Icon Statue of Saint Ferdinand King of Spain, Saint Ferdinand's Catholic church - City of San Fernando. Photo by Gerald Fecht for the Archives of The Museum of the San Fernando Valley - Nov. 2009Ferdinand II was the first king of united Spain.
Born on the 10th or March 1452, King Ferdinand was originally the king of Aragon. He married Isabella the Queen of Castile. (The crest of the kingdom of Spain has the castle of Castile and the red lion of Aragon) Together the “royal” couple formed the new kingdom of Spain and bankrolled the explorer Christopher Columbus.
Ferdinand and Isabella used a common language, religion and sense of destiny to unify their Catholic kingdom. The result was the expulsion of Jews, Moslems and non-Catholic Christians from Spain, and the eventual arrival of the Inquisition.
For his religious fervor, Fernando was canonized a saint. It is San Fernando Rey de España for whom our Valley is named.
Saint Ferdinand died on 23 June 1516
Rose Window at St. Ferdinand's Catholic church on McClay Street in San Fernando, California.