Reconquista
The history of the rise of Al-Andalus and the gradual re-conquering of Spain by the Spanish Christian kingdoms is an epic tale beginning in the year 712 and concluding with the fall of the Kingdom of Grenada in 1492. Join the History of the Crusades Podcast as we cover this lengthy piece of narrative history.
Episodes
Episode 138 - John of Gaunt Part 2
John of Gaunt's attempt to claim the crown of Castile hits a number of hurdles.
Episode 137 - John of Gaunt Part 1
An ambitious Englishman named John of Gaunt proclaims himself to be the new king of Castile, bringing chaos to the region.
Episode 136 - Muhammad V and the Alhambra
We take a look at the rule of Muhammad V of Grenada who completed the stunning Alhambra palace complex.
Episode 135 - King Enrique II of Castile
King Enrique II of Castile experiences a troubled start to his reign when all the other rulers on the Iberian peninsula unite against him.
Episode 134 - Castile v Aragon Part 3
The war between Castile and Aragon continues - until it ends abruptly with a surprise assassination.
Episode 133 - Castile v Aragon Part 2
As the war between Castile and Aragon continues, we welcome another Pedro to the narrative - King Pedro I of Portugal.
Episode 132 - Castile v Aragon Part 1
The rise to power of Pedro the Cruel in Castile sparks hostilities between the kingdoms of Castile and Aragon.
Episode 131 - Trouble in Aragon
A succession crisis in Aragon threatens to plunge the kingdom into civil war.
Episode 130 - The end of an era
An era comes to an end with the death of King Alfonso XI of Castile during the siege of Gibralta in 1350.
Episode 129 - The siege of Algeciras
King Alfonso XI of Castile attempts to take the Merinid city of Algeciras.
Episode 128 - The Battle of Salado
We examine one of the most significant conflicts of the Reconquista - the battle of Salado.
Episode 127 - Family drama
Family drama erupts inside the royal courts of Aragon, Castile and Portugal in the 1330s, resulting in conflict between the kingdoms.
Episode 126 - The return of Navarre
King Alfonso XI of Castile launches a crusade against the Muslims of Grenada, while the Kingdom of Navarre manages to shake off French rule.
Episode 125 - The three Alfonsos
With the rise to power of King Alfonso IV of Aragon in 1327, most of the kings ruling in the Iberian peninsula were named Alfonso.
Episode 124 - 1325
During the year 1325, new rulers rose to power in Castile, Grenada and Portugal.
Episode 123 - Grenada in peril
Amid changes in leadership, the Muslim Kingdom of Grenada finds itself facing a number of serious challenges.
Episode 122 - Castile in peril
The mighty Kingdom of Leon and Castile is attacked from all sides as it deals with a succession crisis.
Episode 121 - The many challenges facing King Frederick III of Sicily
King Frederick III of Sicily attempts to hold on to his crown despite having no allies and some very powerful enemies.
Episode 120 - The many challenges facing King James II of Aragon
King James II of Aragon and Sicily attempts to hold on to both his crowns in the face of insurmountable difficulties.
Episode 119 - The many challenges facing King Alfonso III of Aragon
Young King Alfonso III of Aragon faces existential threats to his rule as he attempts to hold onto his crown.
Episode 118 - The many challenges facing King Sancho IV
King Sancho IV of Leon and Castile finds himself facing a number of domestic and foreign challenges.
Episode 117 - King Pedro III of Aragon and Sicily Part 3
King Pedro III of Aragon faces the most serious crisis of his reign.
Episode 116 - King Pedro III of Aragon and Sicily Part 2
King Pedro III of Aragon is proclaimed to be the new King of Sicily - a claim disputed by Charles of Anjou.
Episode 115 - King Pedro III of Aragon and Sicily Part 1
King Pedro III of Aragon forms an ambitious plan to attack the Kingdom of Sicily.
Episode 114 - More succession issues
We take a look at succession issues confronted by the Kingdom of Navarre and the Kingdom of Aragon.
Episode 113 - Succession issues
King Alfonso X returns from his badly timed attempt to become the Holy Roman Emperor, only to see his kingdom plunged into a succession crisis.
Episode 112 - Muhammad's rebellion
While King Alfonso X is absent from the Iberian peninsula, Muhammad of Grenada invades Castile - leaving the kingdom scrambling to defend itself.
Episode 111 - Alfonso of the wrongs
King Alfonso X introduces a number of unpopular policies inside his realm, causing a rebellion to break out.
Episode 110 - Crusading capers
As peace settles over the Iberian peninsula, some of the Christian kings decide to journey to the Holy Land on crusade.
