Europe: History Seen From Above

Before Spain was Spain, it was Hispania. Roman troops landed in Ampurias in 218 BC, bringing centuries of stability that reshaped the Iberian Peninsula. Roads, aqueducts, bridges, and great cities transformed the landscape, many still visible today. Hispania became a jewel of Rome, a vital economic hub, and a bastion of empire that produced influential leaders and governors.

In 711, Arab and Berber troops crossed Gibraltar, defeating the Visigoths at Guadalete and spreading rapidly across Iberia. Within five years, Al-Andalus stretched from south to Galicia. For nearly eight centuries, Muslim rule left a lasting mark-enriching Spanish culture, transforming cities, and building mosques, palaces, and landmarks that remain central to Spain's heritage today.

Spain's landscapes of castles and ramparts reveal a territory divided for centuries. From the Arab invasions of the 8th century, Christian kingdoms launched the Reconquista, a crusade lasting nearly 800 years. Mobilizing warriors across Europe, it left indelible marks-fortresses, walled towns, and battlegrounds-culminating in 1492 with Granada's fall, uniting Spain under Christian rule.

In 1492, the marriage of Isabella of Castile and Ferdinand of Aragon united Spain, earning them the title of Catholic Monarchs. Their rule ended centuries of Reconquista with the fall of Granada, while Isabella financed Columbus' voyage that unveiled the New World. This discovery sparked Spain's golden age, fueling power, wealth, and influence for more than three centuries.

From 1936 to 1939, Spain's Civil War killed over 600,000 and left scars Franco's dictatorship could not erase. Seen from above are haunting reminders: Belchite's ruins, Guernica, Francoist monuments, mass graves, and the Valle de los Caídos. Even the concrete sprawl of the Costa del Sol reflects the silence and repression that shaped Spain for nearly 40 years under authoritarian rule.

Italy, cradle of Latin culture, bears the mark of Rome's engineering genius. From roads and bridges to aqueducts, a vast web once linked the capital to its empire, proving Rome was built as much by land development as by war. For nearly 1,000 years, this infrastructure shaped Italy's identity. With expert insight and stunning aerial views, the episode reveals the scale of Roman achievement.