Euskara, The basque language

The invasion of the Kingdom of Navarre by the armies of Castile and Aragon, begun in 1512, culminated in 1530 when the last pockets of resistance were defeated at the battles of Noain and Maya/Amaiur. It was a turning point for the Basque language, as the last independent Basque-speaking territory on the peninsula fell in battle.

At the beginning of the sixteenth century, the impact of the cultural renaissance being experienced elsewhere in Europe reached the Basque lands. In the era of Leonardo da Vinci, Michelangelo, Bosch and Luther, winds of cultural change were felt at the Navarrese court in Pau and the Basque territories of Labourd (Lapurdi) and Soule (Zuberoa). These developments were also expressed in the Basque language; the Lazarraga manuscript, for example, is an example of European Renaissance literature. During this period too, the first texts were printed in Basque, marking the beginning of its life as a written language.