500 years ago this summer a fleet of ships left Spain in search of the Spice Islands and a way around the new world. Three years later just one ship returned barely afloat. The first documented circumnavigation of the Earth was complete. The voyage signalled the growth of the Spanish Empire and the spread of Christianity to the new world. The voyage was financed by a Papal grant and Spaniards were committed by Vatican decree to spread Catholicism to the new world. So how do we assess the role of religion in Spanish history, what have been the key moments and how has the place of religion changed in today’s contemporary Spain. In this episode of Beyond Belief, Ernie Rea is joined by historian Felipe Fernández-Armesto, Dr Elizabeth Drayson, author of “The Moor’s Last Stand: how seven centuries of Muslim rule in Spain came to an end" and Dr Javier García Oliva, Senior Lecturer in Law, The University of Manchester.

Producer:
Catherine Earlam

Series Producer:
Amanda Hancox