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Battle of Albesa

Albesa, Noguera, Lleida

1 Villages · 2 Monuments · 1 Historical milestones

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Battle of Albesa

Historical milestone · Albesa, Noguera, Lleida

Image of Albesa, not of the place itself.

On 20 February 1003, the army of Count Ramon Borrell of Barcelona and his brother Ermengol I of Urgell, who were pursuing Abd al-Malik, son of Almanzor, to recover the spoils of a raid, was defeated near Albesa by the troops of this Andalusi warlord. Berenguer, bishop of Elne and younger brother of the future abbot-bishop Oliba, died in the battle, and Ermengol I was taken prisoner. The setback also triggered a new raid by Abd al-Malik al-Muzaffar, which ended with the destruction of the castles of Montmagastre, Meià and Castellolí. Historians disagree on its significance: while some consider it decisive for the vassalage of several Muslim towns, others point out that Albesa castle remained in Saracen hands until its definitive conquest in 1098.

1003

Photo: Jordi Amorós Gurrera (talk) (CC BY-SA 3.0)

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