Western Leon Following the declaration of war on the
Kingdom of León by the
Kingdom of Portugal, Portuguese forces led by prince-heir
Sancho made an incursion into Leonese territory, specifically into the recently founded city of
Ciudad Rodrigo. However, they were defeated in
Argañín (near Ciudad Rodrigo) and many Portuguese soldiers were taken as prisoners of war. Sancho managed to escape from the combat zone but was unable to rescue many of his men, who remained in captivity. The King of Leon, Ferdinand II, freed the Portuguese prisoners, but did not sign a peace treaty with the
Kingdom of Portugal. Afonso I, not content with this, decided to start a second campaign, this time in
Galicia.
Galicia The Portuguese king then approached the Galician border personally with his army and began the offensive. The city of
Tuy was taken and they vandalized their cathedral. From Tuy, the Portuguese king moved on to the territories of
Turonio and
Limia, which were occupied. A siege was imposed on the castle of Sandino, property of the monks of
Celanova, but a violent storm hit the Portuguese forces causing military operations to be cancelled. The monks of
Celanova attributed this event to the intervention of
Saint Rudesind, their patron saint. A castle was quickly built at
Cedofeita, near
Celanova. Meanwhile, further south, in the spring of 1169
Gerald the Fearless, a famous leader who conquered Muslim castles on the border with the Moorish taifas, besieged the city of
Badajoz. However, he did not have enough soldiers to continue the attack, so he asked Afonso for help, probably while he was still in Galicia. After installing garrisons in the new conquests, Afonso I of Portugal withdrew to the south. The castle of
Cedofeita was quickly attacked by Ferdinand II and, when lightning struck the main tower, the garrison surrendered.
Badajoz The city of
Badajoz was one of the most important
Almohad fortresses in
al-Andalus. Due to constant attacks and internal conflicts, the surrounding areas of Badajoz were depopulated. The inhabitants of Badajoz paid
parias (tribute) to the King of León in exchange for protection, and it was stipulated between Afonso I of Portugal and Ferdinand II that the conquest of the city would remain in the hands of Leon. While Ferdinand was fighting in Galicia to recover the castles and territories occupied by the Portuguese, Afonso arrived at the front of Badajoz with his troops. The Muslim defenders of Badajoz were trapped in the citadel, however, they ended up being rescued by the king of León, to whom they had asked for help. The Leonese king began to besiege the Portuguese besiegers and, when Afonso tried to pass through the city gate with his men, on horseback, he broke his leg when he hit one of the bolts, being later captured by the Leonese, in . The capture of the Portuguese king was decisive and put an end to hostilities. == Aftermath==