Casa de la Encomienda in La Fresneda

After the conquest from the Arabs in 1169, King Alfonso II el Casto donated this town in 1179, along with others in the comarca, to the religious-military Order of Calatrava. The order's dominion over La Fresneda lasted for more than six hundred years. This historic act marked the beginning of a long period of influence and control by the Order of Calatrava in the region.

The Casa del Comendador, or Casa de la Encomienda, located in the lower part of the village, became the order's main seat in the town, given the difficulty of accessing the castle and its limitations as a residence and storehouse for tithes — the official residence of the commander.

From that moment on, the castle began to be gradually abandoned and remained as a decorative element until its near-total destruction in 1839, during the Carlist Wars.

The commander owned both the castle and the right to tithes (the share of the harvest that local residents had to pay as a tribute), among other legal and economic powers.

Thanks to its beauty and Renaissance style, the Casa de la Encomienda is an impressive construction that rivals the town hall itself in architectural splendour. Both buildings are outstanding examples of the richness of the architectural heritage in the area.

The imposing architectural presence of the Casa de la Encomienda, which is currently in private ownership, was so remarkable that it was chosen for reproduction in the Pueblo Español in Barcelona during the 1929 Universal Exhibition, as was the town hall. This demonstrates the recognition of its architectural value and its importance in Spain's historical and cultural context.