Battle of Montes Claros
Encyclopedia
The Battle of Montes Claros, was fought on June 17, 1665, near Vila Viçosa
, between Spanish
and Portuguese
as the last battle in the Portuguese Restoration War
.
It was a great Portuguese victory and is considered as one of the most important battles in the country's history.
had planned to march to occupy Lisbon
, taking first Vila Viçosa
, followed by Setúbal
.
The Portuguese were prepared and had foreseen such an attack. 3,500 men were moved from Trás-os-Montes
in the north to Alentejo in the south. A further 7,800 men came from Lisbon
, under command of António Luís de Meneses
, who had beaten the Spanish in the Battle of the Lines of Elvas
, six years earlier.
Then the Spanish army moved into Portugal. The first city, Borba
was empty and taken without any resistance. Vila Viçosa
was well defended, and offered a stiff resistance to the attackers.
Meanwhile, the main body of the Portuguese army had set itself in motion towards the besieged city, but it stopped in Montes Claros, halfway between Vila Viçosa
and Estremoz.
Caracena, informed of the approach of the Portuguese army, gave immediate orders to march towards the enemy.
The battle raged on and the fighting was extremely intense. The Duke of Schomberg
had his horse shot from underneath him. The Spanish had placed all their hopes on the cavalry charges and started to lose hope. Then, after 7 hours of fighting, the Portuguese launched a counterattack. The Spanish army started to fall apart and fled in disorder towards Badajoz
, leaving behind all their artillery and many dead, wounded and prisoners, the latter being eight generals.
.
Vila Viçosa
Vila Viçosa is a municipality in Portugal with a total area of 195.0 km² and a total population of 8,745 inhabitants.The municipality is composed of 5 parishes, and is located in the District of Évora....
, between Spanish
Spain
Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...
and Portuguese
Portugal
Portugal , officially the Portuguese Republic is a country situated in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula. Portugal is the westernmost country of Europe, and is bordered by the Atlantic Ocean to the West and South and by Spain to the North and East. The Atlantic archipelagos of the...
as the last battle in the Portuguese Restoration War
Portuguese Restoration War
Portuguese Restoration War was the name given by nineteenth-century 'romantic' historians to the war between Portugal and Spain that began with the Portuguese revolution of 1640 and ended with the Treaty of Lisbon . The revolution of 1640 ended the sixty-year period of dual monarchy in Portugal...
.
It was a great Portuguese victory and is considered as one of the most important battles in the country's history.
Prelude
The Spanish were determined to end Portuguese independence once and for all. The Marquis of CaracenaLuis de Benavides Carrillo, Marquis of Caracena
Luis Francisco de Benavides Carrillo de Toledo, Marquis of Caracena, Marquis of Fromista was a Spanish general and political figure...
had planned to march to occupy Lisbon
Lisbon
Lisbon is the capital city and largest city of Portugal with a population of 545,245 within its administrative limits on a land area of . The urban area of Lisbon extends beyond the administrative city limits with a population of 3 million on an area of , making it the 9th most populous urban...
, taking first Vila Viçosa
Vila Viçosa
Vila Viçosa is a municipality in Portugal with a total area of 195.0 km² and a total population of 8,745 inhabitants.The municipality is composed of 5 parishes, and is located in the District of Évora....
, followed by Setúbal
Setúbal
Setúbal is the main city in Setúbal Municipality in Portugal with a total area of 172.0 km² and a total population of 118,696 inhabitants in the municipality. The city proper has 89,303 inhabitants....
.
The Portuguese were prepared and had foreseen such an attack. 3,500 men were moved from Trás-os-Montes
Trás-os-Montes (region)
Trás-os-Montes was one of the 13 regions of continental Portugal identified by geographer Amorim Girão, in a study published between 1927 and 1930.Together with Alto Douro it formed Trás-os-Montes e Alto Douro Province.- See also :...
in the north to Alentejo in the south. A further 7,800 men came from Lisbon
Lisbon
Lisbon is the capital city and largest city of Portugal with a population of 545,245 within its administrative limits on a land area of . The urban area of Lisbon extends beyond the administrative city limits with a population of 3 million on an area of , making it the 9th most populous urban...
, under command of António Luís de Meneses
António Luís de Meneses
António Luís de Meneses, 1st Marquis of Marialva and 3rd Count of Cantanhede was a Portuguese general who fought in the Portuguese Restoration War, that ended the Iberian Union between Portugal and Spain.-Biography:...
, who had beaten the Spanish in the Battle of the Lines of Elvas
Battle of the Lines of Elvas
The Battle of the Lines of Elvas , was fought on 14 January 1659, in Elvas, between Portugal and Spain.-History:In 1658 a Spanish army commanded by D. Luis de Haro, was camped in the frontier of the Caia River, with 14,000 infantry, 3,500 cavalry and several pieces of artillery...
, six years earlier.
Then the Spanish army moved into Portugal. The first city, Borba
Borba (Portugal)
Borba is a municipality in Portugal with a total area of 145.0 km² and a total population of 7,562 inhabitants.The municipality is composed of 4 parishes, and is located in the District of Évora.The present Mayor is Ângelo João Verdades de Sá ....
was empty and taken without any resistance. Vila Viçosa
Vila Viçosa
Vila Viçosa is a municipality in Portugal with a total area of 195.0 km² and a total population of 8,745 inhabitants.The municipality is composed of 5 parishes, and is located in the District of Évora....
was well defended, and offered a stiff resistance to the attackers.
Meanwhile, the main body of the Portuguese army had set itself in motion towards the besieged city, but it stopped in Montes Claros, halfway between Vila Viçosa
Vila Viçosa
Vila Viçosa is a municipality in Portugal with a total area of 195.0 km² and a total population of 8,745 inhabitants.The municipality is composed of 5 parishes, and is located in the District of Évora....
and Estremoz.
Caracena, informed of the approach of the Portuguese army, gave immediate orders to march towards the enemy.
The battle
The Spanish cavalry attacked in great numbers, and opened breaches in the Portuguese infantry lines. Then they were met by hails of artillery fire and had to withdraw. A second Spanish cavalry attack again caused many casualties in the Portuguese infantry lines, but again they had to withdraw with considerable losses, due to artillery fire.The battle raged on and the fighting was extremely intense. The Duke of Schomberg
Frederick Schomberg, 1st Duke of Schomberg
Friedrich Hermann , 1st Duke of Schomberg , KG , was a marshal of France and a General in the English and Portuguese Army....
had his horse shot from underneath him. The Spanish had placed all their hopes on the cavalry charges and started to lose hope. Then, after 7 hours of fighting, the Portuguese launched a counterattack. The Spanish army started to fall apart and fled in disorder towards Badajoz
Badajoz
Badajoz is the capital of the Province of Badajoz in the autonomous community of Extremadura, Spain, situated close to the Portuguese border, on the left bank of the river Guadiana, and the Madrid–Lisbon railway. The population in 2007 was 145,257....
, leaving behind all their artillery and many dead, wounded and prisoners, the latter being eight generals.
Aftermath
This battle definitively secured the Portuguese independence from Spain. The Spanish did not attempt another invasion, and signed the Treaty of Lisbon three years later, recognizing Portugal's new ruling dynasty, the House of BraganzaHouse of Braganza
The Most Serene House of Braganza , an important Portuguese noble family, ruled the Kingdom of Portugal and its colonial Empire, from 1640 to 1910...
.