Episode 109 - The Muslim uprising of 1264
The Kingdom of Grenada launches a large scale uprising against Castilian rule in 1264.
Episode 108 - King Alfonso X of Leon and Castile Part 2
An increasingly frustrated King Alfonso attempts to extend Castilian territory into Navarre, Gascony and northern Africa.
Episode 107 - King Alfonso X of Leon and Castile
We welcome a new ruler to the kingdoms of Leon and Castile - King Alfonso X. This very ambitious monarch commences his reign by attempting to become the next Holy Roman Emperor.
Episode 106 - The Kingdom of Grenada
Following the fall of Seville, many of its Muslim residents relocated to the Kingdom of Grenada. We take a closer look at this Muslim territory.
Episode 105 - The fall of Jaen and Seville
Two milestone events in the Reconquista occur under the leadership of King Fernando III - the defeat of the cities of Jaen and Seville.
Episode 104 - The downfall of King Sancho II of Portugal
During the busy years of the 1240's King Sancho II of Portugal loses his battle with the church, while ibn al-Ahmar attempts to annex the city of Seville.
Episode 103 - Christian expansion
During the 1240s, the Kingdom of Aragon and the Kingdoms of Leon and Castile go on the offensive against al-Andalus, in a campaign known as 'the great game'.
Episode 102 - The Conquest of Valencia Part 2
In a major milestone for the Reconquista, King James I of Aragon conquers the city of Valencia in 1238.
Episode 101 - The Conquest of Valencia Part 1
King James I of Aragon commences his conquest of Valencia and we welcome a new player to the narrative - King Thibaut I of Navarre.
Episode 100 - The Conquest of Cordoba Part 2
The Christians succeed in taking one of the most important cities in al-Andalus - the city of Cordoba which surrendered in 1236.
Episode 99 - The Conquest of Cordoba Part 1
As the Muslims of al-Andalus fight each other, King Fernando of Leon and Castile takes advantage of an opportunity to strike Cordoba.
Episode 98 - Christian conquests
We follow King James I of Aragon and King Alfonso IX of Leon as they go on the offensive.
Episode 97 - Too many Caliphs
As Caliphs come and go at a dizzying rate, Almohad rule in al-Andalus crumbles - giving rise to a new ruler, ibn Hud.
Episode 96 - The Crusade of King Fernando III
King Fernando III of Castile embarks on his first crusade, while one of the contenders for Caliph forms an unlikely alliance with Castile.
Episode 95 - More crusading
As crusading fever sweeps across Europe, a number of crusades are launched against the Almohads - with mixed results.
Episode 94 - The Crusade of Alcacer do Sal
We welcome a new King to the throne of Castile and join the Portugese in a crusade to seize a Muslim stronghold to the south of Lisbon.
Episode 93 - A bunch of deaths
A bunch of consequential deaths in the years following the battle of Las Navas de Tolosa, upend the politics of the Iberian peninsula.
Episode 92 - The Crusade of Las Navas de Tolosa Part 2
We conclude our look at the battle of Las Navas de Tolosa, which ends in a decisive victory for the crusaders.
Episode 91 - The Crusade of Las Navas de Tolosa Part 1
It's crusade time! A major crusading expedition leaves Toledo in June 1212 under the command of King Alfonso VIII of Castile. It heads directly southwards, intending to confront the Caliph's forces.
Episode 90 - Salvatierra
After a decade-long period of peace, the Christians and Muslims of the Iberian peninsula clash once again, with the Caliph targetting the Christian stronghold of Salvatierra.
Episode 89 - Peace with the Almohads
A decade long period of peace between the Almohads and the Christians commences, leaving the Christian kings free to do what they do best - fight each other.
Episode 88 - Castile in the crosshairs
Following its loss at the Battle of Alarcos, the Kingdom of Castile faces an existential threat in 1196 as it is attacked simultaneously by Leon, Navarre and the Almohads.
Episode 87 - Alarcos
The truces between the Christian rulers and the Caliph expire and both sides clash at the Battle of Alarcos in 1195.
Episode 86 - Confrontations
During the years 1190 and 1191, the Caliph launches a number of military campaigns against the Kingdom of Portugal, intent on reclaiming the town of Silves.
Episode 85 - A bunch of Alfonsos
Following the bunch of deaths which occurred in the last episode, we have a bunch of new Christian kings - most of whom are named Alfonso.
As the Third Crusade is launched, we see the new king of Portugal, King Sancho I, join with a fleet of crusaders to attack the Muslim town of Silves.
