The Order of Cisneros ( es, Orden de Cisneros, links=no) is a

state order A state order, or national order, is an order bestowed by a sovereign state as part of a national honours system.https://www.pressreader.com/lebanon/the-daily-star-lebanon/20180724/281573766486143 These orders, conferred for the merit of the recip ...

Spain , image_flag = Bandera de España.svg , image_coat = Escudo de España (mazonado).svg , national_motto = '' Plus ultra'' (Latin)(English: "Further Beyond") , national_anthem = (English: "Royal March") , ...

created in 1944. It is named after Cardinal

Francisco Jiménez de Cisneros Francisco Jiménez de Cisneros, OFM (1436 – 8 November 1517), spelled Ximenes in his own lifetime, and commonly referred to today as simply Cisneros, was a Spanish cardinal, religious figure, and statesman. Starting from humble beginnings ...

. Primarily bestowed during the

Francoist dictatorship Francoist Spain ( es, España franquista), or the Francoist dictatorship (), was the period of Spanish history between 1939 and 1975, when Francisco Franco ruled Spain after the Spanish Civil War with the title . After his death in 1975, Spa ...

and currently dormant, it rewarded political merit.

History

The Order of Cisneros was established by

Francisco Franco Francisco Franco Bahamonde (; 4 December 1892 – 20 November 1975) was a Spanish general who led the Nationalist forces in overthrowing the Second Spanish Republic during the Spanish Civil War and thereafter ruled over Spain from 193 ...

on 8 March 1944. The order was modified in 1976 to only reward politicians for merit, and was later modified again on 15 April 1977. Although the order has not been awarded since September 1977, it has not been formally abolished by the Spanish government.

Design

The order is composed of the

Eagle of Saint John The Eagle of Saint John ( es, Águila de San Juan) is a heraldic eagle associated mostly with the Catholic Monarchs which was later prominently used during Francoist Spain (1939–77) and the Spanish transition to democracy (1977–81). It is sable ...

atop a red

Maltese cross The Maltese cross is a cross symbol, consisting of four " V" or arrowhead shaped concave quadrilaterals converging at a central vertex at right angles, two tips pointing outward symmetrically. It is a heraldic cross variant which develope ...

. Adorning the cross are two sets of five

arrow An arrow is a fin-stabilized projectile launched by a bow. A typical arrow usually consists of a long, stiff, straight shaft with a weighty (and usually sharp and pointed) arrowhead attached to the front end, multiple fin-like stabilizers ...

s and a

yoke A yoke is a wooden beam sometimes used between a pair of oxen or other animals to enable them to pull together on a load when working in pairs, as oxen usually do; some yokes are fitted to individual animals. There are several types of yoke, u ...

is present at the tail of the

eagle Eagle is the common name for many large birds of prey of the family Accipitridae. Eagles belong to several groups of genera, some of which are closely related. Most of the 68 species of eagle are from Eurasia and Africa. Outside this area, j ...

, in reference to the

yoke and arrows A yoke is a wooden beam sometimes used between a pair of oxen or other animals to enable them to pull together on a load when working in pairs, as oxen usually do; some yokes are fitted to individual animals. There are several types of yoke, u ...

, the symbol of the

Catholic Monarchs of Spain The Catholic Monarchs were Queen Isabella I of Castile and King Ferdinand II of Aragon, whose marriage and joint rule marked the ''de facto'' unification of Spain. They were both from the House of Trastámara and were second cousins, being both ...

which was repurposed by the

Falangist Falangism ( es, falangismo) was the political ideology of two political parties in Spain that were known as the Falange, namely first the Falange Española de las Juntas de Ofensiva Nacional Sindicalista (FE de las JONS) and afterwards the Fal ...

movement.

Classes

The order is composed of eight classes: * Grand Collar * Grand Cross * Band * Commendation with Plaque * Commendation * Ribbon * Cross * Gold Medal

Notable recipients

* Emiliano José Alfaro Arregui (1977) *

Carlos Asensio Cabanillas Carlos Asensio Cabanillas (14 November 1896, in Madrid – 28 April 1969, in Madrid) was a Spanish soldier and statesman who fought for the Nationalist faction during the Spanish Civil War, rising in command from Colonel to General in Franco's ...

