Calatrava

Calatrava la Vieja stands beside the Guadiana, its walls enclosing the remains of a fortress that once guarded the road between Toledo and Córdoba. The military Order of Calatrava took its name from this stronghold, which passed repeatedly between Muslim and Christian rulers. After the Christian victory of 1212 the order established its principal seat at Calatrava la Nueva farther south. The older fortress remained the centre of a commandery, though its former importance had passed to the new castle.