Siege of Bayonne
Encyclopedia
The Siege of Bayonne was launched by Alfonso the Battler
, King of Aragon
and Navarre
, apparently against the Duke of Aquitaine
, William X, and lasted from October 1130 to October 1131. The city of Bayonne
was then a part of Aquitaine, nominally a part of France
. The chief narrative source for the siege of Bayonne is the Chronica Adefonsi imperatoris, a contemporary account of events in Spain compiled to celebrate the feats of Alfonso VII of León and Castile. The siege began with knight
s, infantry
, and siege engines and included the plundering of the environs of the city and assaults on its walls. The arrival of a relief army led to a famous joust and the prolongation of the siege. The siege was a failure, and was lifted after Alfonso had made his famous last will and testament.
The primary sources are insufficient to fully explain the purposes behind Alfonso's siege, but historians are unanimous in attributing his actions to his ongoing conflict with his western neighbour, Alfonso VII, hero of the aforementioned Chronica. The latter had concluded an alliance with Alfonso's eastern neighbour, Raymond Berengar III of Barcelona, by marrying his daughter, Berengaria, in 1127. This may have prompted Alfonso to make an attack on Raymond's allies north of the Pyrenees in an effort to scuttle Raymond's political aspirations there, for Raymond was an ally of the Duke of Aquitaine. At the same time the Count of Toulouse, Alfonso Jordan, had done homage to Alfonso VII upon his succession in 1126. In March that year, with Suero Vermúdez
, he had even taken the capital city of León from some rebels holding out in favour of an illegitimate half-brother of Alfonso VII, one of the sons of his mother, Queen Urraca, and her lover, Pedro González de Lara
. Urraca's second, childless marriage was to Alfonso the Battler. For a period of over a decade the two had been engaged in a civil war for power in Castile
and León
. With the death of Urraca, Alfonso VII, her son by an earlier marriage, succeeded to her position as primary rival of Alfonso the Battler for the rule of these two kingdoms. In besieging Bayonne, Alfonso the Battler was perhaps hoping to persuade the Count of Toulouse to switch allegiance to him and aid him in his war in Castile.
The attacking army was probably already passing through the Pyrenees when, on 4 September 1130, Alfonso visited a chapel in Ardanés, a now depopulated village in the Valle de Hecho
. The army probably crossed via the pass at Somport
in order to enter Gascony through the allied territory of Béarn
. The first direct reference to the siege dates from 26 October 1130, when Alfonso issued a fuero
to the town of Corella
from Bayonne, called "the fortress of Bayonne" (illo castello de Baiona). It had begun shortly before 16 October, if both the Chronica and the obituary of Burgos Cathedral
are accurate. The former records how Pedro González de Lara, after he was captured by Alfonso VII for his part in the rebellion, joined the siege of Bayonne "in order to bring him [Alfonso the Battler] back to Castile" (ut reducere eum in Castellam) because he wanted "to wage war in Castile" (facere bellum in Castella), that is, continue the revolt. While Pedro's capture occurred in June, his death at the siege did not occur until 16 October, according to the obituary of Burgos, where he is buried.
According to the Chronica, "during the time when Alfonso was at war with the rebel nobles ... the King of Aragon had mobilised sizeable armies of knights and infantrymen ... had traveled then beyond his own borders to Gascony [where] he surrounded the city of Bayonne which is located near the Garonne River." It subsequently relates how for several days he plundered the countryside around Bayonne before assaulting the city's walls with siege engines brought from Aragon. At some point a relief army led by Alfonso Jordan, count of Toulouse, arrived. Pedro, for reasons unknown, challenged him to a joust. In the words of the Chronica: "Count Pedro asked the Count of Toulouse for single combat" (comes Petrus petiit comiti Tolosano singulare certamen), "both went out to fight much like two strong lions" (sicut duo leones fortes), and "Count Pedro was wounded by Alfonso's lance and, falling from his horse, broke his arm and died a few days later" (et vulneratus est comes Petrus ab hasta comitis Adefonsi et, cadens de equo, fractum est brachium eius et post paucos dies mortuus est). Alfonso was apparently unharmed. It is possible that Pedro González was in the company of Alfonso's mother, Elvira of Castile, Countess of Toulouse, when the young future count of Toulouse was brough back to Europe from Outremer
. In any case they shared a history going back at least to the disputed succession of Alfonso VII.
