Battle of Tafalla
Encyclopedia
At the Battle of Tafalla, García Sánchez III of Navarre defeated his brother, Ramiro I of Aragon
, who was invading his kingdom, near Tafalla
. Allied with García was his brother Ferdinand I of Castile, and Ramiro brought with him his Moorish
allies, the kings of the taifa
s of Zaragoza
, Tudela, and Huesca.
According to the earliest source, the Historia Silense
, the battle took place in 1035, but in the early modern period the Navarrese historian José de Moret re-dated it to 1043 on the basis of a document of that year by which García granted his alférez
Fortún Sánchez
the village of Ororbia in gratitude for a black horse which Sancho had given him and which the king had used in the battle of Tafalla.
The Historia places the battle shortly after the death of García and Ramiro's father, Sancho the Great (18 October 1035), while García was returning from a pilgrimage to Rome
. Taking advantage of his brother's absence, Ramiro is said to have invaded Navarre with the intention of expanding his own Kingdom of Aragon
or seizing García's throne, despite his vow to his father to maintain peace with his brothers. García returned in time to ally with their other brother, surprise and surround Ramiro, who had to flee the field shamefully, barefoot atop a horse without spurs or a bit, according to the later chronicler Lucas de Tuy
. He left behind his baggage, arms, tents, and that black horse captured by the Navarrese alférez. At Torreta and Barranquel García erected two large rocks in memory of his victory. Spanish historian Justo Pérez de Urbel argues on the basis of some coinage of García's minted at Jaca
, Ramiro's capital, that the Navarrese king overran the Aragonese kingdom after his victory. The brothers were reconciled by 2 November 1044, when all three of them met at García's capital of Nájera
to discuss a campaign of reconquista
against Calahorra
the next year. Probably García's mother, Mayor of Castile
, interceded on behalf of Ramiro, who, if a later story in the Chronica Naierensis
is to be believed, had once defended her against García's false accusations of adultery.
In a letter to Paternus, abbot of San Juan de la Peña
, that must be dated shortly before the confrontation at Tafalla, Odilo, abbot of Cluny
, conveys, in words apparently meant to reach Ramiro, his support for the Aragonese in the impending war between the successors of Sancho the Great. He reassures Paternus that he has heard a good report about Ramiro from Sancho, Bishop of Pamplona, and that he has instructed the Cluniac monks to recite the psalms for the benefit of Ramiro. His reference to the threat ab incursione paganorum et a persecutione falsorum Christianorum (from the incursion of the pagans [Moors] and the persecution of false Christians [his brothers]) indicates he was unaware that Ramiro had allied with his Muslim neighbours.
Ramiro I of Aragon
Ramiro I was de facto the first King of Aragon from 1035 until his death. Apparently born before 1007, he was the illegitimate son of Sancho III of Navarre by his mistress Sancha de Aybar...
, who was invading his kingdom, near Tafalla
Tafalla
Tafalla is a town and municipality located in the province and autonomous community of Navarre, northern Spain.-External links:**...
. Allied with García was his brother Ferdinand I of Castile, and Ramiro brought with him his Moorish
Moors
The description Moors has referred to several historic and modern populations of the Maghreb region who are predominately of Berber and Arab descent. They came to conquer and rule the Iberian Peninsula for nearly 800 years. At that time they were Muslim, although earlier the people had followed...
allies, the kings of the taifa
Taifa
In the history of the Iberian Peninsula, a taifa was an independent Muslim-ruled principality, usually an emirate or petty kingdom, though there was one oligarchy, of which a number formed in the Al-Andalus after the final collapse of the Umayyad Caliphate of Córdoba in 1031.-Rise:The origins of...
s of Zaragoza
Taifa of Zaragoza
The taifa of Zaragoza was an independent Muslim state in Moorish Al-Andalus, present day eastern Spain, which was established in 1018 as one of the taifa kingdoms, which emerged in the 11th century following the destruction of the Caliphate of Córdoba in the Moorish Iberian Peninsula.During the...
, Tudela, and Huesca.
According to the earliest source, the Historia Silense
Historia silense
The Historia silense, also called the Chronica silense or Historia seminense, is a medieval Latin narrative history of the Iberian Peninsula from the time of the Visigoths to the first years of the reign of Alfonso VI of León and Castile...
, the battle took place in 1035, but in the early modern period the Navarrese historian José de Moret re-dated it to 1043 on the basis of a document of that year by which García granted his alférez
Alférez
Alférez is a junior officer rank also used in Spain, Argentina, Chile and Uruguay. The variant Alferes is used in Portugal and was formerly also used in Brazil. A naval variant, Frigate Alférez, is used in Spain, Dominican Republic and Peru. "Alférez" is often translated as ensign...
