It was Alfonso IX of León who in 1230 ceded the Villa de Jerez to the Order of the Temple for its custody, to which it owes its lordly spirit and its name: JEREZ DE LOS CABALLEROS. As owners of Jerez,... (plus +)

It was Alfonso IX of León who in 1230 ceded the Villa de Jerez to the Order of the Temple for its custody, to which it owes its lordly spirit and its name: JEREZ DE LOS CABALLEROS. As owners of Jerez, the Templars enlarged it and made it one of the best possessions of this Order in the Crown of León. They fortified the castle, built the wall that we know today, and erected the Church of San Bartolomé, either from scratch or on the site of an existing hermitage. During this period, Jerez became the capital of the "bayliato" or commandery of its name, which included the towns of Jerez, Valencia del Ventoso, Burguillos del Cerro, Valverde, Atalaya, Oliva, Alconchel, Villanueva del Fresno, Cheles, Higuera de Vargas, and Zahínos. These towns are still governed by the so-called Fuero de Baylío, of Templar origin. In 1312, the dissolution of the Order took place. The assembly had agreed that the Order should be extinguished and its possessions confiscated. The Templars were not willing to obey and fortified themselves in their castles. The last knights of southern Extremadura took refuge in their fortress of Jerez and resisted the siege until, after a bloody battle, they were defeated, captured, and beheaded in the Tower of Homage. Since then, the place where they were executed is known as the Bloody Tower. Route: 1.5 km (1 hour) Difficulty: Low Signage: Red
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