Monastery of Uclés
| Monasterio de Uclés | |
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Native name Spanish: Monasterio de Uclés |
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 Location of Monasterio de Uclés in Spain
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| Location | Uclés, Castile-La Mancha, Spain |
| Official name: Monasterio de Santiago Apóstol y Castillo | |
| Type | Monument |
| Designated | 03/06/1931 |
| Reference no. | RI-51-0000548 |
The Monastery de Santiago de Uclés is in the Spanish town of Uclés in Castile-La Mancha and was built by the Order of Santiago, whose main headquarters (Caput Ordinis, "Head of the order") was there.
The monastery is at the top of a hill, at whose feet, to the east, the town of Uclés unfolds. It is part of a large complex of buildings, constructed during different historical periods, starting from the Muslim domination, and reaching its completion as a fortress during its possession by the Order of Santiago. This was their most important home, acquiring its present aspect as part of the Reconquista.
The hill on which the monastery now stands was the site of a Celtiberian castro, a Bronze Age fortress used by the native Celts. In 893, Al-Fath ben Musa ben Dhi-l-Num, having to withdraw from Toledo, made Uqlish (Uclés) his home and capital of the region. He had to fortify the town from attack, building a new alcazaba in the 896. In 1085 Uqlīsh is occupied by Christians, following the conquest of Toledo, who installed a garrison there. In 1108 came the battle of Uclés, or the Seven Counts (where 3,000 Christians died), and that led to the defeat of the Christian army by Tamim ben Yusuf
After the final conquest by the Christians in 1174, King Alfonso VIII of Castile ceded the castle to the Order of Santiago, which became their main headquarters. Over time, it formed an intricate set of dependencies where the members of the order, who resided there, joined the fortress and the church that had been built after the Christian conquest.
After the end of the Reconquista, the set of buildings underwent a radical remodeling, which wiped out much of the defensive elements of the castle and gave it its current appearance. Not so with the walls, which are still preserved: a first wall protects the old orchard, watered with the waters of the Bedija river; a second, currently in very poor condition, still shows traces of its decay in the form of sawtooth.
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