History
In the vicinity of the present town lie the ruins (almost entirely buried and little-researched) of a Celtic fort called Nertóbriga, which became known as Nertóbriga-Concordia Iulia after the Roman conquest. This city was part of the Hispania Ulterior region in the first two centuries BC; later it became part of Hispania Baetica, where it remained for over seven centuries until the beginning of the Muslim conquest. New research in this city has uncovered a watchtower first used by the Visigoths and later by Muslims, and a Muslim cemetery. The only reference made by Christians about this city is the name Castillo de Valera, which was dated by the Knights Templar.
The city was conquered by Fernando III with the help of the Templars, but first appearance of Fregenal in historical records was in 1283 when the population was given by Alfonso X of Castile to the Order of the Temple for its work in the reconquista. Fregenal ultimately was returned to the kingdom of Seville in 1312.
Over 100 individuals from Fregenal traveled to the New World during Spanish conquest and colonization, among them Alonso Rodríguez Santos and Benito Arias Montano (son of Rodríguez Santos and nephew of the humanist also named Benito Arias Montano). Spanish actress Pilar López de Ayala's (b. 1978) father Rodrigo López de Ayala Sánchez-Arjona (b. 1944) was born here, from descendants of Christopher Columbus.
Read more about this topic: Fregenal De La Sierra
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