siege of Calatayud
{{Short description|1118 siege of Calatayud by Alfonso I of Aragon}}
{{Infobox military conflict
| conflict = Siege of Calatayud
| place = Calatayud, Almoravid Empire (present-day Spain)
| coordinates = {{coord|41|21|0|N|1|38|0|W|region:ES_type:city|display=inline,title}}
| image = Castillo de Ayyub, Calatayud, España32.JPG
| image_size = 300px
| caption = The {{ill|castle of Ayyub|es|Castillo de Ayyub}}, in Calatayud
| partof = the Reconquista
| date = May – 24 June 1120
| result = Aragonese victory
| combatant1 = {{Flagicon image|Royal Banner of Aragón.svg|border=no}} Kingdom of Aragon
{{Flagicon image|Flag of Aquitaine.svg}} Duchy of Aquitaine
| combatant2 = Almoravid Empire
| commander1 = {{Flagicon image|Royal Banner of Aragón.svg|border=no}} Alfonso I the Battler
{{Flagicon image|Flag of Aquitaine.svg}} William IX of Aquitaine
| commander2 = Unknown
| strength1 = Unknown
| strength2 = Unknown
| casualties1 = Unknown
| casualties2 = Unknown
| campaignbox = {{Campaignbox Almoravid Empire battles}}{{Campaignbox Reconquista}}
}}
The siege of Calatayud in 1120 was led by Alfonso I of Aragon, with the help of William IX of Aquitaine, against the city of Calatayud, then controlled by the Almoravids. The siege was successful and resulted in the conquest of the city by the Aragonese troops.
Background
In 1118, Alfonso I of Aragon, accompanied by Gaston IV of Béarn and Centule II of Bigorre, began a campaign with the objective of conquering Zaragoza.{{sfn|Reilly|2016|p=22}} The city fell on 18 December,{{sfn|Setton|Hazard|1975|p=404}} after 8 months of siege.{{sfn|Kaufmann|Kaufmann|2019|p=40}} Shortly after this, in 1119, he conquered Tudela and Tarazona{{sfn|Obradó|Vaquero|Utrilla|2005|p=226}}{{sfn|Hooper|Bennett|1996|p=85}} and repopulated the city of Soria.{{sfn|Martín|Iriarte|1995|p=187}} At the beginning of 1120, Alfonso began to prepare the conquest of Calatayud, the second largest city of the former Taifa of Zaragoza.{{sfn|Lafuente|2020|p=470}}
Siege
Alfonso I arrived at the gates of the city with the Duke of Aquitaine, William IX, in May 1120.{{sfn|Llorente|Rodríguez|2022|p=587}} With the possibility of a battle looming, some Aragonese knights began to make their testaments, including {{ill|Lope Garcés|es|Lope Garcés Peregrino}}, who donated his assets to the Holy Sepulchre and the Knights Hospitaller.{{sfn|Lafuente|2020|p=471}}
At the beginning of June, Alfonso received the news that an Almoravid army was heading to relieve the siege, so he decided to confront them and leave a small part of his army besieging the city.{{sfn|Lafuente|2020|p=471}} After defeating the Muslim army at {{ill|Cutanda|es}}, the city surrendered along with Daroca, which was also under siege.{{sfn|O'Callaghan|2013|p=220}}
Aftermath
The city surrendered without resistance from the local Muslims. After the capture of the city, Alfonso I appointed Jimeno Sanz as lord of the city, although he was replaced two years later by {{ill|Íñigo Jiménez|es|Íñigo Jiménez (señor de los Cameros)}}.{{sfn|Lafuente|2020|p=472}} Alfonso I granted the city a charter, which he ratified and extended in December 1131.{{sfn|Lafuente|2012|p=29}}
Alfonso I conquered Borja in 1122{{sfn|Ledesma|1977|p=270}} and Medinaceli in 1124.{{sfn|Rabal|1889|p=505}} During the next two years, he launched a campaign against the lands of Granada and Valencia and, despite not obtaining any territorial changes,{{sfn|Jiménez-Duque|1977|p=286}} he took with him many Mozarabs who would repopulate cities conquered by him previously, including Calatayud.{{sfn|Lafuente|2020|p=475}}
Legacy
Every weekend closest to 24 June, the inhabitants of Calatayud celebrate a festival called {{ill|Las Alfonsadas|es|Alfonsadas}}, which commemorate the capture of the city by the Aragonese forces.{{Cite web|url=https://alfonsadas.es/ |title=Las Alfonsadas |author=Asociación "Alfonso I El Batallador" |access-date=25 January 2025 |language=es}}
References
{{reflist}}
Bibliography
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Category:Sieges involving the Almoravid Empire
Category:Sieges involving Aragon
Category:12th century in al-Andalus
Category:12th century in Aragon
Category:Sieges involving Al-Andalus