Though Ferdinand and Isabella did not include the word “Spain” in the string of regions of which they were sovereigns, it is generally accepted that they laid the foundations for the nation that was to become Spain. In this book, the word “Spain” will periodically be used when referring to Castile during and after the monarchs’ reign, as well as Castile and Aragon under Ferdinand and Isabella’s reign.
In manus tuas is Latin for “into thy hands,” from the seven last words of Christ. Consummatum est, words uttered by Christ, is Latin for “It is finished.”
The Holy Roman Empire was a conglomeration of states ruled by royalty, stretching from Charlemagne (crowned in 800) to Francis II, who oversaw its dissolution in 1806. Various rulers elected the emperors, who largely came from the Habsburg dynasty. The empire’s territories covered large areas of central Europe, as well as parts of Italy, Belgium, and the Netherlands. Despite their lofty title and claims to temporal suzerainty over Christendom, the Holy Roman emperors’ authority was not significant, the title being largely prestigious.
Maria Theresa named three of her daughters Maria Carolina. One lived from 1740 to 1741, another was stillborn in 1748, and the last, who lived from 1752 to 1814, became Queen of Naples and Sicily as the consort of King Ferdinand IV.