Capture of Juromenha

The Capture of Juromenha was a successful operation by the Almohad Caliphate against the Portuguese fortress of Gerald the Fearless. The Castle was captured by the Almohads, ousting Gerald from his base.

Capture of Juromenha (1170)
Part of Portuguese Reconquista
Juromenha fortress
Date November 1170 Location Castelo de Juromenha Result Almohad victory
Belligerents
Kingdom of Portugal	Almohad Caliphate
Commanders and leaders
Gerald the Fearless	Abu Hafs Umar Al-Sayyid Uthman Abu Sa'eed
Strength
Unknown	Unknown

Background

After the crushing defeat at the siege of Badajoz in 1169. Gerald, alongside his king Afonso, was captured by the Leonses king, Ferdinand II of León. Gerald bought his freedom by giving up the towns he possessed to Ferdinand except the fortress of Juromenha. Afonso, after the battle, was unable to lead his troops physically but had his men lead the battles. Gerald then settled in Jurnomenha and began resuming his attacks against Badajoz which he hoped to besiege and capture one day.

On April 1170, Gerald exhausted the city with constant attacks and cut off the supplies from it. The government of Seville decided to reinforce the city with a caravan of 5,000 cattle carrying supplies and provisions with an Almohad force led by Abu Yahya Zakariya. When the Caravan got near the city, Gerald and his men ambushed the Caravan and engaged in a battle that lasted for some hours and ended with crushing defeat for the Almohads and the leader fell dead which happened on 14 May. The news reached Seville and Cordoba.

Capture

Determined to stop Gerald's attacks, the Almohads dispatched a force from Marrakesh led by Abu Hafs Umar alongside his brother Al-Sayyid Uthman Abu Sa'eed. The army consisted of Almohads, Arabs, and Andalusians. They determined to protect Badajoz from Christians. They arrived there in November. After dealing with the Leonese king who encamped close to the city, the Almohads marched to the fortress of Jurnomenha which Gerald took it as a base to attack Badajoz. The Almohads besieged and captured the fort with the sword, forcing the Portuguese to abandon it and retreat. The Almohads then demolished the fort. Satisfied with their victory, the Almohads returned to Seville.

Aftermath

After this loss, Gerald retreated to Lobón hoping to establish a base there. However; the next year, another force was sent and expelled Gerald, depriving him of striking distance from Badajoz.

Sources

• Muhammad Abdullah Enan (1964), The State of Islam in Andalusia, Vol. III: The Era of Almoravids and Almohads, Part 2.[1]
• S. Lay (2008), The Reconquest Kings of Portugal: Political and Cultural Reorientation on the Medieval Frontier.[2]
• José Mattoso (1993), História de Portugal: A monarquia feudal (1096–1480), Vol II.[3]