In his trans-Pyrenean expedition, the Aragonese king's allies were Gaston IV of Béarn
and Centule II of Bigorre
. Besides the aforementioned knights, infantry, and siege engines, Alfonso also blockaded the city with ships on the river Adour
. The siege dragged on, however, and during his year-long absence from Spain, Alfonso the Battler lost Castrojeriz and the other places he held in Castile west of the Sierra de la Demanda
to Alfonso VII. The Aragonese king himself remained at the siege throughout the end of 1130, as charters he issued on 19 November and in December indicate. He continued to be "about Bayonne" (super Baiona) from January to May 1131, as both royal and private documents say. The siege continued through the summer, but in July and August Alfonso was leading forces in a place called Rocha Tallata or Rocathalada, possibly modern Peyrehorade
. While still besieging Bayonne (in obsessione Baione), Alfonso drafted his will in October 1131: it contains the last datable reference to the siege. This will was later confirmed at Sariñena
on 4 September 1134. When the siege was lifted is not known, but most of November 1131 must have been spent returning, by way of the Camino de Santiago, to Aragon. In December the royal court was at Tiermas.
Alfonso the Battler
Alfonso I , called the Battler or the Warrior , was the king of Aragon and Navarre from 1104 until his death in 1134. He was the second son of King Sancho Ramírez and successor of his brother Peter I...
, King 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...
and Navarre
Kingdom of Navarre
The Kingdom of Navarre , originally the Kingdom of Pamplona, was a European kingdom which occupied lands on either side of the Pyrenees alongside the Atlantic Ocean....
, apparently against the Duke of Aquitaine
Duke of Aquitaine
The Duke of Aquitaine ruled the historical region of Aquitaine under the supremacy of Frankish, English and later French kings....
, William X, and lasted from October 1130 to October 1131. The city of Bayonne
Bayonne
Bayonne is a city and commune in south-western France at the confluence of the Nive and Adour rivers, in the Pyrénées-Atlantiques department, of which it is a sub-prefecture...
was then a part of Aquitaine, nominally a part of France
Kingdom of France
The Kingdom of France was one of the most powerful states to exist in Europe during the second millennium.It originated from the Western portion of the Frankish empire, and consolidated significant power and influence over the next thousand years. Louis XIV, also known as the Sun King, developed a...
. The chief narrative source for the siege of Bayonne is the Chronica Adefonsi imperatoris, a contemporary account of events in Spain compiled to celebrate the feats of Alfonso VII of León and Castile. The siege began with knight
Knight
A knight was a member of a class of lower nobility in the High Middle Ages.By the Late Middle Ages, the rank had become associated with the ideals of chivalry, a code of conduct for the perfect courtly Christian warrior....
s, infantry
Infantry
Infantrymen are soldiers who are specifically trained for the role of fighting on foot to engage the enemy face to face and have historically borne the brunt of the casualties of combat in wars. As the oldest branch of combat arms, they are the backbone of armies...
, and siege engines and included the plundering of the environs of the city and assaults on its walls. The arrival of a relief army led to a famous joust and the prolongation of the siege. The siege was a failure, and was lifted after Alfonso had made his famous last will and testament.
The primary sources are insufficient to fully explain the purposes behind Alfonso's siege, but historians are unanimous in attributing his actions to his ongoing conflict with his western neighbour, Alfonso VII, hero of the aforementioned Chronica. The latter had concluded an alliance with Alfonso's eastern neighbour, Raymond Berengar III of Barcelona, by marrying his daughter, Berengaria, in 1127. This may have prompted Alfonso to make an attack on Raymond's allies north of the Pyrenees in an effort to scuttle Raymond's political aspirations there, for Raymond was an ally of the Duke of Aquitaine. At the same time the Count of Toulouse, Alfonso Jordan, had done homage to Alfonso VII upon his succession in 1126. In March that year, with Suero Vermúdez
Suero Vermúdez
Suero Vermúdez was an Asturian nobleman, extensive landowner, patron of churches, territorial governor, and military leader...
