Allariz has its historical roots in the Castro civilization and later in the Roman colonization period. The name Allariz, however, comes from a Suevian settlement and its military chief Alaric who established his residence here. After the great splendor of Allariz during the Suevian kingdom in the early Middle Ages, it was not until the 11th, 12th, and 13th centuries that it regained its importance. Around the year 1075, Alfonso VI built walls and a fortress. His grandson Alfonso VII started the tradition of educating princes in this town. The decline of the town of Allariz came in the 14th century due to the reprisals of Henry II of Trastamara for being a town allied with Peter I during the civil and fratricidal war suffered by the kingdom, which ended in 1369. From the high medieval centuries, Allariz has preserved numerous monuments such as its good collection of Romanesque churches (some unfortunately transformed), remains of walls and a castle, the convent of Santa Clara, and the urban ensemble of the Jewish quarter. Finally, the church of San Esteban or Santo Estevo dates from the late 12th century, with Renaissance reforms and Baroque altars.