 The "retablos" probably originated with the Christian knights of the Crusades and the Spanish "reconquista" (the 700-year struggle against the Moors in the Iberian Peninsula).The Christian warriors, who frequently found themselves far away from their home churches, carried small portable box-altars for worship and protection against their enemies.These earliest "retablos" usually featured religious themes, especially those involving "Santiago" (Saint James), the patron saint-warrior in the fight against the Moors.