NationMaster - Encyclopedia: Battle of Aljubarrota

The Battle of Aljubarrota (pronounced [alʒuβɐˈʁɔtɐ]) took place on August 14, 1385, between the forces commanded by King John I of Portugal and his general Nuno Álvares Pereira, and the army of King John I of Castile. The place was São Jorge, between the towns of Leiria and Alcobaça in central Portugal. The result was a decisive defeat of the Castilians and the end of the 1383-1385 Crisis, establishing John as King of Portugal. John I (August 24, 1358 â€“ October 9, 1390) (in Spanish: Juan I) was the king of Castile, was the son of Henry II and of his wife Joan, daughter of John Manuel of Villena, head of a younger branch of the royal house of Castile. ... The 1383â€“1385 crisis is a period of civil war and anarchy in Portuguese history that began with the death of King Fernando I of Portugal, who left no male heirs, and ended with the accession to the throne of King JoÃ£o I in 1385, in the wake of... The Battle of Atoleiros took place on 6 April 1384, between a Portuguese force and a punitive expedition from Castile sent by John I. The battle took place near the population centre of the same name in Alentejo. ... Combatants Portugal and English allies Castile and French allies The Battle of Trancoso was fought in May of 1385 between Portugal and Castile. ... is the 226th day of the year (227th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1385 was a common year starting on Saturday (link will display the full calendar) of the Julian calendar. ... Joao I KG (Portugues: JoÃ£o, IPA pron. ... NunÃlvares Pereira 1360-1431 Blessed Nuno Ãlvares Pereira (1360-1431), also spelled NunÃlvares Pereira, was a Portuguese General of great success with an decisive role in the 1383-1385 Crisis that assured Portugals independence of Castile. ... John I (August 24, 1358 â€“ October 9, 1390) (in Spanish: Juan I) was the king of Castile, was the son of Henry II and of his wife Joan, daughter of John Manuel of Villena, head of a younger branch of the royal house of Castile. ... Location - Country Portugal - Region Centro - Subregion Pinhal Litoral - District or A.R. Leiria Mayor Isabel Damasceno Campos Costa - Party PSD Area 564,66 kmÂ² kmÂ² Population - Total 119,870 hab. ... Coat of Arms AlcobaÃ§a is in the district of Leiria, in Portugal (though formerly included in the province of Estremadura), on the Alcoa and BaÃ§a rivers, from which it derives its name. ... History of Portugal Series Prehistoric Portugal Pre-Roman Portugal Roman Lusitania and Gallaecia Visigoths and Suevi Moorish rule and Reconquista First County of Portugal Kingdom of Galicia and Portugal Second County of Portugal Establishment of the Monarchy Consolidation of the Monarchy 1383-1385 Crisis Discoveries Portuguese Empire 1580 Crisis Iberian... This is a List of Portuguese monarchs from the independence of Portugal from Castile in 1139, to the beginning of the Republic in October 5, 1910. ...

Portuguese independence was assured and a new dynasty, the House of Aviz, was established. Scattered border confrontations with Castilian troops would persist until the death of John I of Castile in 1390, but these posed no real threat to the new dynasty. To celebrate his victory and acknowledge divine help, John I of Portugal ordered the construction of the monastery of Santa Maria da Vitória na Batalha and the founding of the town of Batalha (Portuguese for "battle", pronounced [bɐˈtaʎɐ]). The king, his wife Philippa of Lancaster, and several of his sons are buried in this monastery, which is an important part of Portuguese heritage. The House of Aviz is a dynasty of kings of Portugal. ... Batalha Monastery is one of the most important Gothic sites in Portugal. ... Details of Gothic architecture in the Monastery of Batalha Batalha (pron. ... Philippa of Lancaster (1359 - July 19, 1415) was an English princess, daughter of John of Gaunt, 1st Duke of Lancaster by his wife and cousin Blanche of Lancaster. ...

