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Battle at Alarcos: Almohads led by Abu Yusuf Yaqub al-Mansur defeats army of Alfonso VIII of Castile

Alfonso VIII (11 November 1155 – 5 October 1214), called the Noble (El Noble) or the one of Las Navas (el de las Navas), was King of Castile from 1158 to his death and King of Toledo.

Alfonso VIII (11 November 1155 – 5 October 1214), called the Noble (El Noble) or the one of Las Navas (el de las Navas), was King of Castile from 1158 to his death and King of Toledo. After having suffered a great defeat with his own army at Alarcos against the Almohads in 1195, he led the coalition of Christian princes and foreign crusaders who broke the power of the Almohads in the Battle of Las Navas de Tolosa in 1212, an event which marked the arrival of a tide of Christian supremacy on the Iberian Peninsula.

His reign saw the domination of Castile over León and, by his alliance with Aragon, he drew those two spheres of Christian Iberia into close connection.

Historical Significance

Alfonso VIII (11 November 1155 – 5 October 1214), called the Noble (El Noble) or the one of Las Navas (el de las Navas), was King of Castile from 1158 to his death and King of Toledo.

Events Before

  1. Philip II of France marries Ingeborg, daughter of King Valdemar I of Denmark, in Amiens and requests an annulment immedi

    Philip II of France marries Ingeborg, daughter of King Valdemar I of Denmark, in Amiens and requests an annulment immediately after on the grounds of non-consummation; the bride disputes

  2. Major fire at Chartres Cathedral, France, leads to it rebuilt as the high point of French Gothic style

    Chartres Cathedral (French: Cathédrale Notre-Dame de Chartres, lit. 'Cathedral of Our Lady of Chartres') is a Catholic cathedral in Chartres, France, about 80 km (50 miles) southwest of Paris, and is...

  3. Sverre [Sigurdsson] is crowned King of Norway after years of dispute

    Sverre [Sigurdsson] is crowned King of Norway after years of dispute

  4. Palermo, Sicily, is conquered by Holy Roman Emperor Henry VI

    Henry VI (German: Heinrich VI.; November 1165 – 28 September 1197), a member of the Hohenstaufen dynasty, was King of Germany (King of the Romans) from 1169 and Holy Roman Emperor from 1191 until his...

  5. Holy Roman Emperor Henry VI crowned King of Sicily in Palermo Cathedral

    Henry VI, a member of the Hohenstaufen dynasty, was King of Germany from 1169 and Holy Roman Emperor from 1191 until his death.

Events After

  1. Northern Dutch coast flooded, the "Saint-Nicolas Flood"

    Northern Dutch coast flooded, the "Saint-Nicolas Flood"

  2. Crusaders wound Rabbi Elezar ben Judah

    Crusaders wound Rabbi Elezar ben Judah

  3. Lotario di Segni elected Pope Innocentius III

    Pope Innocent III (Latin: Innocentius III; born Lotario de' Conti di Segni; 22 February 1161 – 16 July 1216) was the head of the Catholic Church and sovereign of the Papal States from 8 January 1198...

  4. The Giralda minaret designed by architect Ben Ahmad for the Almohad mosque in Seville is completed. Now the Bell Tower f

    The Giralda minaret designed by architect Ben Ahmad for the Almohad mosque in Seville is completed. Now the Bell Tower for Seville's cathedral.

  5. Philips of Zwabia, Prince of Hohenstaufen, crowned King of Germany and King of the Romans

    Philips of Zwabia, Prince of Hohenstaufen, crowned King of Germany and King of the Romans

More from the 1190s

Richard I of England marries Berengaria of Navarre in Cyprus

Richard I (8 September 1157 – 6 April 1199), known as Richard the Lionheart or Richard Cœur de Lion (Old Norman French: Quor de Lion) because of his reputation as a great military leader and warrior,…

King Richard I of England arrives at Acre in modern-day Israel to join the Siege of Acre during the Third Crusade

Acre ( AH-kər, AY-kər), known in Hebrew as Akko and in Arabic as Akka, is a city in the coastal plain region of the Northern District of Israel. The city occupies a strategic location, sitting in a…

Holy Roman Emperor Frederick I Barbarossa drowns while crossing the Saleph River in modern-day Turkey, leading an army t

Holy Roman Emperor Frederick I Barbarossa drowns while crossing the Saleph River in modern-day Turkey, leading an army to Jerusalem during the Third Crusade

Minamoto Yoritomo becomes Seii Taishōgun, the first ruling shogun in the history of Japan and de facto ruler

Minamoto Yoritomo becomes Seii Taishōgun, the first ruling shogun in the history of Japan and de facto ruler

Frequently Asked Questions

What happened on July 19, 1195?
Alfonso VIII (11 November 1155 – 5 October 1214), called the Noble (El Noble) or the one of Las Navas (el de las Navas), was King of Castile from 1158 to his death and King of Toledo. After having suffered a great defeat with his own army at Alarcos against the Almohads in 1195, he led the coalition of Christian princes and foreign crusaders who broke the power of the Almohads in the Battle of Las Navas de Tolosa in 1212, an event which marked the arrival of a tide of Christian supremacy on the Iberian Peninsula. His reign saw the domination of Castile over León and, by his alliance with Aragon, he drew those two spheres of Christian Iberia into close connection.
Why is Battle at Alarcos: Almohads led by Abu Yusuf Yaqub al-Mansur defeats army of ... significant?
Alfonso VIII (11 November 1155 – 5 October 1214), called the Noble (El Noble) or the one of Las Navas (el de las Navas), was King of Castile from 1158 to his death and King of Toledo.

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July 19 in HistoryYear 1195