Fortún Sánchez
Fortún Sánchez
Fortún Sánchez , called Bono Patre , was a Navarrese nobleman and courtier . He had the same wet nurse as King Sancho Garcés III, and was a regular presence at his court from the start of his majority in 1011 until his death in 1035...
the village of Ororbia in gratitude for a black horse which Sancho had given him and which the king had used in the battle of Tafalla.
The Historia places the battle shortly after the death of García and Ramiro's father, Sancho the Great (18 October 1035), while García was returning from a pilgrimage to Rome
Rome
Rome is the capital of Italy and the country's largest and most populated city and comune, with over 2.7 million residents in . The city is located in the central-western portion of the Italian Peninsula, on the Tiber River within the Lazio region of Italy.Rome's history spans two and a half...
. Taking advantage of his brother's absence, Ramiro is said to have invaded Navarre with the intention of expanding his own Kingdom of Aragon
Kingdom of Aragon
The Kingdom of Aragon was a medieval and early modern kingdom in the Iberian Peninsula, corresponding to the modern-day autonomous community of Aragon, in Spain...
or seizing García's throne, despite his vow to his father to maintain peace with his brothers. García returned in time to ally with their other brother, surprise and surround Ramiro, who had to flee the field shamefully, barefoot atop a horse without spurs or a bit, according to the later chronicler Lucas de Tuy
Lucas de Tuy
Lucas de Tuy was a Leonese cleric and intellectual, remembered best as a historian. He was Bishop of Tuy from 1239 until his death....
. He left behind his baggage, arms, tents, and that black horse captured by the Navarrese alférez. At Torreta and Barranquel García erected two large rocks in memory of his victory. Spanish historian Justo Pérez de Urbel argues on the basis of some coinage of García's minted at Jaca
Jaca
Jaca is a city of northeastern Spain near the border with France, in the midst of the Pyrenees in the province of Huesca...
, Ramiro's capital, that the Navarrese king overran the Aragonese kingdom after his victory. The brothers were reconciled by 2 November 1044, when all three of them met at García's capital of Nájera
Nájera
Nájera is a small town located in the "Rioja Alta" region of La Rioja, Spain on the river Najerilla. Nájera is a stopping point on the Way of St James.-History:...
to discuss a campaign of reconquista
Reconquista
The Reconquista was a period of almost 800 years in the Middle Ages during which several Christian kingdoms succeeded in retaking the Muslim-controlled areas of the Iberian Peninsula broadly known as Al-Andalus...
against Calahorra
Calahorra
Calahorra, , La Rioja, Spain is a municipality in the comarca of Rioja Baja, near the border with Navarre on the right bank of the Ebro. During ancient Roman times, Calahorra was a municipium known as Calagurris.-Location:...
the next year. Probably García's mother, Mayor of Castile
Mayor of Castile
Mayor of Castile was queen of Navarre. She was originally called Muniadona and is variously called Munia Mayor . In Spanish, she is called Muniadona de Castilla...
, interceded on behalf of Ramiro, who, if a later story in the Chronica Naierensis
Chronica Naierensis
The Chronica Naierensis or Crónica najerense was a late twelfth-century chronicle of universal history composed at the Benedictine monastery of Santa María la Real in Nájera...
is to be believed, had once defended her against García's false accusations of adultery.
In a letter to Paternus, abbot of San Juan de la Peña
San Juan de la Peña
The monastery of San Juan de la Peña is a religious complex in the town of Santa Cruz de la Serós, at the south-west of Jaca, in the province of Huesca, Spain. It was one of the most important monasteries in Aragon in the Middle Ages. Its two-level church is partially carved in the stone of the...
, that must be dated shortly before the confrontation at Tafalla, Odilo, abbot of Cluny
Abbot of Cluny
The Abbot of Cluny was the head of the powerful monastery of Cluny Abbey in medieval France. The following is a list.-List of abbots:-References:...
, conveys, in words apparently meant to reach Ramiro, his support for the Aragonese in the impending war between the successors of Sancho the Great. He reassures Paternus that he has heard a good report about Ramiro from Sancho, Bishop of Pamplona, and that he has instructed the Cluniac monks to recite the psalms for the benefit of Ramiro. His reference to the threat ab incursione paganorum et a persecutione falsorum Christianorum (from the incursion of the pagans [Moors] and the persecution of false Christians [his brothers]) indicates he was unaware that Ramiro had allied with his Muslim neighbours.