The Battle of Aljubarrota
Its origins lie in the King of Castile’s claim to Portuguese sovereignty, which led to the crisis of 1383–85. This crisis gave rise to the Battle of Atoleiros in 1384, won by Portugal, and would culminate in the victory of King João I at the Battle of Aljubarrota on August 14th 1385.
The Portuguese army’s initial position at the Battle of Aljubarrota was chosen by Nuno Álvares Pereira: atop a plateau, in a position well defended by the natural features of the terrain and by the digging of trenches and the construction of camouflaged protective barriers.
The Portuguese army adopted a rectangular formation, consisting of a foot vanguard and successive ranks of spearmen, designed to confront the enemy cavalry, in a tactic known as the ‘square formation’ – a new development in infantry defence introduced in Europe during the Hundred Years’ War.
The eight thousand men of D. Nuno Álvares Pereira and the newly acclaimed King D. João I defeated the Castilians led by D. João de Castela.
Next to the battlefield stands a chapel, originally dedicated to the Virgin Mary, whose construction began in 1393, and which expresses gratitude for Portugal’s victory – a gratitude also expressed in the Monastery of Batalha, built from 1388 onwards.
The way was now clear for what Luís Vaz de Camões described in the epoppee Os Lusíadas as the ‘Illustrious Generation, Noble Princes’: the distinguished sons of King João I, Master of the Order of Aviz, an opponent of Portugal’s union with Castile, acclaimed King at the Cortes of Coimbra on 6 April 1385, and of Philippa of Lancaster, an English princess of the House of Lancaster who was 27 years old when she arrived in Lisbon to marry the much-acclaimed King of Portugal in Oporto on 2 February 1387.
CIBA - Battle of Aljubarrota Interpretation Center
Located in the village of São Jorge, the centre’s exhibition space is an innovative combination of entertainment and education, divided into four sections that help visitors to understand what the Battle of Aljubarrota was and how it happened.
The first two sections are dedicated to the Battle of Aljubarrota, looking at the historical period when the battle took place and the archaeological discoveries that have been made on the battlefield. There is also an auditorium projecting a multimedia show that reconstructs the battle and the events that led up to it.
The third section is dedicated to a range of interpretations and comments that have been made about the Battle of Aljubarrota, resulting from the different scholarly and literary treatments that have been given to the subject.
The last section is presented in the area outside the centre, signalling the different places that proved to be the most important during the course of the battle, fought on the field of the so-called Military Camp of São Jorge.
The visit to the Interpretation Centre lasts roughly 50 minutes and the full visit (CIBA and the Military Camp of São Jorge) roughly 2 hours.
Visits
Interpretation Center
From Tuesday to Sunday - 10:00 - 17:30
Military Camp and St. George's Chapel
From Tuesday to Sunday - 10:00 - 17:30
Closing days
January 1st, Easter Sunday, May 1st and December 25th
