
The Story Behind a Name
From the Middle Ages onward, military religious orders divided their assets and income into parcels, which they entrusted to selected individuals for administration and defense. A commandery referred to such a parcel of land or revenue, granted to a commander as a reward for services rendered and as a means of managing the order's property.
The territory of the Herdade da Comenda de Mouguelas is named as such because it was a "comenda" (commandery) belonging to the Military Order of Santiago da Espada since the 12th century. At some time, between 1242 and 1275, D. Paio Peres Correia, the Grand Master of that Order, granted the property to Domingos Martins de Mouguelas. The name of the commandery originates from this surname “Mouguelas”.