In today's episode, we learn about the battles for Coimbria and other Portugal states in the 12th Century.

Today, we learn about the Loss of Lisbon, Sintra and Santarem to the Muslims in Early Portugal.

Today, we learn about the Almoravid Campaigns from 1097-1117 in the history of Portugal.

The County of Santarém was a political and military entity formed during the Reconquista in the Iberian Peninsula. Its foundation is closely linked to the Christian efforts to expand their territories southward, particularly in what would later become Portugal. Santarém, located in the Ribatejo region of central Portugal, played a significant role as a strategic stronghold during the Reconquista, and its capture by Christian forces was a major turning point in the struggle against Muslim rule.

The Beiras Campaign refers to a series of military actions during the Christian Reconquista in the Iberian Peninsula, particularly in the region known as the Beiras (comprising the modern-day regions of Beira Alta and Beira Baixa in central Portugal). This region, strategically located between the northern Christian kingdoms and the Muslim-controlled south, became a focal point of military campaigns aimed at expanding Christian territory.

The Beiras Campaigns primarily unfolded during the 11th and 12th centuries, as the Christian forces of the Kingdom of León and later the emerging Kingdom of Portugal sought to reclaim and consolidate territory from Muslim rule. The campaign is significant in the broader context of the Reconquista and the formation of the Portuguese nation. Here’s an overview of the key events and significance of the Beiras Campaign:

The County of Coimbra was a significant early medieval political entity in the Iberian Peninsula, particularly in the history of the Reconquista. Coimbra, located in what is now central Portugal, played an important role in the Christian effort to reclaim territory from Muslim rule. Its founding is linked to the broader efforts of Christian kings and nobles to extend their control southward from the northern Christian kingdoms of León and Asturias.

The Kingdom of Asturias was a Christian kingdom in the Iberian Peninsula, founded in the early 8th century in the wake of the Muslim conquest of Visigothic Hispania. It played a critical role in the early Reconquista—the centuries-long struggle to reclaim the Iberian Peninsula from Muslim rule. The kingdom’s kings led numerous military campaigns to expand and consolidate Christian territories in northern Spain. Below is an overview of the key conquests under the kings of Asturias.

• Battle of Covadonga (722): Pelayo is traditionally regarded as the first king of Asturias and the initiator of the Reconquista. He was a Visigothic nobleman who led a small Christian resistance against the Umayyad Muslim forces. His most significant achievement was his victory in the Battle of Covadonga in 722, which is often seen as the symbolic beginning of the Reconquista. This victory secured the survival of the small Christian enclave in the rugged mountains of Asturias.
• Consolidation of Power: Although Pelayo’s military achievements were modest, his victory gave the Christian communities in the north hope and a base of resistance that would grow into the Kingdom of Asturias.

In this episode, we learn about the Background of the Reconquista from Portugal's point of view.