❖ Cinematic Curriculum ❖
← All Empires

THE SPANISH EMPIRE
IN FILM & SERIES

From the Reconquista to 1898 and the long afterglow

1492 AD - 1975 AD
Phase I
1035 - 1492
Reconquista and Unification
Christian kingdoms expand south - Ferdinand and Isabella unite Spain - the stage is set for overseas empire
FILM El Cid (1961)
SERIES Isabel (2011)
⟡ Isabel is the core series for the unification era.
Phase II
1492 - 1521
Columbus and the Opening of the Atlantic
1492 voyages - Spanish claims in the Caribbean - the era of rapid exploration begins
FILM 1492: Conquest of Paradise (1992)
DOC Conquistadors (2000)
⟡ 1492 is the primary cinematic entry; the doc adds context.
Phase III
1519 - 1560
Conquest of the Americas
Cortes and Pizarro - fall of Aztec and Inca empires - vast colonial extraction begins
FILM The Other Conquest (1998)
FILM Aguirre, the Wrath of God (1972)
⟡ The Other Conquest centers Indigenous perspectives on the fall of Tenochtitlan.
Phase IV
1556 - 1640
Habsburg Golden Age
Charles V and Philip II - global naval power - religious wars and the Armada era
SERIES Carlos, Rey Emperador (2015)
⟡ Carlos gives the most sustained depiction of the Habsburg apex.
Phase V
1700 - 1808
Bourbon Reform and Mission Empires
Bourbon centralization - Jesuit missions in South America - the empire tightens control
FILM The Mission (1986)
⟡ The Mission is essential for the Jesuit frontier story.
Phase VI
1808 - 1898
Independence Wars and 1898
Napoleonic invasion sparks colonial revolts - Latin American independence - 1898 loss of Cuba and Philippines
DOC Conquistadors (2000)
⟡ Documentary bridge recommended for late imperial decline.
Phase VII
1898 - 1975
Afterglow and End of Empire
Spain redefines itself after overseas losses - a long imperial sunset into the modern era
DOC Conquistadors (2000)
⟡ Documentary bridge recommended for the final phase.
FINIS IMPERII HISPANICI
1975 AD
FILM Feature Film
SERIES TV Series
MINI Miniseries
DOC Documentary
DRAMA Docudrama
⟡ parallel / optional