, he had even taken the capital city of León from some rebels holding out in favour of an illegitimate half-brother of Alfonso VII, one of the sons of his mother, Queen Urraca, and her lover, Pedro González de Lara
Pedro González de Lara
Pedro González de Lara was a Castilian magnate. He served Alfonso VI as a young man, and later became the lover of Alfonso's heiress, Queen Urraca. He may have joined the First Crusade in the following of Raymond IV of Toulouse, earning the nickname el Romero...
. Urraca's second, childless marriage was to Alfonso the Battler. For a period of over a decade the two had been engaged in a civil war for power in Castile
Kingdom of Castile
Kingdom of Castile was one of the medieval kingdoms of the Iberian Peninsula. It emerged as a political autonomous entity in the 9th century. It was called County of Castile and was held in vassalage from the Kingdom of León. Its name comes from the host of castles constructed in the region...
and León
Kingdom of León
The Kingdom of León was an independent kingdom situated in the northwest region of the Iberian Peninsula. It was founded in AD 910 when the Christian princes of Asturias along the northern coast of the peninsula shifted their capital from Oviedo to the city of León...
. With the death of Urraca, Alfonso VII, her son by an earlier marriage, succeeded to her position as primary rival of Alfonso the Battler for the rule of these two kingdoms. In besieging Bayonne, Alfonso the Battler was perhaps hoping to persuade the Count of Toulouse to switch allegiance to him and aid him in his war in Castile.
The attacking army was probably already passing through the Pyrenees when, on 4 September 1130, Alfonso visited a chapel in Ardanés, a now depopulated village in the Valle de Hecho
Valle de Hecho
Valle de Hecho is a municipality located in the province of Huesca, Aragon, Spain. According to the 2004 census , the municipality has a population of 984 inhabitants.-See also:*Jacetania...
. The army probably crossed via the pass at Somport
Somport
Somport is a mountain pass in the central Pyrenees on the border of France and Spain. The pass, whose name is derived from the Latin Summus portus, was one of the most popular routes for crossing the mountains for soldiers, merchants, and St...
in order to enter Gascony through the allied territory of Béarn
Béarn
Béarn is one of the traditional provinces of France, located in the Pyrenees mountains and in the plain at their feet, in southwest France. Along with the three Basque provinces of Soule, Lower Navarre, and Labourd, the principality of Bidache, as well as small parts of Gascony, it forms in the...
. The first direct reference to the siege dates from 26 October 1130, when Alfonso issued a fuero
Fuero
Fuero , Furs , Foro and Foru is a Spanish legal term and concept.The word comes from Latin forum, an open space used as market, tribunal and meeting place...
to the town of Corella
Corella
Corella may refer to:Ornithology* Corella , a member of a group of cockatoos from the subgenus Licmetis*Corella , the journal of the Australian Bird Study Association, formerly called Australian Bird Bander...
from Bayonne, called "the fortress of Bayonne" (illo castello de Baiona). It had begun shortly before 16 October, if both the Chronica and the obituary of Burgos Cathedral
Burgos Cathedral
The Burgos Cathedral is a Gothic-style Roman Catholic cathedral in Burgos, Spain. It is dedicated to the Virgin Mary and is famous for its vast size and unique architecture. Its construction began in 1221, and was in use nine years later, although work continued on and off for two hundred years...
are accurate. The former records how Pedro González de Lara, after he was captured by Alfonso VII for his part in the rebellion, joined the siege of Bayonne "in order to bring him [Alfonso the Battler] back to Castile" (ut reducere eum in Castellam) because he wanted "to wage war in Castile" (facere bellum in Castella), that is, continue the revolt. While Pedro's capture occurred in June, his death at the siege did not occur until 16 October, according to the obituary of Burgos, where he is buried.