Prelude

The end of the 14th century in Europe was a time of revolution and crisis, with the Hundred Years' War devastating France, the Black Death decimating the continent, and famine afflicting the poor. Portugal was no exception. In 1383, King Ferdinand I of Portugal died with no son to inherit the crown. The only child of his marriage with Leonor Telles de Menezes was a girl, Princess Beatrice of Portugal, married to John I, king of Castile. The Portuguese nobility was unwilling to support the claim of the princess because that would mean the incorporation of Portugal in Castile (see note 2). Without an undisputed option, Portugal remained without king between 1383 and 1385, in an interregnum known as the 1383–1385 Crisis. On April 6, 1385, the council of the kingdom (cortes in Portuguese) summoned in Coimbra and declared king John, Master of Aviz (bastard son of Peter I of Portugal). However, the Castilian king would not relinquish his wife's claim to the throne and invaded Portugal in June, with an important French cavalry detachment and a great part of the Portuguese nobility under his command. Combatants France Castile Scotland Genoa Majorca Bohemia Crown of Aragon Brittany England Burgundy Brittany Portugal Navarre Flanders Hainaut Aquitaine Luxembourg Holy Roman Empire The Hundred Years War was a conflict between France and England, lasting 116 years from 1337 to 1453. ... This article concerns the mid fourteenth century pandemic. ... Fernando I (pron. ... Leonor (Elionor) Telles (Teles) de Menezes (1350 - April 27, 1386), called A aleivosa (The Treacherous), was queen consort of Portugal during the 14th century. ... Infanta Beatrice of Portugal, Beatriz in Portuguese (pron. ... For other uses, see Interregnum (disambiguation). ... is the 96th day of the year (97th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1385 was a common year starting on Saturday (link will display the full calendar) of the Julian calendar. ... Location - Country Portugal - Region Centro - Subregion Baixo Mondego - District or A.R. Coimbra Mayor Carlos EncarnaÃ§Ã£o - Party PSD Area 319. ... Pedro I of Portugal (pron. ...

Portuguese dispositions

After his accession to the throne, John I of Portugal proceeded to conquer the cities that supported Princess Beatrice and her husband's claims, namely Caminha, Braga and Guimarães among others. On the news of the invasion by the Castilians, John of Portugal's army met with Nuno Álvares Pereira (the Portuguese field marshal) in the town of Tomar. There, they decided to face the enemy in battle, before they could get close to Lisbon, capital of the kingdom. Location - Country Portugal - Region Norte, Portugal - Subregion Minho-Lima - District or A.R. Viana do Castelo Mayor JÃºlia Costa - Party PSD Area 137. ... For other uses, see Braga (disambiguation). ... District or region Braga Mayor - Party MagalhÃ£es Silva PS Area 241. ... NunÃlvares Pereira 1360-1431 Blessed Nuno Ãlvares Pereira (1360-1431), also spelled NunÃlvares Pereira, was a Portuguese General of great success with an decisive role in the 1383-1385 Crisis that assured Portugals independence of Castile. ... District or region SantarÃ©m Mayor - Party AntÃ³nio Paiva PSD Area 351. ... For other uses, see Lisbon (disambiguation). ...

Along with its English allies, which consisted of a company of English bowmen sent to honor the alliance between the kingdoms in the form of the marriage between John of Portugal and his Lancastrian queen, the Portuguese army set out to intercept the invading army near the town of Leiria. Nuno Álvares Pereira took the task of choosing the ground for the battle. The chosen location was São Jorge near Aljubarrota, in a small flattened hill surrounded by creeks, with a very small settlement at its widest point, still present today. At around 10 o'clock in the morning of August 14, the army took its position at the north side of this hill, facing the road where the enemy would soon appear. As in other defensive battles of the 14th century (Crécy, for example, or Poitiers), the dispositions were the following: dismounted cavalry and infantry in the centre with archers occupying the flanks, and notably a company of young nobles who left their studies at the university city of Coimbra and were remembered to history as The Flank of Lovers, invoking notions of chivalric brotherhood and honor. On either side, the army was protected by natural obstacles (in this case, creeks and steep slopes). In the rear, reinforcements were at hand, commanded by John of Portugal himself. In this topographically high position, the Portuguese could observe the enemy's arrival and were protected by a steep slope in their front. The rear of the Portuguese position, which was in fact its front in the final battle, was at the top of a narrow slope, which came up to a small village, and was further constricted by a complex series of interlocking trenches which were designed to surprise and trap cavalry. This trenching tactic was developed around this time and used extensively by both the English in France and the Portuguese in the rare set-piece battles of the Crisis of the Succession. Motto Dieu et mon droit(French) God and my right Territory of the Kingdom of England Capital Winchester; London from 11th century Language(s) Old English (de facto, until 1066) Anglo-Norman language (de jure, 1066 - 15th century) English (de facto, gradually replaced French from late 13th century) Government Monarchy... Location - Country Portugal - Region Centro - Subregion Pinhal Litoral - District or A.R. Leiria Mayor Isabel Damasceno Campos Costa - Party PSD Area 564,66 kmÂ² kmÂ² Population - Total 119,870 hab. ... CrÃ©cy redirects here. ... Combatants Kingdom of England Gascony France Commanders Edward, the Black Prince Captal de Buch John II of France Strength 9,000 12,000 Casualties Minimal 2,500 killed or wounded The Battle of Poitiers was fought between the Kingdom of England and France on September 19, 1356, resulting in the... Self-yew English longbow, 6 ft 6 in (2 m) long, 470 N (105 lbf) draw force. ... For discussion of land surfaces themselves, see Terrain. ...