(1956) * José Luis de Azcárraga Bustamante ( es) * Antonio Barroso y Sánchez Guerra (1953) * Manuel Baturone Colombo ( es) *

Luis Carrero Blanco Admiral-General Luis Carrero Blanco (4 March 1904 – 20 December 1973) was a Spanish Navy officer and politician. A long-time confidant and right-hand man of dictator Francisco Franco, Carrero served as the Prime Minister of Spain and i ...

(1970) * Andrés Casinello *

Antonio Castejón Espinosa Antonio Castejón Espinosa (1896, Manila – 1969) was a Spanish army officer from the Army of Africa who fought for the Nationalists in the Spanish Civil War. He was born in the Philippines which was a Spanish colony. At the start of the Ci ...

* Víctor Castro (1976) *

José Cuesta Monereo José Cuesta Monereo (5 December 1895 – 7 October 1981) was a senior Spanish army officer, regarded as the planner of the Spanish coup of July 1936 in Seville at the beginning of the Spanish Civil War, and thereafter other areas, initially under ...

* Sancho Dávila y Fernández de Celis (Commendation with Plaque, 1944) * Luis Díez-Alegría (18 July 1967) * Francisco Franco y Salgado Araújo ( es) * Alfredo Galera (1956) *

Rafael García Valiño Rafael García Valiño (24 October 189829 June 1972) was a Spanish army officer who fought in the Spanish Civil War for the Nationalist faction. Early life He was born in Toledo, and enrolled in the Infantry Academy at age fifteen. In 1916, ...

* Carlos Iniesta Cano (18 July 1969) * José Lacalle (1956) * Tomás de Liniers y Pidal (1974) *

José López Ortiz José is a predominantly Spanish and Portuguese form of the given name Joseph. While spelled alike, this name is pronounced differently in each language: Spanish ; Portuguese (or ). In French, the name ''José'', pronounced , is an old vernacul ...

* Pablo Martín Alonso (1956) * Pedro Pimentel Zayas ( es) * Miguel Rodrigo Martínez ( es) *

Camilo Menéndez Tolosa Camilo Menéndez Tolosa (8 February 1899 – 19 June 1971) was a Spanish general who served as Minister of the Army of Spain between 1964 and 1969, during the Francoist dictatorship Francoist Spain ( es, España franquista), or the Francoi ...

(1945) * Mohamed Meziane *

Agustín Muñoz Grandes Agustín Muñoz Grandes (27 January 1896 – 11 July 1970) was a Spanish general, and politician, vice-president of the Spanish Government and minister with Francisco Franco several times; also known as the commander of the Blue Division between ...

(1956, 1970) * Pedro Nieto (1954) *

Pilar Primo de Rivera María del Pilar Primo de Rivera y Sáenz de Heredia, 1st Countess of the Castle of La Mota (4 November 1907 – 17 March 1991) was the sister of José Antonio Primo de Rivera, founder of the Falange, a political movement of Spain, and the dau ...

* Joaquín Ríos Capapé ( es) * Eduardo Sáenz de Buruaga * Apolinar Sáenz de Buruaga y Polanco (1956) * Juan Bautista Sánchez de Bilbao ( es) (1956) * Gustavo Urrutia González ( es) ;Grand Masters *

Juan Carlos I Juan Carlos I (;, * ca, Joan Carles I, * gl, Xoán Carlos I, Juan Carlos Alfonso Víctor María de Borbón y Borbón-Dos Sicilias, born 5 January 1938) is a member of the Spanish royal family who reigned as King of Spain from 22 Novem ...

Felipe VI Felipe VI (;, * eu, Felipe VI.a, * ca, Felip VI, * gl, Filipe VI, . Felipe Juan Pablo Alfonso de Todos los Santos de Borbón y Grecia; born 30 January 1968) is King of Spain. He is the son of former King Juan Carlos I and Queen Sofía, an ...

Coats of arms of recipients

File:Coat of Arms of the First Duke of Carrero Blanco.svg,

File:Coat of Arms of Pilar Primo de Rivera.svg,

References