Knights of the Spanish Order of Alcantara, in Histoire des Ordres Religieux by P. Helyot.



p.53
CHAPITRE V.
Des Chevaliers de l'Ordre d'Alcantara, anciennement appellés de saint Julien du Poirier.

Si l'on en veut croire Ange Manrique dans ses Annales de Cîteaux, l'Ordre d'Alcantara qui a d'abord été appellé de saint Julien du Poirier ou del Peyrero, prit son origine l’an 1156. & eut pour Fondateurs deux Freres nommés Suarez & Gomez, qui par le conseil d'un Ermite bâtirent une forteresse sur les frontieres de Castille dans le Diocése de Ciudad Rodrigo pour résister aux Maures, & lui donnerent le nom de S. Julien du Poirier. Il ajoûte qu'ils y mirent des Chevaliers pour la garder, & que l'an 1158. Odon Archevêque de Salamanque, qui étoit de l’Ordre de Cîteaux, leur prescrivit une maniere de vie. Mais François de Radez dit que l'origne de cet Ordre est inconnuë, & que ce qu’il y a de certain, c'est que l'an 1176. il y avoit des Freres à saint Julien du Poirier, comme il paroît par un Privilege qui leur fut accordé par le Roi Ferdinand cette meme année.
    Quoiqu'il en soir, cet Ordre fut confirmé comme Religion Militaire par le Pape Alexandre III. l'an 1177. à la priere de Gomez qui n'avoit que le titre de Prieur, & il lui permit de recevoir Chapelains, faisant défense à ceux qui entroient dans cet Ordre, d'en sortir sans la permission du Prieur. Il n'est point parlé dans cette Bulle de la maniere de vie ni de la Regle qu'ils devoient suivre; mais celles qu’ils obtinrent dans la suite, font connoître qu’ils suivoient la Regle de saint Benoît mitigée, comme la gardoient les Chevaliers de Calatrava dont ils prirent aussi dans la suite les Observances.

CHAPTER V.
Of the Knights of the Order of Alcantara, formerly called of Saint Julian of the Pear Tree.

If we are to believe Angel Manrique in his Annals of Citeaux, the Order of Alcantara which was first called of Saint Julian of the Pear Tree or del Peyrero, took its origin in the year 1156 & had for founders two Brothers named Suarez & Gomez, who by the advice of a Hermit built a fortress on the borders of Castile in the Diocese of Ciudad Rodrigo to resist the Moors, & gave it the name of S. Julian of the Pear Tree. He adds that they put Knights there to guard it, & that in the year 1158 Odo, Archbishop of Salamanca, who was of the Order of Citeaux, prescribed them a way of life. But Francois de Radez says that the origin of this Order is unknown, and that what is certain is that in the year 1176 there were Brothers of Saint Julien du Poirier, as it appears by a Privilege which was granted to them by King Ferdinand that same year.
    However, this Order was confirmed as a Military Religion by Pope Alexander III in the year 1177 at the request of Gomez who had only the title of Prior, and he allowed him to receive Chaplains, forbidding those who entered this Order to leave it without the permission of the Prior. There is no mention in this Bull of the way of life or the Rule which they had to follow; but those which they obtained later, show that they followed the mitigated Rule of Saint Benedict, as did the Knights of Calatrava, from whom they also later took the Observances.
p.54.

    L'on ne sçait pas non plus quel étoit leur habillement. François de Radez dit que quelques-uns prétendent que ces Chevaliers avoient des habits honnêtes â la maniere des Séculiers, & que les Chapelains portoient l'habit Clerical; mais que les uns & les autres pour se distinguer des Séculiers porroient un petit scapuiaire. Ange Manrique dans ses Annales, se récrie fort â ce sujet contre Radez, & dit que la raison pour laquelle Radez leur donne cet habillement, c’est qu'il a eu horreur en parIant des Ordres Militaires, de tout ce que avoit rapport au Monachisme. Pour lui prétend que les Chevaliers de saint Julien du Poirer portoient au commencement l'habit des Religieux de Cîteaux: mais que comme il n'étoit pas commode pour aller à la guerre, ils prirent ensuite un Chaperon avec un petit scapulaire large comme la main, & long d‘un palme & demi, qu'ils porterent toûjours jusqs'en l'an 1411. que l'Antipape Benoît XIII. leur permit de quitter ce chaperon & ce scapulaire, & de porter une croix verte: ce qui est expressément marqué dans Préface des Statuts de cet Ordre rapportée par le même Manrique en ces termes. El habito des los de la orden del Pereyo, fue al prinsipio el mismo que traian los monges de S. Bernardo, y porser del algun impedimenta para el exercitio militar, tomaron en su lugar unos Capirotes, con unas Chias tan anchas como una mano, y tan largas como palmo y medio. Ainsi je ne sçai fur quoi est fondé Schoonebek dans son Histoire des Ordres Militaires, lorsqu'il dit qu’ils portoient dans le commencement pour marque de leur Ordre une ceinture rouge.


    Nor is it known what their clothing was. François de Radez says that some claim that these Knights had honest clothes in the manner of the Seculars, and that the Chaplains wore the Clerical habit; but that both of them, to distinguish themselves from the Seculars, wore a small scapular. Ange Manrique in his Annals, cries out strongly on this subject against Radez, and says that the reason why Radez gave them this clothing is that he had horror, when speaking of the Military Orders, of everything that had to do with Monasticism. For he claims that the Knights of Saint Julien du Poirer wore at the beginning the habit of the Religious of Cîteaux: but that as it was not convenient for going to war, they then took a Chaperon with a small scapular as wide as the hand, and long a palm and a half, which they always wore until the year 1411 that the Antipope Benedict XIII allowed them to quit this chaperon and this scapular, and to wear a green cross: which is expressly noted in the Preface of the Statutes of this Order reported by the same Manrique in these terms. The habit of those of the order of Pereyo was at first the same as that worn by the monks of St. Bernard, and because of some impediments to military service, they took instead Capirotes [hoods] , with Chias [strip down the front?] as wide as a hand and as long as a palm and a half. So I do not know on what basis Schoonebeek is basing his History of Military Orders, when he says that in the beginning they wore a red belt as a mark of their Order.



Source: Histoire des Ordres Religieux by P. Helyot. Paris, 1712.



The Chevalier D'alcantara is referenced as figure 72 BRETHREN OF THE SPANISH MILITARY ORDERS in Armies of Feudal Europe 1066-1300 by Ian Heath
Shortened, hooded habits split for riding, such as worn by figure 72 (an Alcántaran knight of c. 1300, based on an engraving from an 18th century work, P. Helyot's Histoire des Ordres Religieux), appear to have been worn in place of surcoats by some brethren.


See also Knights of the Spanish Order of Calatrava, in Histoire des Ordres Religieux by P. Helyot.
Other Spanish Illustrations of Costume & Soldiers.
13th Century Illustrations of Costume & Soldiers.