 After coming to power, King Alfonso IX, faced an attack by his two neighbours, Castile and Portugal, decided to summon the "Curia regis".This was a mediæval organisation composed of aristocrats and bishops, but because of the seriousness of the situation and the need to maximise political support, Alfonso IX took the decision to also call the representatives of the urban middle class from the most important cities of the kingdom to the assembly.However, all these meetings were exceptional and did not lead to a regular attendance of town representatives in the "Curiae".