House of Trastámara

The House of Trastámara was a dynasty of kings in the Iberian Peninsula, which governed in Castile from 1369 to 1504, in Aragón from 1412 to 1516, in Navarre from 1425 to 1479, and in Naples from 1442 to 1501.

The house took the name of the Count (or Duke) of Trastámara, a title used by Henry II of Castile, "El de las Mercedes", before he became king in 1369; that is, during the civil war in which he sought to overthrow his legitimate brother Pedro of Castile. He was raised and educated by the Count Rodrigo Álvarez.

Through the Compromise of Caspe (1412), Ferdinand de Antequera, the second son of John I of Castile, was elected by the nobles of Aragón, Barcelona, and Valencia as king. This was the first cadet branch of the dynasty.

In 1425, John, the second son of the Ferdinand de Antequera, married the Navarrese queen and became Navarre's king. He reigned until his death in 1479, when his daughter Eleanor succeeded him briefly for a year.

In 1442, Alfonso V of Aragon succeeded to the Neapolitan throne by conquest. He ruled it until his death in 1458, when a younger son inherited it and began a new branch of the dynasty.

The reigns of the Trastamaran kings were characterised by a reinforcement of monarchical authority, economic development, and the expansion of the bourgeoisie.