The origins of Almagro are unknown. We know nothing about the city’s prehistoric past. There was probably a Bronze Age settlement here, as evidence has been found around the Casas Maestrales and in areas outside of the city centre. There are also several theories about the city’s name. The most widely accepted hypothesis is that of the Arabic origin of the name, Almagre, in reference to the composition of its soils, rich in iron oxide. This is reflected in the Privilegio de Donación (Donation Privilege) of 1176, in which King Alfonso VIII, in appreciation for the city’s assistance in seizing Cuenca, granted the monks of Calatrava some land located between the Jabalón basin and the Pellejero stream, known as “Almagre”.
Almagro, overshadowed by its proximity to Oreto and Calatrava la Vieja, made history at the hands of the Order of Calatrava, whose masters chose it as their place of residence and the governmental centre of their possessions in the 13th Century. The city bears the mark of the Order of Calatrava. Starting in the 16th Century, the Fugger family, the Central European bankers who financed Carlos I, left its legacy in portals such as those of the Xedler and the Wessel houses. The family was involved in the mercury mining operations in Almadén, which also belonged to the Order of Calatrava. In the 16th and 17th Centuries, the city grew and was enhanced by new centres such as the monastery and the university of Nuestra Señora del Rosario founded by the castle warden, Fernando Fernández de Córdoba, and the Monasterio de la Asunción de Calatrava founded by the Grand Commander, Mr. Gutierre de Padilla. The parish church of Madre de Dios, the convent of the Encarnación and the Fugger family offices were also built. The Franciscans built the convent of Santa Catalina, and the Augustinians, Jesuits and the brothers of San Juan de Dios settled there, while the forebears of the Count of Valdeparaíso built their palace. 
The 18th and 19th Centuries brought crises: the invasion by the French, the Carlist Wars and the Confiscation of church properties left the city lacking in strength, without a university, without resources… In spite of everything, the people of Almagro had faith in the future of a modern city with a bullring (1845), telegraph (1858), railway (1860), provincial headquarters of the cavalry (1863), casino and theatre (1864) and electric lights (1897). Progress also came with its drawbacks, and in 1886 the city walls and gates were demolished.
In 1972, Almagro was declared a Historical-Artistic Site. Its elegant buildings were restored and renovated and, in 2004, the Museo Nacional del Teatro was created, which was relocated to the Antiguos Palacios Maestrales in 2004. A stroll along the streets of Almagro invites visitors to immerse themselves in the past, in the grandiosity of its churches and convents or in the perfect layout of its unaltered Noble District.
