Calatrava la Vieja

Calatrava la Vieja is an abandoned city today. It lies on the River Guadiana and belongs to the municipality Carrión de Calatrava in the province of Ciudad Real, Castile -La Mancha in Spain.

History

Islamic period

Calatrava was founded in the 8th century under the rule of the Umayyad and is documented as early as 785. The name is derived from the Arabic name Qal Rabah قلعة رباح ( fortress of Rabah ). It thus still the name of the Arabian Knight, which this place had been transferred in the eighth century as a fief.

During the High Middle Ages Calatrava was the most important city in the Arab Emirates from Córdoba in the valley of the Guadiana River, the largest city between Córdoba and Toledo and an important Islamic outpost against Christian Spain. His heyday Calatrava after its destruction by rebels of Toledo after reconstruction, by the omajadischen Prince al - Hakam ( brother of the Emir of Córdoba Muhammad I. ) was 853. Calatrava has developed over the following three hundred years until 1147 the capital of a large region. With the fall of the Caliphate of Córdoba her area was a bone of contention between the Taifa kingdoms of Seville, Cordoba and Toledo. After the conquest of Toledo by Alfonso VI. of Leon and Castile in 1085, Calatrava was the victory of the Almoravid sultan Yusuf ibn under her Tashfin of the army of Alfonso VI. at the Battle of Zallaqa near Badajoz on October 23, 1086 to the most exposed Muslim outpost towards the Christian area, so played in the constant hostilities with the Christian kingdom of Castile a not insignificant role.

Foundation of the Order of Calatrava

King Alfonso VII of León and Castile (reigned 1126-1157 ) conquered the city of Calatrava in 1147 and used it in his turn as an important strategic outpost on the border with the Islamic sphere of influence. To secure this position, he transferred the town and fortress of Calatrava in 1150 to the Knights Templar. This was one of the first possessions of the Templars in Spain, but because of their intense involvement in Palestine and because of the massive military pressure the Islamic neighbors unable saw themselves, to take responsibility for this strategic fortress.

King Sancho III. of Castile and Leon, therefore, called a meeting of his nobles and offered the town and fortress of the person who was willing to take over their defense. The only one who declared himself willing to defend this strategic outpost Christian, was a monk: Raimundo Serrat, abbot of zisterze of Fitero. King Sancho was disappointed, but forced to honor his offer, and entrusted him with the deed of gift from January 1, 1158 town and fortress of Calatrava. Unwittingly, King Sancho had laid the foundation for the creation of the first great Spanish order of knights of the Order of Calatrava. This was founded in 1157 by Raimundo Serrat as the military arm of the Cistercian Order by armed the lay brothers. Raimundo to recruit in a short time a significant number of fighters and thereby hold the fort against the Saracens succeeded. He became the first Grand Master of the Order, retired at the age of varmint Ciruelos at Toledo, where he died. He is counted among the Spanish saint of the Catholic Church.

After the defeat of King Alfonso VIII of Castile on July 19, 1195 at the Battle of Alarcos Calatrava went to the Almohads lost and could only be retaken in 1212. Because of the threat of Spain by the powerful empire of the Almohads organized Pope Innocent III. ( Lothario dei Conti di Segni ) with King Alfonso VIII of Castile a crusade with a decisive victory of the Christians against the army of Muhammad an-Nasir ( 1199-1213 ), the fourth Caliph of the Almohad, in the July 16, 1212 the battle of Las Navas de Tolosa ended. Also from Germany and Austria were - after participating in the Albigensian Crusade - troops from the south of France set out for Spain to take part in this crusade. Among them was Leopold VI. the Glorious Duke of Austria and Styria, the Austrian troops and Styrian knight too late arrived at Las Navas de Tolosa in order to still engage in the struggle can. By this decisive victory the border of Castile could be pushed forward to the south.

Decline

By shifting the boundaries but also a change of the seat of the Grand Master of the Order of Calatrava was required was therefore transferred to the 60 kilometers further south old Castillo de Dueñas. This was also a transfer of the name, as the new center of the Order now called " Calatrava La Nueva " got, which Calatrava himself became Calatrava La Vieja (Old Calatrava ).

After moving the Grand Master of the Order remained represented by a Coming in Calatrava La Vieja, which was, however, postponed the beginning of the 15th century in the neighboring Carrion de Calatrava. Already at the beginning of the 16th century, the city was therefore practically deserted. What remained was an impressive landscape of ruins, extending over five acres, remnants of the Medina and the fortress ( Alcazar ) - which includes over an acre - contains, has 44 towers and is surrounded by a moat from the Arab period, of the Guadiana River communicates.

Today Calatrava La Vieja is therefore an important archaeological site for the Islamic culture in Spain, but where are retained even radicals from the time of the Templars and the Order of Calatrava. The plant is part of the archaeological park of the Spanish region of Castilla -La Mancha

Bibliography

  • Ruibal, Amador: Calatrava la Vieja. Estudio de una fortaleza medieval. Instituto de Estudios Manchegos. Ciudad Real, 1984. ISBN 84-00-05811-9.
  • Retuerce, Manuel & Lozano, Isidoro, " Calatrava la Vieja: Primeros resultados arqueologicos ". Actas del I Congreso de Arqueología Medieval Española. ( Huesca, abril de 1985). Tomo III, pp. 57-75. Zaragoza, 1986. ISBN 84-505-4759-8.
  • Retuerce Velasco, Manuel: " Calatrava la Vieja. Diez años de investigación arqueológica ". Arqueología en Ciudad Real, pp. 211-241. Patrimonio Histórico - Arqueología. Castilla -La Mancha, Toledo 8, 1994. ISBN 84-7788-309-2.
  • Retuerce Velasco, Manuel: " una ciudad de Documentación arqueológica almohade de la Meseta: Calatrava ". Alarcos 1195th Actas del congreso internacional conmemorativo del Centenario de la batalla de VIII Alarcos. (Ciudad Real, 1995), pp. 211-222. Ciudad Real, 1996. ISBN 84-89492-34-4.
  • Retuerce, Manuel & Hervás, Miguel Ángel: " Calatrava la Vieja. Fortificación de una ciudad de la Meseta Islamica ". Castillos de España, 113, pp. 23-43. Madrid, 1999.
  • Retuerce, Manuel & Hervás, Miguel Ángel: " Calatrava. Capital de La Mancha ". La Aventura de la Historia. 21 ( julio de 2000), pp. 84-91. Madrid, 2000.
  • Retuerce, Manuel & Hervás, Miguel Ángel: " Calatrava la Vieja, capital Islamica de la región ". El patrimonio Arquelógico de Ciudad Real. Métodos de trabajo y más actuaciones recientes. Luis de Benítez de Lugo Enrich ( Coord. ) ​​, pp. 297-322. Valdepeñas, 2000. ISBN 84-398-0004-5.
  • Retuerce, Manuel & Hervás, Miguel Ángel: " Calatrava la Vieja: de medina a encomienda ". Mil anos de na Península Ibérica fortificações e no Magreb ( 500-1500 ). Actas do Simposio Internacional sobre castelos. ( Palmela, 2002), pp. 311-317. Lisboa, 2002. ISBN 972-772-308- X.
Toledo, Spain Almoravid dynasty Yusuf ibn Tashfin Sancho III of Castile Almohad Caliphate
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