Calatrava. Una villa en la frontera castellano-andalusí del siglo XII

Abstract

The aim of this article is to analyze the complex reality of frontier towns through a significant example: the town of Calatrava in the 12th century. The study starts with the incorporation of Calatrava and its area into te kingdom of Alfonso VII of Castile-Leon. After that, there began a difficult period that passed through four significant phases: the first decade of Christian control; the establishment of Calatrava dominion; the period of Almohad control; and, finally, the Christian recovery, that involved the extended decay of the named town. This is the end of the paper. Beside the special circumstances in which the frontier town of Calatrava was entangled, the article deals also with the economical activities, the fuero that Alfonso VII granted to the town, the organization of its council and the peculiar ecclesiastical organization, as a result of the presence there of the Military Order of Calatrava. The article ends with the edition of two documents of the 12th century, that are kept in the Section of "Órdenes Militares" of the Archivo Histórico Nacional (Madrid).