Castile arrives

The Castilian vanguard arrived at lunch time from the north. Seeing the strongly defensive position occupied by the Portuguese, John of Castile made the wise decision to avoid combat on John of Portugal's terms. Slowly, due to the numbers of his army (about 30,000 men), the Castilian army started to contour the hill where the Portuguese were located. John of Castile's scouts had noticed that the South side of the hill had a gentler slope and it was there that the Castilian king wanted to attack. Download high resolution version (597x752, 77 KB)Battle of Aljubarrota, drawn by Muriel Gottrop. ... Download high resolution version (597x752, 77 KB)Battle of Aljubarrota, drawn by Muriel Gottrop. ...

In response of this movement, the Portuguese army inverted its dispositions and headed to the South slope of the hill. Since they were fewer than the enemy and had less ground to cover, they attained their final position very early in the afternoon. To calm the soldiers' nervousness and to improve his army's defensive position, general Nuno Álvares Pereira ordered the construction of a system of ditches, pitches and caltrops. This tactical procedure, very typical of the English, was perhaps a suggestion of the English allied troops, also present in the field. Caltrop used by the Office of Strategic Services. ...

Around six o'clock in the afternoon the Castilian army was ready for battle. According to John of Castile's own words, in his report of the battle, his soldiers were by then very tired from the march that started early in the morning under a blazing August sun. There was no time to halt now, and the battle would soon begin.

Battle

The initiative of starting the battle was on the Castilian side. The French allied cavalry charged, as they were accustomed to do: in full strength, in order to disrupt order in enemy lines. Even before they could get in contact with the Portuguese infantry, however, they were already disorganized. Just like at Crécy, the defending archers along with the ditches and pits did most of the work. The losses on the cavalry were heavy and the effect of its attack completely null. Support from the Castilian rear was late to come and the knights that did not perish in the combat were made prisoners and sent to the Portuguese rear. Image File history File links Metadata Size of this preview: 482 Ã— 599 pixelsFull resolution (2387 Ã— 2966 pixel, file size: 3. ... Image File history File links Metadata Size of this preview: 482 Ã— 599 pixelsFull resolution (2387 Ã— 2966 pixel, file size: 3. ... CrÃ©cy redirects here. ...

At this point the main Castilian force entered the battle. Their line was enormous, due to the great number of soldiers. In order to get to the Portuguese line, the Castilians had to disorganize themselves, to squeeze in the space between the two creeks that protected the flanks. It was not an auspicious start. At this time, the Portuguese reorganized. The vanguard of Nuno Álvares Pereira divided into two sectors. Since the worst was still to come, John of Portugal ordered the retreat of the archers and the advance of his rear troops, through the space opened between the vanguards. With all troops needed at the front, there were no men available to guard the knight prisoners. John of Portugal ordered them to be killed on the spot and proceeded to deal with the approaching Castilians.

Squashed between the Portuguese flanks and advanced rear, the Castilians did their best to win the day. At this stage of the battle, both sides sustained heavy losses, especially on the Castilian and Portuguese left wing, known in Portuguese tradition as the Ala dos Namorados, meaning something like Flank of Sweethearts, as it was composed by two hundred young and yet unmarried men; the Portuguese right flank, also two hundred strong, is known as Ala de Madressilva or Honeysuckle Flank). By sunset the Castilian position was indefensible and the situation quite desperate. John of Castile ordered retreat and the remaining Castilian soldiers started to flee. Portuguese pursued them and, with the battle won, killed many more.

