Mesta Shepherds' Guild

Timeline

1. 1273–1387Castile · CastileAlfonso X united local shepherds' associations into the Mesta, granting seasonal transhumance privileges and tax exemptions. Alfonso X of Castile further consolidated the guild system, established the Cañadas Reales network, and Merino sheep farming expanded rapidly.
2. 1400–1500Burgos · BurgosIn the 15th century the Mesta controlled some three million Merino sheep; wool was exported via Burgundy to the textile centers of Flanders and Italy, becoming Castile's largest source of foreign exchange. The guild's leader (the grand master) enjoyed political status close to that of the nobility.
3. 1465–1474Castile · CastileDuring the War of Succession the Mesta, with its considerable wealth, became a prize sought by all sides. The guild maintained the order of transhumant grazing, and wool exports provided fiscal support for the belligerents, further highlighting its pivotal role in the peninsula's economy amid the turmoil.
4. c. 1475–1600Meseta Central · CastileThe Mesta continuously acquired arable land to convert into pasture, intensifying conflict with the peasantry. The crown mediated repeatedly but generally favored shepherding interests, leading to the decline of Castilian agriculture and rural depopulation, laying the groundwork for later structural economic problems.