Weekend with AEAC (Asociación Española de los Amigos de los Castillos) Part 1

Calatrava la Vieja (link)

The reason behind the travel was the VIII century anniversary of the battle of Las Navas of Tolosa a key milestone in the history of Spain, our final destination on Sunday. Saturday we stopped at some other Castles related to the history of it. So let's stop first at Calatrava la Vieja, located in the village of Carrión de Calatrava, in Ciudad Real province.

Calatrava la Vieja (formerly just Calatrava) is a medieval site and original nucleus of the Order of Calatrava Knights. Calatrava during the High Middle Ages was the only important city in the Guadiana River valley. It thus guarded the roads to Córdoba and Toledo.

Its name is derived from the Arabic Qal'at Rabāḥ قلعة رباح ("fortress of Rabah"), a reference to the Moorish nobleman who held this area in the 8th century.

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In 1147, Calatrava was conquered by Alfonso VII, becoming one of the farthest Christian outposts during this stage of the reconquista. A The castle was placed under the protection of the Templar Knights, but this proved unsatisfactory, and Sancho III of Castile made an offer: he would grant the town and fortress of Calatrava to anyone who promised to defend it from the Moors. The Calatrava Knights replaced the Templar Knights.
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In 1217, the Order of Calatrava moved to Calatrava la Nueva (castle of Dueñas), 60 km to the south. Thus, the original site became known as "Calatrava la Vieja" ("Old Calatrava").
Calatrava la Vieja remained the center of the royal land grant, but it was completely abandoned by the early fifteenth century, when the Knight Commander of Calatrava moved his residence to Calatrava la Nueva. This is a too short resume introduction of the castle history. Please visit Wikipedia or refer to the appropriate books for the complete information.
Enjoy
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end of part 1#