, heir to the Habsburg domains, a union that would have major political consequences for Europe.

A Farewell to Her Family

• Joanna would never see her parents again after leaving Spain.
• She would also never see her siblings again, except for her youngest sister, Catherine of Aragon, whom she met in 1506 when Catherine was Princess Dowager of Wales, following the death of her first husband, Arthur, Prince of Wales.

Political and Dynastic Importance of the Journey

• Joanna’s marriage to Philip the Handsome was part of the Spanish-Habsburg alliance, strengthening ties between Spain and the Holy Roman Empire.
• This alliance was meant to:
  • Counterbalance France, Spain’s greatest rival.
  • Establish Spanish influence in Northern Europe.
  • Solidify Habsburg control over key European territories.

Arrival in Flanders and Future Consequences

• Joanna arrived in Flanders in September 1496, where she would meet Philip the Handsome for the first time.
• Their marriage would eventually make Joanna the Queen of Castile (1504) and Aragon (1516), uniting Spain under Habsburg rule.
• Their son, Charles V, would become Holy Roman Emperor and King of Spain, ruling over a vast empire spanning Europe, the Americas, and Asia.

Joanna’s departure in 1496 marked the beginning of her tumultuous life in the Habsburg court, where she would experience political struggles, accusations of madness, and eventual confinement, forever shaping Spain’s dynastic future.