Abu Yusuf Ya ʿqub al- Mansur
(c. 1160–1199), Almohad caliph.Abu Yusuf Yaʿqub al-Mansur (“the Victorious”) became Almohad caliph in 1184 after his father’s death. His ambition to expand his Andalusian kingdom was thwarted by the ...
battle of Alarcos
The battle of Alarcos (19 July 1195) between Alfonso VIII, king of Castile (1158–1214), and Abu Yusuf Yaʿqub, caliph of the Almohads (1184–1199), was the last major Almohad victory in the Iberian ...
Battle of Las Navas de Tolosa
The battle of Las Navas de Tolosa (1212) constituted the great turning point in the conflict of Christian and Muslim states in the Hispanic reconquest. Prior to this date, the ...
Blanche of Castile
(1188–1252)Wife of King Louis VIII of France. Daughter of Alfonso VIII of Castile and Eleanor of England, she married Louis in 1200. She supported him on his expedition to ...
Burgos
Located on the banks of the Arlanzón river (Castile), the city began as a military outpost in the 880s. Strategically placed, its castle kept a watch for Muslim raids. By ...
Castile
A region of central Spain, on the central plateau of the Iberian peninsula, formerly an independent Spanish kingdom. The marriage of Isabella of Castile to Ferdinand of Aragon in 1469 linked these ...
Las Huelgas
The royal monastery of Las Huelgas, founded in c.1180 by King Alfonso VIII of Castile at the request of his wife Eleanor of England, was built in the outskirts of ...
Las Navas de Tolosa
A decisive battle won over the Almohades in July 1212 south of Calatrava by the armies of kings Alfonso VIII of Castile, Sancho VII of Navarre and Peter II of ...
Peter II of Aragon
(c.1174–1213)In 1196, Peter II inherited the kingdom of Aragon and the Catalan counties from his father Alfonso II. In 1204 he married Maria, lady of Pontpellier. Close to Alfonso ...
Plantagenet
Name of the English royal dynasty which held the throne from the accession of Henry II in 1154 until the death of Richard III in 1485. The name comes from Latin planta genista ‘sprig of broom’, said ...
Siege of Huete
Huete is a small castle town situated about 70 miles (113 kilometers) east of Toledo. The Castilian monarchy had settled it by agreement with the Muslim rebel, King Lobo of ...
Siege of Salvatierra
Salvatierra Castle lies some sixty-five miles (one hundred and five kilometers) southeast of Toledo on a vital route running between Toledo and the Muradal (Despeñaperros) Pass to upper Andalusia ...
Siege of Úbeda
Úbeda is situated in the foothills of the Sierra Morena mountains, approximately 217 miles (350 kilometers) southeast of Madrid and fifty kilometers (thirty-one miles) east of Jaén. King Alfonso VIII ...
Sieges of Jaen
Jaen had long occupied the interest of the Castilian monarchy and had first been besieged in the twelfth century. Located 210 miles (338 kilometers) from Murcia to the east, 94 ...
