Santa Cruz de la Zarza

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Santa Cruz de la Zarza

Village and municipality in the province of Toledo, part of the autonomous community of Castile-La Mancha, Spain, located in the limit with the province of Cuenca, in the road from Ocaña to Tarancón.

According to the 2003 census its population is of 4,594 inhabitants. Its economy was formerly based on agriculture, mainly dedicated to the grapevine, olive trees and cereals, although it actually grows and moves more and more to the field of industry.

Their main celebrations take place at the end of August, in honor of Our Lady of the Rosary.

History The village was an important communications center from the Roman, Visigoth and Arab times, as well as a fortified site, given its dominant position over the Tajo valley.

Santa Cruz was yielded to the Military Order of Saint Jacques before 1175, when an "encomienda" was settled down, after the confirmation by Pope Alexander III.

Due to its increasing importance, in 1242, under the "maestrazgo" of Rodrigo Iñiguez, it becames the Head of the "encomienda".

In 1253, the master Don Pelay Perez Correa granted to the village its Foundational Chart.