| Conquest of Santarém | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Part of the Reconquista | |||||||
 The Conquest of Santarém by Alfredo Roque Gameiro | |||||||
| |||||||
| Belligerents | |||||||
 Kingdom of Portugal |
 Almoravid Empire | ||||||
| Commanders and leaders | |||||||
| Afonso I of Portugal | Auzary, governor of Santarém | ||||||
| Strength | |||||||
| 250 knights | Unknown | ||||||
| Casualties and losses | |||||||
| Unknown | Very high | ||||||
The Conquest of Santarém took place on 15 March 1147, when the troops of the Kingdom of Portugal under the leadership of Afonso I of Portugal captured the Moorish city of Santarém.
Prelude[]
On 10 March 1147, King Afonso I of Portugal departed from Coimbra with 250 of his best knights[2] intending to capture the Moorish city of Santarém, a goal that he had previously failed to achieve.[3] The conquest of Santarém was of vital importance to Afonso's strategy; its possession would mean the end of the frequent Moorish attacks on Coimbra and Leiria, and would also allow a future attack on Lisbon.
The plan now was to attack the city during the night under cover of darkness, in order to catch the Moorish garrison by surprise.[4] King Afonso had previously sent the Portuguese Mem Ramires to Santarém disguised as a businessman in order to secretly study the city for the conquest.[5]
After the first day of the journey from Coimbra to Santarém, King Afonso I sent an emissary to Santarém announcing to the Moors that the truce had ended, for which three days' notice was required.[6]
Afonso I, first King of Portugal
Fall of Santarém[]
On the night of 14 March, King Afonso and his army arrived at Santarém.[7] With the help of ladders,[8] twenty five knights scaled the walls, killed the Moorish sentries and forced their way to the gate, allowing the main Portuguese army to enter the city.[9] Awakened by the screams of their sentries, the Moors ran from all sides to face the Portuguese attackers in the streets offering them a very strong resistance, but ended up being defeated and suffering a great slaughter.[10]
By morning the conquest was already complete, and Santarém became part of the recently formed Kingdom of Portugal.
Aftermath[]
After the conquest of Santarém, Afonso I of Portugal turned his attention to the important Moorish city of Lisbon, which he would conquer in October with the help of a crusader fleet of the Second Crusade who stopped in Portugal while on course to the Holy Land.
See also[]
- History of Portugal
- House of Burgundy
- Battle of Ourique
- Siege of Lisbon
- Sancho I of Portugal
Notes[]
References[]
- H.V.Livermore, A new history of Portugal (1976) ISBN 0-521-29103-8
- Ângelo Ribeiro, A Formação do Território-Da Lusitânia ao Alargamento do País (2004) ISBN 989-554-106-6
The original article can be found at Conquest of Santarém and the edit history here.