Battle of Ourique
Battle of Ourique, historicizing painting from 1793
| date | July 25, 1139 |
|---|---|
| place | Ourique |
| output | Victory of Alfonso I. |
| Parties to the conflict | |
|---|---|
|
Portucalia county |
|
| Commander | |
| Troop strength | |
| unknown | unknown |
| losses | |
|
unknown |
unknown |
The Battle of Ourique took place on July 25, 1139, perhaps near the city of Ourique in what is now the Alentejo (southern Portugal). The opponents were the Portuguese Count Alfonso and the Almoravids under the command of Ali ibn Yusuf .
The actual location of the decisive battle is unknown, most historians assume the battlefield near the village of Vila Chã de Ourique , which is much further north than Ourique in the Lisbon area, which is traditionally identified with the location of the battle named in the Chronicles Auriks .
The Muslim troops were made up of militias from the cities of Badajoz , Elvas , Évora , Beja and Seville . Even though the Portuguese were outnumbered, leadership problems weakened the Muslim armies so much that Alfonso won the battle.
Alfonsus used the enthusiasm for his victory to rise from the rank of count to king of Portugal . He broke away from the fiefdom of King Alfonso VII of Castile-León and founded the Kingdom of Portugal .
literature
- Alexander Pierre Bronisch: Reconquista and Holy War. The interpretation of the war in Christian Spain from the Visigoths to the early 12th century . Münster, Aschendorff Verlag 1998, ISBN 3-402-05839-1 .
