Order of St. Mary of Spain

By Crusader1307

The Order of St. Mary of Spain (La Order Santa Maria de Espana), was founded in 1270 by King Alfonso X of Castile. Styled after The Order of Calatrava, their primary mission was to assist in naval defense of Castile. They followed The Cistercian Rule. The Order wore a black mantle-apron with a Red cloak. Being Port Guards, they initially garrisoned many fortifications in Castile. After the disaster at The Battle of Moclin (1280), their sister Order (Knights of Santiago) - were wiped out. King Alfonso took what was left of the decimated Order and merged them with The Order of St. Mary. This effectively ended their self-identity. In 2008, the Order was reformed as a religious/philanthropic organization.