Monolith commemorating the landing of Charles V. · Tazones

More than 500 years ago, a young prince named Charles of Habsburg landed on these shores on his way to Castile to be sworn in as king. Later known as Charles I of Spain and Holy Roman Emperor Charles V, he was born in Ghent in 1500, the son of Joan the Mad and Philip the Handsome. Orphaned in 1506, he inherited vast territories. Declared of age in 1515, he proclaimed himself king in Brussels in 1516. Before being accepted by the Cortes in Valladolid, he had to face internal challenges and dynastic disputes, including the aspiration to the throne of his brother Ferdinand.