Jerez de los Caballeros

Jerez de los Caballeros stood in southwestern Extremadura, where a fortified town and its surrounding lands became a valuable possession of successive rulers. After the dissolution of the Knights Templar, the town passed into royal control. Its later transfer to the Order of Santiago was a political and military transaction involving the castle, dependent settlements, revenues and rights.

Henry II granted Jerez to Santiago in December 1370, but the order did not take possession until June 1371. Master Fernando Osórez received the town and extended privileges to it within the new lordship. This distinction between the grant and its implementation reflects the unsettled circumstances around control of the fortress. Santiago subsequently gave the town a lasting institutional identity. In 1525 Charles V awarded it the dignity of a city with the style Most Noble and Most Loyal. Jerez's history therefore joined military-order lordship, royal favour and a community whose status developed around its fortified centre.