Siege of Algeciras (1342–1344) 1342
Recorded location from Wikidata; battle sites are often approximate.
Key facts
| Year | 1342 | Wikidata P580 (start time) |
|---|---|---|
| Era | Medieval (500–1499) | derived from year |
| Location | Spain | Natural Earth (modern borders) |
| Continent | Europe | Natural Earth |
| War / conflict | Battle of the Strait | Wikidata P361 |
| Coordinates | 36.1275, -5.4539 | Wikidata P625 |
About the battle
The siege of Algeciras (1342–1344) was undertaken during the Reconquest of Spain by the Castillian forces of Alfonso XI assisted by the fleets of the Crown of Aragon and the Republic of Genoa. The objective was to capture the city of Algeciras, called Al-Jazeera Al-Khadra by the Arabs who occupied it. The city was the capital and the main port of the European territory of the Marinid Empire.
The siege lasted for twenty one months. The population of the city, about 30,000 people including civilians and Berber soldiers, suffered from a land and sea blockade that prevented the entry of food into the city. The Emirate of Granada sent an army to relieve the city, but it was defeated beside the Río Palmones. Following this, on 26 March 1344 the city surrendered and was incorporated into the Crown of Castile. This was one of the first military engagements in Europe where gunpowder was used.
Text adapted from the Wikipedia article Siege of Algeciras (1342–1344) (revision 1370738727), licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0. Changes: excerpted from the article lead section; formatting and citations removed. No text added.
Nearby battles
- Siege of Algeciras (1278–1279) 1278 · 0 km
- Siege of Algeciras (1369) 1369 · 0 km
- Siege of Algeciras (1309–1310) 1309 · 0 km
- First Battle of Algeciras 1801 · 2 km
- Battle of Carteia (naval) 206 BC · 5 km
- Battle of Gibraltar (1621) 1621 · 5 km
Other battles of the Battle of the Strait
- Battle of Teba 1330
- Siege of Guardamar 1331
- Siege of Elche 1332
- Battle of Ceuta (1339) 1339
- Battle of Río Salado 1340
All 13 battles of the Battle of the Strait →
Browse more: battles in Spain · Europe · Medieval battles