The Order of Santiago is a religious and military order founded in the 12th century. It owes its name to the patron saint of Spain, Santiago. Its initial objective was to protect the pilgrims on the Way of St. James, to defend Christendom and to remove the Muslim Moors from the Iberian Peninsula with the Reconquista. Entrance was not restricted to nobility of Spain exclusively, and some members have been Catholic Europeans from other parts of Europe. The Order's insignia is particularly recognisable and abundant in Western art.
- Country
- Spain, Portugal
- Headquarters
- Uclés
- Inception
- 1170
- Website
- http://www.ordenesmilitares.es/
