When Ferdinand succeeded his father as King of Aragon in 1479 , the Crown of Castile and the various territories of the Crown of Aragon were united in a personal union creating for the first time since the 8th century a single political unit referred to as España ( Spain ) , the root of which is the ancient name Hispania .
Ferdinand succeeded his father as King of Aragon in 1479 and the Crown of Castile and the various territories of the Crown of Aragon were united in a personal union .