Mesta Shepherds' Guild

Timeline

1. 1273–1300Valladolid · CastileAlfonso X approved the Mesta charter, consolidating scattered shepherds' organizations into a royally protected guild, establishing fixed droving routes, tax exemptions, and internal arbitration mechanisms, laying the foundation for subsequent wool exports.
2. c. 1340–1400Castilian Plateau · CastileIn the mid-to-late 14th century, the Mesta obtained broader judicial exemptions and droving route protection; merino sheep numbers grew, and wool was shipped via Burgos, Seville, and elsewhere to Flanders and Italy, becoming an important source of foreign exchange for the kingdom.
3. 1401–1410Castilian Plateau · CastileBetween 1401 and 1410, the Mesta maintained large-scale seasonal transhumance twice a year, in spring and autumn, maintaining close fiscal ties with the royal house under Henry III and the regency period; wool was exported through southern ports, and the guild system entered a period of stable prosperity before the 15th century.