The purpose of this paper is to outline the evolution of the relationship between the Military Order of Calatrava and the rulers of the Kingdom of Castile (since 1230 the Kingdom of Castile and León) during the second half of the 12th and first half of the 13th centuries. The talk will discuss the contribution of the Castilian monarchs to the establishment and development of the aforementioned religious congregation in its first decades. In addition to economic and military issues, the attempts of the Crown of Castile to interfere politically in the internal affairs of the Order will also be presented. The analysis will be completed by a reflection on the influence of the Castilian kings, as one of the external entities, on the formation of the plans for the activities of the Order of Calatrava outside the Iberian Peninsula (Holy Land, Apennine Peninsula, Kingdom of France, Gdańsk Pomerania) and the implementation of some of these intentions.
