When was the Textile Fragment from the Reliquary of St. Librada made?
This textile fragment was woven in Islamic Spain around the year 1100. From the early 7th century through the early 11th century when the Spanish Umayyad dynasty fell, most of the Iberian Peninsula was ruled by the Muslim kingdom, Al-Andalus. As the Spanish Umayyad dynasty collapsed and diverged into the Muslim ruled taifa states, northern Christian kingdoms began to strengthen and unify: the Reconquista, or efforts by Christian kingdoms to reconquer the Iberian Peninsula from Muslim rule, lasted from roughly the 7th century through the 14th century. It is of note that despite many similarities, historically, the Reconquista is not considered a crusade as it was largely political; it did not have the same religious motivations as the crusades.
In battling Christian powers of the North, Muslim ruled taifa states would call upon kingdoms in North Africa for assistance. However, medieval Spain was marked not only by Christian-Muslim conflict, but conflict between the independent taifa states as well, who would turn to Christian powers for alliance and support. Indeed, the conflict in Spain during the Middle Ages had many dimensions.
Broadly, 11th century Spain was a time of shifting rule with growing Christian power and diminishing Muslim domain. It was a time of division, alliance, and varying leadership. It was also a time of vast and vibrant cultural advancement, notably in Muslim Spain. As Christians and Muslims had integrated along social and economic lines, Christian conquest was in a regard mutually destructive.