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German & Spanish military Orders: *
German military orders-
see Teutonic Knights, above page 249
Spanish military Orders
orders of Spanish Medieval knights were religious-military institutions which arose in the context of the Reconquista, the most important are arising in the 12th century by the Crowns of León and Castile (Order of Santiago, Order of Alcántara and Order of Calatrava) & in 14th century in the Crown of Aragon (Order of Montesa); the most renowned was the Order of Santiago aka Order of St. James of the Sword, a religious & military order founded in León-Castile circa 1170. It was probably founded as an order of Augustinian canons regular to escort pilgrims to the shrine at Santiago de Compostela. named for the Patron Saint of Spain, "Santiago" or St. James the Greater; initially founded to protect the pilgrim of St. James' Way, defend Christendom & remove the Muslim Moors from Spain; not exclusively noble, many members were Christians in general; won great renowned, its insignia is recognisable & abundant in Western art,
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Nietzsche's Borgia-mask:
Cesar Borgia (1475-1507) was Italian, politician & condottiero (mercenary leader), illegitimate son of Pope Alexander VI and member of the Spanish-Aragonese House of Borgia. He entered the Church, becoming a cardinal on his father's election to the Papacy; in 1498 resigned this office; he served as a condottiero for the King Louis XII around 1500 and occupied Milan & Naples during the Italian Wars; at this time he carved out a state for himself in Central Italy, but after his father's death he was unable to retain power for long. His fight for power was a major inspiration Machiavelli.
He was specifically at the forefront of the Renaissance drive to
‘ "attack the critical place, at the very seat of Christianity, and there enthrone the more noble values … to insinuate them in the instincts, into the most fundamental needs and appetites of those sitting there’"
That Borgia could accede to as holy an office as that of the pope, reflected the development of the Church as a structure of domination, he could become pope, with the immense power that that position entailed. Borgia’s role for Nietzsche points to a more general interest: the Church as an instrument of political power