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Juana I of Castile

Also known as Juana la Loca (epithet)

Toledo, 15 Nov 1479 – Tordesillas, 22 Apr 1555

13 facts3 sources

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About Juana I

Joanna I of Castile: Queen of Two Crowns

AI-assisted · edited

The collection records Joanna’s probable birth in Toledo in 1479. She was the daughter of Queen Isabella I of Castile and King Ferdinand II of Aragon, placing her at the intersection of two royal dynasties and two Iberian kingdoms. 123

Joanna became Queen of Castile and León in 1504 and Queen of Aragon in 1516. The records also assign her the Sardinian royal title from 1516 to 1555, associating her name with several territorial crowns. 456

Her marriage to the Austrian archduke Philip the Handsome was arranged in 1496. The collection records her death in 1555, but the precise date is disputed: the evidence preserves competing possibilities, and Tordesillas is associated with one of them. This uncertainty makes the location and moment of her death particularly important points for further study. 789

Drafted with AI and edited against the collection. Open a citation to see the record, its sources and how certain it is.

Facts and their sources

  • Born15 Nov 1479, Toledonot verified1 source
  • TitleMonarch of Castile and Leon, 1504–1555or King of Sardinia, 1516–1555not verified1 source
  • TitleKing of Sardinia, 1516–1555or Monarch of Castile and Leon, 1504–1555not verified1 source
  • Died22 Apr 1555, Tordesillasor 21 Apr 1555Records disagree1 source
  • FatherFerdinand II of Aragonnot verified1 source
  • MotherIsabella I of Castilenot verified1 source

A life in time

  1. 15 Nov 1479

    Born in Toledo

  2. 1498–1507

    6 children are born

  3. 1504–1555

    Monarch of Castile and Leon

  4. 1516–1555

    King of Sardinia

  5. 22 Apr 1555

    Dies in Tordesillas, aged 75

During her lifetime

She lived through 9 decades. Pick one to hear and see what it was like around Toledo.

General history, not a record about the family: each item says where it comes from.

The 1470s · Juana I is born in Toledo

What people wore

Around 1500–1524

The Colorful Woolen Tunic Called Saya

Ordinary people wore a tunic called a saya, which was often made of wool and dyed in various colors like red, purple, ocher, blue, green, white, or black. It was typically worn by peasants and artisans, sometimes featuring an open neck known as an amigaut.

Daily life

Around 1500–1524

Domestic heating and cleaning methods

Households used braziers to heat laundry and water for cleaning, as homes lacked modern amenities like running water.

Work

Around 1500–1524

Agricultural life and self-sufficiency

About 80 percent of Navarre's population relied on agriculture, with most households aiming for self-sufficiency. Two-thirds of farmers combined agricultural work with artisan activities.

Music

Around 1500–1524

Cathedral music and instrument maintenance

In the Pamplona Cathedral during the early 16th century, musicians such as chirimia players were officially employed, and payments for instrument maintenance, like repairing a bajon, were recorded in ducats.

At the table

Around 1500–1524

Wine as a daily essential drink

Wine was the essential daily drink, considered vital for health and often mixed with water because pure water was frequently unsafe to consume. It was consumed by all social classes, and many people carried their own measuring tools to ensure the wine was diluted correctly.

Getting around

Around 1500–1524

Limited river navigation

Rivers in the region were generally not navigable, except for the Ebro, where small boats transported goods like grain, wine, and iron.

What it cost

Around 1500–1524

Meat Consumption and Hunting Practices

Lamb was the most consumed meat, and hunting was crucial to supplement low calorie diets rather than just being a noble sport.