Tordesillas

Tordesillas stands above the Duero in the heart of Castile, a royal town whose name became known far beyond Iberia. In 1494 representatives of Castile and Portugal signed a treaty here establishing a dividing line for their overseas claims. The agreement sought to settle a rivalry intensified by voyages across the Atlantic. Queen Joanna of Castile was confined at Tordesillas for much of her life. During the Revolt of the Comuneros, the rebels held the town and sought her support against the government of her son Charles I. Royal forces captured Tordesillas in December 1520, taking control of the queen and depriving the rebels of an important political advantage.