According to Portuguese tradition surrounding the battle, there was a woman called Brites de Almeida, the Padeira of Aljubarrota (the baker-woman of Aljubarrota), said to be very tall, strong, and to possess six fingers on each hand, who ambushed and killed by herself eight Castilian soldiers as they stormed her bakery in the town of Aljubarrota itself. This story in particular is clouded in legend and hearsay. But the popular intervention in the massacre of Castilian troops after the battle is, nevertheless, historical and typical of battles between nations in this period, as in the Hundred Years' War. This article is about the human congenital disorder (disease). ... Combatants France Castile Scotland Genoa Majorca Bohemia Crown of Aragon Brittany England Burgundy Brittany Portugal Navarre Flanders Hainaut Aquitaine Luxembourg Holy Roman Empire The Hundred Years War was a conflict between France and England, lasting 116 years from 1337 to 1453. ...

Aftermath

In the morning of the following day, the true dimension of the battle was revealed: in the field, the bodies of Castilians were enough to dam the creeks surrounding the small hill. John of Castile himself had to run at full speed to save his life. Behind him he was leaving not only common soldiers but also many noblemen, causing official mourning in Castile that would last until the Christmas of 1387. The French cavalry contingent suffered yet another defeat (after Crecy and Poitiers) by English defensive tactics. The Battle of Agincourt decades later would show that they still had a lesson to learn. Image File history File linksMetadata Download high-resolution version (982x696, 195 KB) Mosteiro da Batalha, Portugal File links The following pages on the English Wikipedia link to this file (pages on other projects are not listed): Battle of Aljubarrota Monastery of Batalha Metadata This file contains additional information, probably added... Image File history File linksMetadata Download high-resolution version (982x696, 195 KB) Mosteiro da Batalha, Portugal File links The following pages on the English Wikipedia link to this file (pages on other projects are not listed): Battle of Aljubarrota Monastery of Batalha Metadata This file contains additional information, probably added... Batalha Monastery is one of the most important Gothic sites in Portugal. ... Combatants Kingdom of England Kingdom of France Commanders Henry V of England Charles dAlbret Strength About 6,000 (but see Modern re-assessment). ...

With this victory, John of Aviz was the uncontested King of Portugal. Independence was assured and a new dynasty, the House of Aviz, started. Scattered border skirmishes with Castilian troops would persist until the death of John of Castile in 1390, but posed no real threat to the Portuguese crown. To celebrate his victory and acknowledge divine help, John of Portugal ordered the construction of the Monastery of Santa Maria of Victory (commonly known as Monastery of Batalha), and the founding of the town of Batalha (battle in Portuguese). The king, his wife Philippa of Lancaster, and several of his sons are buried in this Monastery, an important part of Portuguese heritage. The House of Aviz is a dynasty of kings of Portugal. ... Philippa of Lancaster (1359 - July 19, 1415) was an English princess, daughter of John of Gaunt, 1st Duke of Lancaster by his wife and cousin Blanche of Lancaster. ...

Notes

At this time (14th century), Castile is not synonymous with "Spain". A global Iberian political entity, had first appeared as a Visigothic Kingdom in the very last times of the Roman Empire; being dismantled after the muslim invasion of 711. After that, the word "Spain" was wrongly used to designate the Iberian peninsula from a geographical and cultural and even political point of view. The proper term which more enlightened scholars use is Iberia, the geographical vast peninsula, encompassing Portugal, an autonomous kingdom since 1128, and several other kingdoms. These other kingdoms eventually aglutinated under one central power, Castille, and named Spain, after Hispania. The country 'appeared' in the second half of the 15th century, with the marriage of the Catholic Monarchs - Isabella of Castile and Ferdinand of Aragon - the rulers, together, of the Crown of Castile, (the union of the kingdoms of Castile, León, Galicia, Asturias, the Canary Islands and the later conquered kingdom of Granada) and the Crown of Aragon (Aragon, Catalonia, Valencia, the Balearic Islands, Sicily and other territories in the Italian Peninsula).

