Getting Started with Reconquista Maps
So, I had this idea kicking around in my head for a while about the Reconquista. You know, that long period in Iberian history. I thought it'd be cool to actually see how the territories changed over time, not just read about it. So, I decided to try and make some maps myself. It wasn't for any big project, just something I wanted to do for my own understanding.
First thing, I needed a decent base map of the Iberian Peninsula. Nothing too fancy, just something clear I could work with. I spent a bit of time looking for one that wasn't all cluttered with modern roads and city names. That was step one, really, just getting the basic canvas ready, so to speak. I found a pretty simple outline map that looked like it would do the trick.
Then, the real work began. Figuring out the historical borders for different periods. This was a bit of a slog, not gonna lie. I had to dive into a bunch of historical articles and look at existing scholarly maps. The problem is, dates and exact territories can be a bit fuzzy, especially for the earlier centuries. You'll find one source says one thing, another historian presents a slightly different boundary. You kind of have to make a judgment call sometimes, or try to find a consensus if you can.
The Nitty-Gritty of Making Them
Once I had a rough idea of the key periods I wanted to show – like, say, every 50 or 100 years – I started actually drawing. I'm no graphic designer, mind you. I just used a pretty basic image editing program I already had. Something simple where I could draw lines, use layers, and fill areas with color.
My process went something like this:
- I took the base map and made a copy for each time period I wanted to depict.
- Then I decided on a couple of simple colors. One for the Christian kingdoms, one for the Muslim-controlled areas. Kept it really straightforward.
- I started with an early snapshot, maybe around the 9th or 10th century. I carefully sketched out those initial boundaries based on my research. This involved a lot of looking back and forth between my notes and the screen.
- Then, I'd move to the next map, representing a jump forward in time. This meant erasing old lines or drawing over them and then coloring in the new territories as they shifted.
- I repeated this over and over for each period. It was pretty time-consuming, especially getting the smaller kingdoms and the shifting allegiances sort of right. Some of those little taifas that popped up and disappeared were a real headache to track!
The key was just being patient and methodical. Lots of zooming in, adjusting tiny bits of border, then zooming out to see if it looked right in the bigger picture. Sometimes I’d get a region done and then find a new piece of information or a clearer map in a book that made me rethink it, so I’d have to go back and tweak things. A bit frustrating when that happened, but part of the deal when you're piecing things together yourself.
What I Ended Up With
After a good few sessions of this, I had a series of maps. They're not perfect, I'm sure a professional cartographer or a deeply specialized historian could pick them apart. But for me, it was a really cool way to visualize how the whole Reconquista unfolded. Seeing the gradual expansion and the changing political landscape laid out visually, frame by frame, was pretty enlightening.
It’s one thing to read about battles and treaties, but seeing those colors shift and borders move across the peninsula, map by map, really brought the history to life for me in a new way. So yeah, that was my little project. Just thought I'd share the process in case anyone else fancies giving something similar a go. It's not super technical, mostly just needs a bit of time and a willingness to dig through some history books and online resources.
