Carta Puebla of Ciudad Real

The so-called Carta Puebla of Ciudad Real is a historically-significant document from the reign of Alfonso X of Castile, the Wise. It is the certificate of incorporation for Ciudad Real, the royal city. The modern provincial capital in central Spain was founded by Alfonso X in the year 1255 in order to set his power against the Order of Calatrava. The Carta Puebla resurrects this exciting epoch in Castilian history!

A Bulwark against the Almohad Caliphate and the Order of Calatrava

In the year 1195, the Kingdom of Castile suffered a substantial defeat at the hands of the Muslim Almohad Caliphate. Half a year later, King Alfonso X, the Wise engaged once again in battle against the Moors. Additionally, he needed to assert his power against the ever-more-powerful Order of Calatrava. This knightly order was founded in 1158 at the castle of Calatrava to the northeast of Ciudad Real for the purpose of defending Toledo.

The Founding of the Royal City

King Alfonso X (1221–1284), the Wise, was the son of Ferdinand III of Castile and heir to the Castilian throne. In order to curb the power of the Order of Calatrava in central Spain, he founded an impressively fortified city: Ciudad Real. He had the “royal city” erected on the site of a small village by the name of Pozuelo and fortified it with a four kilometer long wall and 130 towers. Its founding was decreed in an official document on the 20th of February, 1255.

“una gran villa e bona…”

The document of this founding, the most important document of the city to this day, is housed in the Archivo del Ayuntamiento in Ciudad Real, the archive of the city hall. It is a square piece of parchment measuring 44 x 44 cm. Its noble aura only emphasizes the historical significance of this document. The name of the King, Alfonso, is emphasized in red and blue ink. The King’s coat of arms adorns the bottom half of the document.