I have been serving in the armed forces for many years. Whenever I get time I love to read about the military setups of the past. I do my reading of past dynasties on the Internet. Some random surfing led me to the Militare Ordine del Collare on http://www.mocsta.eu. It had extensive information on King Alfonso and his army. It described that after the conquest of Minorca by Alfonso III in 1288, a small league of extraordinary men were given the rank and dignity of knight by the King in lieu of making the fortress of Saint Agatha their home and keeping horse and armour and when needed defending the island militarily. It was a military confraternity, founded by decree of King Alfonso III 23 January 1289. The knights then came to be known as the knights from St. Agatha. It was a good reading, which gave me a lot of inputs and knowledge about how armies were formed and maintained, what work they did, what their artillery was like etc.
Tags: militare ordine del collare