Description
The Order of Calatrava was founded in Castile in 1164, the first military religious order to take vows of perpetual war against the Muslim invaders. They became soldiers of the cross. Monks were required to sleep in their armor and to wear a white mantle with the scarlet cross fleur-de-lis. The order was able to bring to the field as many as 1200 to 2000 knights, a conciderable force in the Middle Ages. The last attempt to utilize the order for military purpose was in 1640-1650 in quelling the rebellion of the Catalans against Philip IV.
Today the Order is centered mainly in Andalucia and members are generally wealthy or high-born rather than monks. The Calatrava Cross is used widely as a icon for Andalucia, especially in the area of Almagro and Jaen.
