The Military Orders of Calatrava and Santiago did not limit their reasons for existence to defending the borders of La Mancha with Al-Andalus. Instead, it is precisely in the colonisation and repopulation of this area, Tierra de Caballeros, that we find the uniqueness of La Mancha compared to the rest of the Peninsula and it is here that they best expressed their functions, defining the economy, city planning, social systems and necessary structures such as defensive elements, grain warehouses, hospitals, prisons, churches, convents, chapels and so on. The circumstances of the repopulation gave rise to a specific economy, in which livestock breeding and wine production predominated.
Almagro
The historical relevance of Almagro goes hand in hand with the Order of Calatrava, whose masters chose it in the 13th Century as their place of residence and the governmental centre of their possessions. The patronage of the knights of Calatrava, along with that of the Central European bankers, the Fugger family, who were the beneficiaries of the income from the mines of Almadén, and brought their administrators (the Wesslers and Xedlers, to name a few) with them, determined the appearance of the city, beautifying it with their palaces and founding its churches, convents, hospitals and university.
• Palacio Maestral: Built by the Order of Calatrava as a residence for its masters, a few years ago the building underwent an ambitious renovation plan and currently houses the Museo Nacional del Teatro.• Convento and Universidad Nuestra Señora del Rosario: It owes its origins to the castle warden of the Order of Calatrava, Mr. Fernando Fernández de Córdoba. The convent was created first, and the university was founded later. The first classes were taught in 1574 and it existed until 1824. Today, only the church and a few classrooms remain standing. Recently, the foundations of the university building were found.
• Convento de la Asunción de Calatrava: This convent was also conceived as a hospital, and represents one of the best examples of Renaissance architecture in Spain. It was built for use as a monastery for the nuns of the Order of Calatrava, dedicated to the Assumption. Founded in the early 16th Century, it owes its existence to the Grand Commander of the Order, Gutierre de Padilla.
• Los Fúcares: King Carlos I of Spain granted the concession of the mercury mines in Almadén, which belonged to the Order of Calatrava, to the Fúcares family, bankers from Augsburg. These individuals played a fundamental role in the urban planning of the city and acquired many of the Order’s possessions as well as building important structures in the city such as the Fúcares warehouse, to be used in part for storage of the mercury that was extracted from the Almacén mines, as well as the chapel of San Blas.
• Other buildings needed by the towns, whose façades are a reminder of the family’s importance are the Pósito (a grain warehouse, currently the Post Office), the prison (currently the health centre) and the Hospital de Calatrava.
Villanueva de los Infantes
The town’s history is permanently linked to the powerful Order of Santiago. The Master of the Order, Mr. Enrique de Aragón, issued the Carta Puebla (municipal charter) in 1421 to the ancient village of La Moraleja. Hence, a new town was created, which added the name of “Infantes” (princes) in honour of Enrique and his siblings. Its most relevant date is 15… when Felipe II made it the seat of Campo de Montiel. Thanks to the patronage of the powerful families (Bustos, Ballesteros, Aguilar…) that settled in this capital and built their manor homes there, the convents of the Franciscan nuns and monks, Dominican nuns and monks and the Trinitarians were built here. s.
IFostered by the patronage of the Order of Santiago, the parish church of San Andrés was constructed, as were other buildings such as the Alhóndiga (grain exchange) and the Hospital de Santiago. The influence of the Order is also reflected in historical figures such as the literary genius from the Spanish Golden Age, Francisco de Quevedo y Villegas, knight of the Order of Santiago, who was buried in the parish church of San Andrés Apóstol, or the fact that Cervantes chose it as the “place of La Mancha” where Don Quixote was from.
• Iglesia Parroquial de San Andrés Apóstol: This is a magnificent Herrerian style temple with Classical and Plateresque doors. Much of this marvellous church was financed by the Order of Santiago.• Hospital de Santiago: Baroque in style, with Renaissance remnants from the early 16th Century.
• La Alhóndiga: This building began as a guildhall, and later become the party’s jailhouse. It currently houses the Villanueva de los Infantes Cultural Centre.
• La Casa Cuartel de los Caballeros de Santiago: An inscription on the façade indicates that it pertained to the Convent of Uclés.
There are more than 160 crests on the façades of the numerous manors in this Historical-Artistic Site, among which the Casa del Caballero del Verde Gabán is particularly noteworthy, as it was described in Chapter 18 of the Second Part of Don Quixote, in addition to the Palacio de los Melgarejo, Palacio Rebuelta, Palacio de los Ballesteros, Palacio de Don Manolito, etc.
Ciudad Real
Its origins are linked to king Alfonso X, the Wise, who considered it necessary to found Villa Real in the former village of Pozuelo de Don Gil in 1255 in an effort to assert his authority over such a vast territory of Military Orders and also to create a trading presence in a land that is located half-way between Cordoba and Toledo.
The first settlement of the city is Alarcos, a castle of Muslim origin that, when it came into Christian hands under the rule of Alfonso VIII, was fortified and the king himself oversaw the construction work on the new city. However, in the midst of the transformation process, a battle took place, which bears his name, between Christians and Almohads in 1195. This Christian defeat represented a 17-year delay in the Reconquest, until the final victory at Navas de Tolosa in 1212.
The construction of the Catedral Nuestra Señora del Prado, which is the Priory of the four Spanish Military Orders, began in the 15th Century, with a mixture of Gothic and Renaissance elements. It was greatly changed when it was converted into the cathedral in the late 19th Century, when the Diocese of Ciudad Real and the Priory were created.
Daimiel
In this municipality, the Dehesa de Zacatena, where the Tablas de Daimiel National Park is located, held great forestry wealth in the 13th Century and provided important income for the Order of Calatrava. The relevance that Daimiel gradually acquired for the Order of Calatrava culminated in 1299 with the creation of the “encomienda” (district).
In witness of Daimiel’s privileges, the Church of Santa María (14th C.) can be highlighted, in which the decoration of the capitals, which may be of Templar origin, stands out.
Valdepeñas
Valdepeñas, in turn, although it is located within the Order of Calatrava, represents the border between the Military Orders of Calatrava and Santiago. In Valdepeñas, the development of grape growing is associated with the repopulation that the Order of Calatrava carried out in the area. Another historical event that associates Valdepeñas and the Order of Calatrava can be found in the figure of Felipe II, as the master of the Order, when he sold part of the possessions of the Order of Calatrava to Mr. Álvaro de Bazán. This purchase and sale document reflects the importance that Valdepeñas had acquired through wine.
Villarrubia de los Ojos
A historical event occurred in Villarrubia de los Ojos that was highly significant for the history of Spain. On 2 May 1466, the Master of Calatrava, Mr. Pedro Girón, travelled from Almagro to meet Isabel, the princess of Castile, future queen Isabel the Catholic, with whom he was to be married in Ocaña. Unexpectedly, Pedro died in Villarrubia de los Ojos, thereby preventing his marriage with the future queen of Spain. There is some suspicion that the master of Calatrava could have been poisoned in Almagro. At present, near the church of Villarrubia de los Ojos, the remains of the district in which Pedro Girón died are preserved.