Episode 84 - A bunch of deaths
We cover the Caliph's campaign against the Christians in 1184 and wave goodbye to three major players from our narrative.
Episode 83 - The rise of the young Alfonsos
We track the progress of the two new kids on the block in Christian Spain - King Alfonso VIII of Castile and King Alfonso II of Aragon.
Episode 82 - The Caliph's campaign Part 2
We continue to follow the Caliph on his less than optimal military campaign against the Christians in 1172.
Episode 81 - The Caliph's campaign Part 1
In 1172 the Caliph embarks on an ambitious campaign to conquer Christian Spain.
Episode 80 - Almohad consolidation
The Almohads finally achieve their goal, becoming the uncontested rulers of al-Andalus. Their next move will be to focus on defeating the Christians.
Episode 79 - The Wolf King and Geraldo the Fearless
When the new Caliph turns his attention to al-Andalus, he concentrates on two threats - the Portugese freelancer Geraldo the Fearless and the Almohad's traditional foe the Wolf King.
Episode 78 - A new Caliph
Ambitious plans by the Almohads to dominate al-Andalus are interrupted by the death of the Caliph.
Episode 77 - Setbacks all around
Some unexpected deaths among the leaders of Christian Spain, result in two kingdoms being ruled by children named Alfonso. Meanwhile, over in the Almohad camp, things aren't going much better with the Caliph and his armies preoccupied in northern Africa.
Episode 76 - The Kingdom of Leon and the Kingdom of Castile
Following the fateful decision by the late King Alfonso VII to split his kingdom in two, we meet his sons - King Sancho III of Castile and King Fernando II of Leon.
Episode 75 - Exit King Alfonso VII
King Alfonso VII of Leon and Castile becomes seriously ill just as the Almohads begin to go on the offensive.
Episode 74 - Christian progress slows
King Alfonso VII's attempts to conquer al-Andalus falter, causing him to search far and wide for extra troops.
Episode 73 - Christian conquests
At the same time as the King of Portugal is besieging Lisbon, King Alfonso VII and the Count of Barcelona are embarking on conquests of their own.
Episode 72 - The Kingdom of Portugal and the Second Crusade Part 4
We bring the siege of Lisbon to its conclusion.
Episode 71 - The Kingdom of Portugal and the Second Crusade Part 3
The siege of Lisbon commences, with the crusaders attacking the suburbs outside the city walls. Construction then begins on some impressive siege equipment.
Episode 70 - The Kingdom of Portugal and the Second Crusade Part 2
The fleet of crusaders makes its way southwards to discuss its participation in the siege of Lisbon with King Alfonso I of Portugal.
Episode 69 - The Kingdom of Portugal and the Second Crusade Part 1
King Alfonso I of Portugal decides to take advantage of the crusading movement for his campaign to attack Lisbon.
Episode 68 - The arrival of the Almohads
As Almoravid rule collapses, the Almohads arrive on the Iberian peninsula.
Episode 67 - The decline of the Almoravids
We switch our focus to the southern portion of the Iberian peninsula, where Almoravid influence is waning.
Episode 66 - Succession Drama Part 3
The succession drama following the death of Alfonso of Aragon finally comes to an end with the Christian parts of the Iberian peninsula forming themselves into four separate kingdoms - the Kingdom of Leon & Castile, the Kingdom of Aragon/Catalonia, the Kingdom of Navarre and the Kingdom of Portugal.
Episode 65 - Succession Drama Part 2
As the succession drama following the death of Alfonso of Aragon continues, the Kingdom of Aragon struggles to survive.
Episode 64 - Succession Drama Part 1
Fall out from the death of Alfonso of Aragon leaves leaders from across the region scrambling to take advantage of the situation.
Episode 63 - Exit Alfonso of Aragon
After an action-packed life, Alfonso of Aragon dies in 1134. However, the terms of his will leave the Kingdom of Aragon facing an uncertain future.
Episode 62 - French troubles
In an unexpected turn of events, King Alfonso of Aragon finds himself bogged down by events in France.
Episode 61 - King Alfonso VII
Following the death of Queen Urraca in 1127, a scramble for power takes place in the north - resulting in the coronation of King Alfonso VII.
Episode 60 - Alfonso of Aragon - Valencia and beyond
Fresh from his conquest of Zaragoza, Alfonso of Aragon embarks on an ambitious campaign pushing deep into Almoravid territory in 1125.
Episode 59 - Alfonso of Aragon - Zaragoza
We check in on Alfonso of Aragon who is attempting to secure the taifa of Zaragoza.
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