Panel 15 - Feudal Zorita
This panel contains detailed information on the situation of Zorita de los Canes during the Late Middle Ages, the lords it had after its Christian conquest and the effects they had on the town and its castle.
1. Zorita changes its lords
The city of Zorita and its territory, after belonging to various noble families and the royal house itself, were bestowed by King Alfonso VIII upon the Order of Calatrava. A new period of renovations indicates the vitality of Zorita and its lords during the 12th, 13th, and 14th centuries. The castle was reduced in size compared to the previous Arab enclosure, and a thriving Jewish community settled in the area outside the walls. Inside, a splendid transitional Romanesque church was erected, the walls and accesses were refurbished, and new rooms, outbuildings, and warehouses were constructed to store the products that peasants were obliged to deliver to the feudal lords, the knights of the Order of Calatrava.
