A period in Spanish history from 718-1492 that marked the conquest of Spain by the Christians from the Muslims.
In 718 Pelayo, a Visogoth, defeated the Muslim army in Covadonga, northern Spain. With this began the reconquista. Alfonso I expelled the Moors from Galicia and Leon and established a "land of nobody" to protect the reign from the Muslims. Under the direction of Alfonso VI, a strong program of reconquest began. The objective was to unify all Spain under one crown and one religion. Slowly, the Christian forces advanced further south into Muslim land. Finally, in 1492, the forces captured the city of Granada in the south thus ending the reconquista.
This period of time is also noted for the great national hero, el Cid, who helped unify Christian Spain.