Women of the Spanish Empire: Conquistadoras and Court Figures

The rise of the Spanish Empire in the late 15th and early 16th centuries was shaped not only by the ambitions of kings and conquistadors but also by deeply ingrained ideas about gender, religion, and hierarchy. Understanding the foundations of empire requires an exploration of the roles women played in shaping the ideologies and structures that supported Spain’s expansion. Before a single ship crossed the Atlantic, the framework for female involvement—both in power and subjugation—was being constructed within the Iberian Peninsula itself.

In pre-imperial Spain, societal expectations for women were largely defined by patriarchal norms, Catholic doctrine, and rigid class distinctions. Noblewomen were expected to be pious, obedient, and domestic—but they also wielded influence through marriage, property, and patronage. While women were officially excluded from formal political power, many found ways to assert themselves in the margins of court life and feudal structures. The consolidation of the Spanish kingdoms under Ferdinand and Isabella brought new dimensions to women’s visibility. Queen Isabella I of Castile was not merely a consort but a co-ruler who exercised significant authority in state affairs, set precedents for female leadership, and legitimized women’s roles in imperial governance.

Religion was a cornerstone of Spanish identity and expansion, and the Catholic Church played a powerful role in defining women's roles. The Reconquista—a centuries-long campaign to reclaim Iberia from Muslim rule—had reinforced ideals of religious purity and militant piety, with noblewomen often portrayed as defenders of faith and family. These ideals carried over into imperial projects, casting Spanish women as both moral guides and reproducers of Christian civilization in the colonies. Women’s roles as mothers, wives, and keepers of religious virtue became essential to the empire’s mission of cultural conquest.