Old Castile facts for kids
Old Castile (which in Spanish is Castilla la Vieja) is a historic area in Spain. Its borders changed many times over the centuries. It was officially defined in 1833. At that time, it included several provinces. These were Santander (now Cantabria), Burgos, Logroño (now La Rioja), Soria, Segovia, Ávila, Valladolid, and Palencia.
Even though it was called a "region," Old Castile never had its own special government. Only the individual provinces had their own local leaders.
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What Does "Old Castile" Mean?
The name "Old Castile" tells us that this area is roughly where the Kingdom of Castile started. This was around the 11th century, before the kingdom grew much bigger to the south. The Kingdom of Castile began in the 9th century. It included parts of what are now Cantabria, Álava, and Burgos province.
How Old Castile's Borders Changed
The borders of Old Castile were not always the same. Different rulers and laws changed which provinces belonged to it.
Changes by King Charles III
In the 18th century, Charles III of Spain decided which provinces were part of Old Castile. He included Burgos, Soria, Segovia, Ávila, Valladolid, and Palencia.
The 1833 Division of Spain
A very important change happened on November 30, 1833. A new law, created by Javier de Burgos, divided Spain into provinces. This division is still mostly the same today. It helped organize the country better.
The 1855 Division of Spain
Later, on November 30, 1855, another royal law divided Spain into 49 provinces. This law made some big changes to Old Castile. It moved the provinces of Valladolid and Palencia to the Region of León. This left Old Castile with Santander, Burgos, Logroño, Soria, Segovia, and Ávila.
This new division was used in many books and encyclopedias for a long time. For example, early versions of the Enciclopedia Espasa and the Encyclopædia Britannica followed this setup.
Old Castile Today
In 1983, Spain created new areas called autonomous communities. These are like states or regions with their own governments. When this happened, Old Castile stopped being a separate official area.
Most of its provinces joined with the Region of León to form a larger autonomous community called Castile and León. However, two of its former provinces became their own autonomous communities:
So, while the name "Old Castile" is still used to talk about history, it is no longer an official administrative region in Spain.
See also
- Castile (historical region)
- New Castile
- Castile and León
In Spanish: Castilla la Vieja para niños
