Love is by far the most beautiful emotion a person can experience, but it can also turn a person into a madman in the truest sense. The story of Juana I, Queen of Castile, is a prime example. Her love for her husband, Philip I, did indeed often transcend the boundaries of reason.
Juana's weakness was often exploited by her relatives (and her husband himself), which undermined the woman's already fragile psyche. However, the most unusual event began after the death of the king. What kind of person is the Mad Queen? How did she convince her to separate from the dead king?
Strict upbringing
Juana I was born in 1479 to a royal family of Ferdinand of Aragon and Isabella of Castile. It was their union that began the unification of Spain as a single state, and this long process was accomplished by their grandson Charles V.
Juana's parents were devout Catholics. Isabella's teacher in Castile was the famous inquisitor Tokmada, so the queen herself tried to educate her daughter with a fanatical dedication of faith.
From the very beginning, Juana was not considered the heiress to the Castilian throne. Five of the royal couple's ten children survived, and the girl was the third offspring of Ferdinand of Aragon.
Juana spent her entire childhood learning science, etiquette, and most importantly how to uphold Catholic doctrine. Parents believe that their daughters should grow up frugally, avoid all temptations, and not know the concept of luxury.
A very different life
When Juana was 17, she found the right man. She married Philip I, governor of Burgundy, and was nicknamed "Handsome Man" for her handsome countenance.
When she found herself in her husband's court, Juana was struck by such a clear difference in etiquette. It rules a relaxed atmosphere that doesn't prohibit flirting with ladies and finding new hobbies. By the way, Philip himself had a weakness for attractive women and loved horses and hunting.
Of course, at that time, most marriages between aristocratic families were purely calculated. Juana and Philippe Fair of Castile are no exception. But Juana herself fell in love with her husband almost at first sight.
He was attentive and kind - that's all. In addition, within a month of their marriage, Philip had an affair with a beautiful maid, completely disregarding his wife. He was infuriated by Juana's piety and modesty, while she endured in silence in solitude.
Philip's concubines were also seen as unfriendly and wary in the court. The court did not understand why she should try to avoid happy revelry and entertainment, hardly attend the ball, and if she came, she would also act like a hermit.
Moreover, over time, Juana began to show uncontrollable anger that was so out of tune with her peaceful nature. Needless to say, these are the first alarm bells for the first signs of madness.
Heir to the Castile throne
And soon, another shock awaited the woman. Juana learned that her brother Juan, the heir to the castile throne, had died. Some time later, her sister Isabella also died of dystocia.
The beautiful concubine of Philip became the first applicant for the Castilian throne. Juana left her home country with her husband and two children. But it turned out that things were not as simple as Philip had expected, and he was anxious to become the ruler of Castile.
Juana's mother, Isabella, was well aware of her son-in-law's ambitions, and once crowned, he would certainly negotiate peace with France, which the Castilian monarchs considered the main rival.
Differences of opinion on foreign affairs led Isabella to write her will. She noted that if she died, it would be Juana who would inherit the throne, not her husband. If the heiress also died, it would be Ferdinand (Juana's father) who would become king, not Philippe.
First imprisonment
When Philippe-Fell realized that he would not be allowed to rule Castile alone, he left his wife at home and left for Burgundy. Separation from him almost ruined Juana.
She wanted to rush over and chase him, but her parents prevented her from taking such a stupid approach. She was kept in a castle, and the woman spent her days in confinement, reciting prayers. The hermit soon gave birth to her third child, named Ferdinand. After giving birth, she managed to escape to her husband.
It seems that the reunion after a long separation should bring the couple together, but unfortunately, Philip does not want to indulge in pleasure. He was given a new darling, which made his poor wife's heart more miserable. Legend has it that Juana once attacked Philip's mistress with scissors, mutilating the woman's face and cutting off her hair.
When he learned of this undignified behavior, he beat his wife and put her under house arrest. After this, Juana's mental health deteriorated considerably. The distraught woman kept screaming and asking to see her husband. She just wanted to see him. They had six children (four girls and two boys) during their marriage.
Mad Queen of Castile
However, the budget-conscious Philip was in no hurry to break off relations with his wife. He realized that it would be Juana who would become queen of Castile, but she could not rule the country. Soon, the Duke of Burgundy received the news of the death of Isabella of Castile, which pleased him.
Back in Juana's hometown, Philip confronts her father. Juana had previously had no interest in state affairs and court intrigue, and she was a bystander. Fair Philippe and Aragon's Ferdinand, on the other hand, entered a "cold" battle where the winner would win the castile crown.
The conflict ended with a mysterious event. The young and lively beautiful Philip died suddenly of smallpox. Of course, it cannot be ruled out that Ferdinand's opponent was deliberately infected, or that the cause of death was not the same at all, but that is not the point.
The husband's story
For days, a distraught Juana did not allow the body of her dead husband to be sent underground. She didn't want to be separated from the man she loved dearly, so she ordered the beautiful Philip to be embalmed. Subsequently, a large team took him to the family tombs in Granada across the country.
Juana is said to have not left the body of her dead husband for eight months. She did not allow other women to approach the coffin because she was very jealous. Even the birth of a daughter could not divert Juana from her gloomy thoughts.
At that time, Juana of Castile was the object of the most incredible legend. According to legend, every night the queen would order the coffin to be opened, after which she would kiss and embrace her husband's body. Historians are very skeptical of the story.
According to surviving documents, Juana asked to open the coffin several times to check if her husband was in power. Juana only made her first request five weeks after Philip Fell's death, so the nightly version of the "visit" is likely to be fabricated. However, reality is even creepier than fiction.
Her father's prisoner
The Castilian heiress and her party never went to Granada. Ferdinand of Aragon used force to bring Juana and her young daughter to the castle of Tordesillas. According to the will of the late Isabella of Castile, if his daughter proves incapacitated, he can inherit the throne.
That's exactly what happened. The new ruler did not consider it his duty to take care of poor Juana. She was imprisoned with her children in the cellars of the castle. This woman doesn't bathe, eats only goat cheese and bread, and wears dirty ragged clothes.
When Ferdinand of Aragon died and poor old Juana's son Charles became king, the mad woman was finally remembered. The monarch went to the castle where his mother had been imprisoned for many years. What he saw shocked him.
"It seems to me that the most necessary and most necessary thing is that no one should see Her Majesty the Queen. Because there won't be any good results. "
Juana, the mad woman, is doomed to failure. Now, her residence for the rest of her life is the Castle of Tordesillas. The only good news is that her daughter, Catherine of Austria, has been released. Surprisingly, the girl, who spent years in prison with her distraught mother, quickly adjusted to a normal life.
Crazy Juana I died in 1555 at the age of 75. The last thing she saw was the walls of the Castle of Tordesillas, where she had been imprisoned for many years. Her life was filled with some truly scary moments, and it wasn't just crazy.
The story of Juana of Castile reveals to us how ruthless and obsessive people can be in their quest for power. The queen's father turned his daughter into a prisoner, and her son sentenced her, changing her mother's fate. And it's a nightmare, and it's a lot scarier than madness.