Spanish Merino Sheep

Timeline

1. c. 1300–1540Extremadura and the Meseta Plateau · SpainIn the 14th–15th centuries, the Castilian crown and the Church managed merino flocks through transhumance (seasonal migration grazing), strictly prohibiting the export of live sheep and breeding rams; breeding pursued fine wool, dense crimp, and physiques adapted to semi-arid pastures, creating Europe's finest wool sheep resources.
2. c. 1541–1550Wool export ports of Seville and Bilbao · AndalusiaIn the 1540s, Spanish merino wool was exported in large quantities via Seville and northern ports to Antwerp, Bruges, and Florence, supplying high-end woolen workshops in the Low Countries and Italy; the crown maintained a monopoly through the Mesta flock guild and export taxes, and wool revenue was an important pillar of imperial finance alongside American silver.
3. c. 1550–1800European and overseas pastoral regions · WorldwideIn the 16th–18th centuries, despite export bans, merino breeding sheep still flowed into France, Saxony, and eventually Australia through diplomatic gifts and smuggling, driving a global revolution in fine-wool sheep breeding; Spain's native flocks also crossbred with imported breeds through continued selection, forming modern multi-line merino lineages.