Little changes in sunny Iberia. Like their fathers over the centuries, peasants till the soil and herd goats, knights battle for honor, revenge and treasure, craftsman work in their shops. Merchants (there are a few, but not many) trade with Genoa and Pisa by sea and lead their mule trains over the hot plains. Poor friars, comfortable priest and prosperous monks abound in this very religious land. All take siestas when the afternoon sun becomes too hot.
The Iberians, followers of the Holy Church, have slowly "reconquered" the peninsula from the Saracens who overran it centuries ago. The occasional peace between the followers of the Prophet and the Holy Church, and the regular fighting between Iberian and Iberian regularly interrupt the Reconquest. Still, the land remains a magnet for would be crusaders. Pilgrims also flock here, not for the crusade, but to visit the resting-place of James the Apostle at Santiago De Compostella. Walking the "road" to Santiago is considered an act of great spiritual importance.
The contact with the Saracens, both violent and peaceful, has led to the discovery of knowledge lost in Europa, or never possessed there at all. Universities were founded all over the continent to exploit the knowledge gained in the crusades in Iberia and the Levant. This regained wisdom has fostered the study of magic in the peninsula. While some study in the few formal schools, most learn as apprentices to wizardly masters.