The Order of Santiago and the Re-Conquering of Cáceres

These events are shrouded in mystery because there are no documents to prove anything. The most widely accepted theory is that the Order of Santiago was formed during the 12^th and 13^th centuries after the 60 years of continuous fighting between the Moors and Christians for the possession of the Qazires (which is why the Muslims named the city “Cáceres”). Keep in mind that Cáceres was the most fought-over city during the Reconquista.

The city was occupied by the Ilmohade Empire in 1165, when it was taken by surprise by the knight Gerardo Sempavor and an adventurous group of Portuguese that accompanied him. But this fearless warrior was captured four years later during the attack of Badajoz, trading his freedom for the city of Cáceres.

In 1170, king Fernando II returned from Badajoz to León, taking charge of Cáceres. On July 29th, the king Fernando II, the bishop of Salamanca, and 13 knights (the number you get when you add Jesus of Nazareth with his 12 apostles) founded the Order of the Fratres of Cáceres. The honor of being the first master was granted to Pedro Fernández de Castro “the Castillian,” a veteran knight who had done a pilgrimage to the Holy Land, where he had met the Order of the Temple. This gave him the idea of creating another one of these in León. Fernández de Castro “the Castillian” was the one who had captured Sempavor, who was considered to be the best example of this new congregation of knights who were to stay in charge of the protection of this city.

The members of the new Order were initially known as the Freires, or the Knights, of the Sword. For short, they were called “Cáceres y Espaderos” in Cáceres to reaffirm their identification with the city they defended. Their symbol was a blood-red Christina cross in the form of a sword. Their headquarters could have been the round tower on the wall around the palace of the Carvajal.

With no city to defend anymore, the remaining Knights of the Order of Santiago formed an alliance with the regular canons of Saint Augustine. This development meant that the warriors were committed to protecting the Sepulcher of Santiago de Compostela and the pilgrims that came to its city, while the religious would live with the knights of Santiago in a community and they would help them spiritually. The knights would adopt many religious duties (much like monks). These new duties included the vow of poverty, but not the vow of chastity since some of the knights were married.

Expelled from Cáceres and in poor standing with king Fernando II of León, the knights of Santiago went in search of a patron in the kingdom of Castilla, where they also searched for a place to coalesce. In Arévalo, on January 9^th of 1174, king Alfonso of Castilla celebrated the solemn act of handing over the castle and the village of Uclés (in Cuenca) to the Master Pedro Fernández as the headquarters for the Order. From then on out, the knights of Santiago ceased to belong only to León. The king of Castilla solidified his influence over the Order by ordering Pope Alexander III to grant a papal bull on July 5^th, 1175.

Another theory is that it was conquered on June 24^th. There were many lawsuits for two years between king Alfonso IX of León and the Order of Santiago over ownership of the city, ending in the Concordia de Galisteo, named for the castle located in Cacereña where the accord was signed. This gave the king power over the city, but he gave the knights power over the localities of Castrotorafe and Villafáfila and 2,000 maravedíes.