The Order of Santiago

The Order of Santiago was a military and religious Order of knights created by the union of knights engaged in the same objective: to fight against the Muslims during the Reconquista. The name comes from devotion to the apostle James (Santiago in Spanish), the patron saint of Spain, whom the legends say gave providential intervention and victory to the Christian troops. After every battle won, the conquered territories passed under the control of the Order, and La Mancha was the principal possession of the Knights of Santiago. Once the Reconquista was completed, the Catholic Monarchs incorporated the Order into the Crown. Since that time, the Spanish monarchs placed it under their control, by using the appointments of many knights as a reward for service to the Crown and thus to guarantee the loyalty of the Castilian nobility.