class="preview" id="pv85"> Image File history File links Battle_of_Aljubarrota. ... Image File history File links Sound-icon. ... Year 2005 (MMV) was a common year starting on Saturday (link displays full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 193rd day of the year (194th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... This 14th-century statue from south India depicts the gods Shiva (on the left) and Uma (on the right). ... This article or section needs a complete rewrite for the reasons listed on the talk page. ... The Iberian Peninsula, or Iberia, is located in the extreme southwest of Europe, and includes modern day Spain, Portugal, Andorra and Gibraltar. ... The Visigothic Kingdom was an European power in the 5e en de 7e censury, created yn Gaul by the German people of the Visigoths when the Romains lost their control of their empire. ... It has been suggested that this article or section be merged into Iberian Peninsula. ... (14th century - 15th century - 16th century - other centuries) As a means of recording the passage of time, the 15th century was that century which lasted from 1401 to 1500. ... Ferdinand on the left with Isabella on the right Coffins of the Catholic Monarchs at the Granada Cathedral The Catholic Monarchs (Spanish: los Reyes CatÃ³licos) is the collective title used in history for Queen Isabella I of Castile and King Ferdinand II of Aragon. ... Isabella I of Castile (April 22, 1451 â€“ November 26, 1504) was Queen regnant of Castile and Leon. ... Ferdinand of Aragon can refer to two different kings of Aragon: Ferdinand I of Aragon, also known as Ferdinand of Antequera (r. ... The starting point of Crown of Castile can be considered when the union of the Kingdoms of Castile and Leon in 1230 or the later fusion of their Cortes (their Parlaments). ... Coat of arms Kingdom of Castile in the 15th century. ... Coat of arms Kingdom of LeÃ³n, 1030 Capital LeÃ³n Language(s) Mainly Latin and Astur-Leonese. ... ... Flag Motto: Hoc Signo Tuetur Pius, Hoc Signo Vincitur Inimicus (English: With this sign thou shalt defend the pious, with this sign thou shalt defeat the enemy) Capital Cangas de Onis, San MartÃn, Pravia, Oviedo Language(s) Asturian, Latin Religion Roman Catholicism Government Monarchy King - 718-737 Pelayo of... Anthem: ArrorrÃ³ Capital Las Palmas de Gran Canaria and Santa Cruz de Tenerife Official language(s) Spanish Area â€“ Total â€“ % of Spain Ranked 13th 7,447 kmÂ² 1. ... The City of Granada Alhambra, Courtyard of the Lions Granada is a city and the capital of the province of Granada, in Spain. ... Coat of arms of Aragon, 15th century The Crown of Aragon is a term used to refer to the permanent union of multiple titles and states in the hands of the King of Aragon. ... Coat of arms The Kingdom of Aragon at its greatest extent, c. ... History of Spain series Prehistoric Spain Roman Spain Medieval Spain - Visigoths - Al-Andalus - Age of Reconquest Age of Expansion Age of Enlightenment Reaction and Revolution First Spanish Republic The Restoration Second Spanish Republic Spanish Civil War The Dictatorship Transition to Democracy Modern Spain Topics Economic History Military History Social History... History of Spain Series Prehistoric Spain Roman Spain Medieval Spain Age of Reconquest Age of Expansion Age of Enlightenment Reaction and Revolution First Spanish Republic The Restoration Second Spanish Republic Spanish Civil War The Dictatorship Modern Spain Topics Economic History Military History Social History The Aragonese Empire was the regime... Capital Palma de Mallorca Official language(s) Spanish and Catalan Area â€“ Total â€“ % of Spain Ranked 17th 4,992 kmÂ² 1. ... Sicily ( in Italian and Sicilian) is an autonomous region of Italy and the largest island in the Mediterranean Sea, with an area of 25,708 kmÂ² (9,926 sq. ... Satellite view of the Peninsula in spring The Italian Peninsula or Apennine Peninsula (Italian: Penisola italiana or Penisola appenninica) is one of the greatest peninsulas of Europe, spanning 1,000 km from the Alps in the north to the central Mediterranean Sea in the south. ...

References

(Portuguese) João Gouveia Monteiro, Aljubarrota — a Batalha Real
(Portuguese) A.H. de Oliveira Marques, Historia de Portugal

Coordinates: 39°38′17″N 8°50′17″W / 39.63806, -8.83806 Map of Earth showing lines of latitude (horizontally) and longitude (vertically), Eckert VI projection; large version (pdf, 1. ...