The village of Pastrana, located in the Alcarria region, was founded in the 13th century as a repopulation village under the control of the military-religious Order of Calatrava that built a small Romanesque church. In 1369 Pastrana received the title of “villa” and a wall was built around it. In 1569 the first Dukes of Pastrana and Princes of Eboli, Ruy Gomez de Silva (counsellor, favourite and close friend of Philip II) and the famed Doña Ana de Mendoza y de la Cerda bought the village to the heirs of Doña Ana de la Cerda, who had acquired it in 1540. From then on, it became a secular manor and the ducal palace began to be built.