The Mesta: How Spanish Sheep Built a Global Empire

Long before the gold and silver of the Americas fueled Spain's power, there was wool. For centuries, the humble merino sheep and the powerful guild that controlled them—the Honorable Council of the Mesta—shaped Spain's economy, landscape, and even its foreign policy. In this episode, Lucas and Luna trace the rise of the Mesta from the medieval Reconquista to the height of the Spanish Empire. They explore how transhumant shepherds drove massive flocks along the cañadas reales, how the Mesta's legal privileges led to environmental devastation and social conflict, and how the export of merino wool to Flanders and Italy bankrolled the ambitions of the Habsburgs. They also delve into the centuries-long struggle between the Mesta and settled farmers, the secret that made Spanish wool the finest in Europe, and the guild's eventual decline as Spain's economy shifted toward American silver. A surprising story of how sheep—not conquistadors—first made Spain a global power. #Mesta #MerinoWool #Transhumance #CañadasReales #SpanishEmpire #Habsburg #MedievalSpain #Reconquista #WoolTrade #Flanders #Castile #AlfonsoX #FerdinandAndIsabella #EconomicHistory #Sheep #Environment #History #FexingoHistory Keep every episode free: buymeacoffee.com/fexingo