Battle of Palmela

In 1158, the King of Portugal conquered the fortress and port city of Alcácer do Sal along with numerous other cities and towns in the Alentejo region. In 1161 after the Battle of Alcácer do Sal, the Almohads retook these settlements from the Portuguese.^[1][2]

In the years that followed, the Almohads maintained an army in Portugal to protect the cities and towns in the territory that they held. The military forces of the Almohads in Gharb al-Andalus, however, were often stretched thin due to the need to send men and materials to other regions in al-Andalus and to contend with revolts and conflicts in North Africa. As a result, the Almohads garrisons in Portugal were often small and many of the cities and towns that they held were poorly defended and remained contested.^[3][4]

In 1165, Afonso discovered that the Almohad fortification at Sesinbra on the Atlantic coast was poorly defended. Although the castle sat over 200 meters above the harbor, it was weakly garrisoned and Afonso’s forces were able to seize the castle quickly on February 21 presumably by means of a surprise attack.^[5][6][7]

When the Almohad Governor of Badajoz learned of the loss of Sesimbra, he assembled a military force and "hastened" to Sesimbra to confront Afonso and recover the castle. At that time, the Governor of Badajoz was in the best position to address the situation in Portugal as Badajoz was the largest Almohad stronghold in western Iberia and served as a regional center for military operations.^[8][9]

Details of the battle are not perfectly clear. Generally it is believed that the Governor of Badajoz was attempting to get to Sesimbra as fast as he could and therefore his detachment was marching in a scattered or loose manner designed for speed rather than for engagement. Referred to as “poor order,” this lack of readiness was believed to have been observed by the Portuguese. Taking advantage of the situation, Afonso left the confines of the Sesimbra castle and went into the countryside to confront the invaders. In the field, Afonso moved to rapidly intercept and catch the Almohads off-guard. In modern terms, this has in some histories been described a surprise encounter or ambush.^[8][10]

Close to the Palmela fortress, Afonso and the Almohads met and clashed. It has been reported that Afonso’s forces were substantially out-numbered by nearly a factor of ten, but the credibility of these estimates is questionable. Regardless, Afonso and his defenders defeated the Muslim force in battle in the field.^[9]

Following the defeat, Almohad control in the region began to collapse beginning with the surrender of the Pamela fortress. Then later that same year, the mercenary warrior Gerald the Fearless attacked and captured the fortified city of Évora which he later conveyed to Affonso.^[11]