Early Modern Period

After the surrender, Arboleas and other towns of the region were handed over to the Marquesado de los Vélez (Velez marquis) that would administer them. Councils were created, that would correspond to our current town councils and justice was adminstered by the marquis. He would be also the one in charge of defending the towns and the responsible of turning the old mosque into a Christian church.

The Early Modern Period started in the ancient Granada kingdom with the Moorish revolts, since the agreements for the handing over of the city in 1492 were not being fulfilled.

Those revolts that began in Alpujarras, spreaded gradually towards the Almanzora region, where the Moorish were finally defeated by the Christian troops of Lorca.

The final battle was fought in Arboleas. The Moorish farmers, armed with whatever they could get, came down the river to face the Lorca troops. One night that both sides were camping near Arboleas, some boys tried to steal a hen from a nearby farmyard.

They never succedeed in their attempt since the Lorca troops got alarmed and started what it was known as the “ batalla del corral” (farmyard battle). In this battle, five flags representing five different towns were stolen by the Lorca troops. The Moorish flag of Cantoria can still be seen in Lorca town hall.

The Monarchs reaction to these revolts were several expulsion orders, the first one in 1.572 and the second one in 1.610. After the first expulsión order, the Apeo y Repartimiento de los pueblos (sharing-out of the different towns) took place.

The sharing-out documents contained the inventory of the different municipalities. The municipalities were shared among the new settlers, mostly old christians that came from different places of the Península, from the Eastern area in the case of Arboleas.

That was how a new town was formed, with its original population in exile.