Capture of Oporto
Encyclopedia
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Sancho d'Avila
Sancho d'Avila was a Spanish General.Born at Ávila, he first served as the commander of the Duke of Alba's bodyguard. It was in this function that d'Avila arrested the Count of Egmont....
during the War of the Portuguese Succession
War of the Portuguese Succession
The War of the Portuguese Succession was fought from 1580 to 1583 between the two main claimants to the Portuguese throne: António, Prior of Crato, proclaimed in several towns as King of Portugal, and Philip II of Spain, who eventually succeeded in claiming the crown reigning as Philip I of...
. The city was captured easily by the Spanish troops, thereby finishing off Prior of Crato
António, Prior of Crato
António, Prior of Crato , was a grandson of King Manuel I of Portugal, claimant of the Portuguese throne during the 1580 dynastic crisis, who was King of Portugal as António I of Portugal during 33 days in the continent in 1580, and, after the crowning of Philip II of Spain as King of Portugal,...
's army and its final defeat in Mainland Portugal, thus assuring the Personal Union of Portugal
Portugal
Portugal , officially the Portuguese Republic is a country situated in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula. Portugal is the westernmost country of Europe, and is bordered by the Atlantic Ocean to the West and South and by Spain to the North and East. The Atlantic archipelagos of the...
and Spain
Spain
Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...
for 60 years.
Background
Following the great victory accomplished by the Spanish troops led by Don Fernando Álvarez de Toledo, Duke of Alba at the Battle of AlcântaraBattle of Alcântara (1580)
The Battle of Alcântara took place on August 25, 1580, near the brook of Alcântara, in the vicinity of Lisbon, Portugal, and was a decisive victory of the Spanish Habsburg King Philip II over the Portuguese pretender to the Portuguese throne, Dom António, Prior of Crato.-Background:In Portugal, the...
on August 25, 1580, near Lisbon
Lisbon
Lisbon is the capital city and largest city of Portugal with a population of 545,245 within its administrative limits on a land area of . The urban area of Lisbon extends beyond the administrative city limits with a population of 3 million on an area of , making it the 9th most populous urban...
, the decimated Portuguese army under the command of Dom António, Prior of Crato
António, Prior of Crato
António, Prior of Crato , was a grandson of King Manuel I of Portugal, claimant of the Portuguese throne during the 1580 dynastic crisis, who was King of Portugal as António I of Portugal during 33 days in the continent in 1580, and, after the crowning of Philip II of Spain as King of Portugal,...
, fled towards Coimbra
Coimbra
Coimbra is a city in the municipality of Coimbra in Portugal. Although it served as the nation's capital during the High Middle Ages, it is better-known for its university, the University of Coimbra, which is one of the oldest in Europe and the oldest academic institution in the...
and Oporto with the intention of reassembling his troops.
The Duke of Alba, noticing the remote but possible threat, ordered his General Don Sancho d'Avila
Sancho d'Avila
Sancho d'Avila was a Spanish General.Born at Ávila, he first served as the commander of the Duke of Alba's bodyguard. It was in this function that d'Avila arrested the Count of Egmont....
to pursue across the sea and completely destroy them in order to wrap up any opposition to Philip I of Portugal
Philip II of Spain
Philip II was King of Spain, Portugal, Naples, Sicily, and, while married to Mary I, King of England and Ireland. He was lord of the Seventeen Provinces from 1556 until 1581, holding various titles for the individual territories such as duke or count....
.
Oporto
The Spanish troops commanded by Don Sancho d'AvilaSancho d'Avila
Sancho d'Avila was a Spanish General.Born at Ávila, he first served as the commander of the Duke of Alba's bodyguard. It was in this function that d'Avila arrested the Count of Egmont....
, transported by sea, arrived and disembarked in Oporto on 24 October 1580. The city was captured easily by the Spanish army, thereby finishing off Portuguese army and the conquest of their neighbouring country. Don Sancho d'Avila
Sancho d'Avila
Sancho d'Avila was a Spanish General.Born at Ávila, he first served as the commander of the Duke of Alba's bodyguard. It was in this function that d'Avila arrested the Count of Egmont....
obtained a great victory, it would be his last great military accomplishment.
After the end of the war, the Spanish General returned to Lisbon
Lisbon
Lisbon is the capital city and largest city of Portugal with a population of 545,245 within its administrative limits on a land area of . The urban area of Lisbon extends beyond the administrative city limits with a population of 3 million on an area of , making it the 9th most populous urban...
. In Lisbon he received a wound from a horse which he did not attend to properly and as a consequence he died in May 1583.
Aftermath
With the Spanish conquest of Oporto, the Kingdom of PortugalKingdom of Portugal
The Kingdom of Portugal was Portugal's general designation under the monarchy. The kingdom was located in the west of the Iberian Peninsula, Europe and existed from 1139 to 1910...
was controlled by the Spanish armies. Only the Azores Islands escaped from Spanish control. In early 1581, Dom António fled to France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
carrying with him the crown jewels, including many valuable diamonds. He was well received by the Queen of France, Catherine of Medici
Catherine de' Medici
Catherine de' Medici was an Italian noblewoman who was Queen consort of France from 1547 until 1559, as the wife of King Henry II of France....
, who had a claim of her own to the Crown of Portugal
Crown of Portugal
The crown of the Kings of Portugal has an interesting and particular characterístic: after 1640 until 1910 there was no coronation of the King or Queen. It was substituted by a ceremony called Aclamation, where the Sovereign received the other regalias and the crown remained beside him...
. By promising to cede the Portuguese colony of Brazil to her and the sale of some Portuguese jewels, Dom António secured support to form a fleet manned by the French
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...
and Portuguese led by him and Filippo di Piero Strozzi
Filippo di Piero Strozzi
Filippo di Piero Strozzi was an Italian condottiero, a member of the Florentine family of the Strozzi. He fought mainly for France.-Biography:...
, a Florentine
Florence
Florence is the capital city of the Italian region of Tuscany and of the province of Florence. It is the most populous city in Tuscany, with approximately 370,000 inhabitants, expanding to over 1.5 million in the metropolitan area....
exile in the service of France, and also supported by the English
Kingdom of England
The Kingdom of England was, from 927 to 1707, a sovereign state to the northwest of continental Europe. At its height, the Kingdom of England spanned the southern two-thirds of the island of Great Britain and several smaller outlying islands; what today comprises the legal jurisdiction of England...
fleet.