A few families within the "hermandades" or confraternities like the Sarracín and Bonifaz succeeded in monopolising the post of "alcalde", or mayor; a special court, the "alcalde del rey" was first mentioned at Burgos in 1281.
Na začetku se je mesto imenovalo "Caput Castellae" ("Cabeza de Castilla" ali "Glava Kastilije").