According to the Chronica, "during the time when Alfonso was at war with the rebel nobles ... the King of Aragon had mobilised sizeable armies of knights and infantrymen ... had traveled then beyond his own borders to Gascony [where] he surrounded the city of Bayonne which is located near the Garonne River." It subsequently relates how for several days he plundered the countryside around Bayonne before assaulting the city's walls with siege engines brought from Aragon. At some point a relief army led by Alfonso Jordan, count of Toulouse, arrived. Pedro, for reasons unknown, challenged him to a joust. In the words of the Chronica: "Count Pedro asked the Count of Toulouse for single combat" (comes Petrus petiit comiti Tolosano singulare certamen), "both went out to fight much like two strong lions" (sicut duo leones fortes), and "Count Pedro was wounded by Alfonso's lance and, falling from his horse, broke his arm and died a few days later" (et vulneratus est comes Petrus ab hasta comitis Adefonsi et, cadens de equo, fractum est brachium eius et post paucos dies mortuus est). Alfonso was apparently unharmed. It is possible that Pedro González was in the company of Alfonso's mother, Elvira of Castile, Countess of Toulouse, when the young future count of Toulouse was brough back to Europe from Outremer
Outremer
Outremer, French for "overseas", was a general name given to the Crusader states established after the First Crusade: the County of Edessa, the Principality of Antioch, the County of Tripoli and especially the Kingdom of Jerusalem...
. In any case they shared a history going back at least to the disputed succession of Alfonso VII.
In his trans-Pyrenean expedition, the Aragonese king's allies were Gaston IV of Béarn
Gaston IV of Béarn
Gaston IV was viscount of Béarn from 1090 to 1131. He was called "le Croisé" due to his participation in the First Crusade....
and Centule II of Bigorre
Centule II of Bigorre
Centule II was the Count of Bigorre from 1114 to his death. He broke Bigorre's feudal connection with France and established bonds across the Pyrenees with Aragon. He was also a major participant in the Crusades and the Reconquista.He was the second son of Centule V of Béarn by his second wife,...
. Besides the aforementioned knights, infantry, and siege engines, Alfonso also blockaded the city with ships on the river Adour
Adour
The Adour is a river in southwestern France. It rises in High-Bigorre , at the Col du Tourmalet, and flows into the Atlantic Ocean near Bayonne. It is long, of which the uppermost as the Adour du Tourmalet. At its final stretch, i.e...
. The siege dragged on, however, and during his year-long absence from Spain, Alfonso the Battler lost Castrojeriz and the other places he held in Castile west of the Sierra de la Demanda
Sierra de la Demanda
Sierra de la Demanda is a mountain sub-range situated in the northern Iberian Peninsula.-Geography:The Sierra de la Demanda is part of the western section of the larger Sistema Ibérico...
to Alfonso VII. The Aragonese king himself remained at the siege throughout the end of 1130, as charters he issued on 19 November and in December indicate. He continued to be "about Bayonne" (super Baiona) from January to May 1131, as both royal and private documents say. The siege continued through the summer, but in July and August Alfonso was leading forces in a place called Rocha Tallata or Rocathalada, possibly modern Peyrehorade
Peyrehorade
Peyrehorade is a commune in the Landes department in Aquitaine in south-western France.-See also:*Communes of the Landes department...
. While still besieging Bayonne (in obsessione Baione), Alfonso drafted his will in October 1131: it contains the last datable reference to the siege. This will was later confirmed at Sariñena
Sariñena
Sariñena is a municipality in the province of Huesca, Aragon, Spain. It is located in the Monegros comarca, near the Sierra de Alcubierre range.The Baroque monastery of Nuestra Señora de las Fuentes is located in the municipal term.-Villages:*Sariñena town...
on 4 September 1134. When the siege was lifted is not known, but most of November 1131 must have been spent returning, by way of the Camino de Santiago, to Aragon. In December the royal court was at Tiermas.