The Kingdom of Portugal, founded in the first half of the twelfth century, was not only contemporary of the Crusades in the Middle, but led his own crusade war against the Moors – the so-called Christian Reconquista. In this context, born in the Iberian Peninsula autonomous religious orders, supranational, designed to expel Muslims from the […]
The order, as a monastic military order, was founded in emulation of such military orders as the Knights Templar, which existed in Portugal as early as 1128, and received a grant from Theresa, Countess of Portugal in the year of the Council of Troyes, which confirmed their early statutes. A native order of this kind sprang up in Portugal […]
The Battle of Ourique (25 July 1139: St. James Day) saw the forces of Portuguese Prince Afonso Henriques (of the House of Burgundy) defeat the AlmoravidMoors led by Ali ibn Yusuf. It was during the Battle of Valdevez against Alfonso VII of León that Muslim forces attacked and destroyed Leiria and Trancoso. Afonso Henriques’s anxiety at this incursion at his southern frontier hastened his negotiations with Alfonso VII of León […]
