Latest / The History of Portugal: The Small Nation That Built a Global Empire — Fexingo History / The Battle of Aljubarrota That Secured Portugal's Independence
Transcript
- Lucas: So we've talked a lot about Portugal's overseas empire, but today I want to bring it back home — to a moment when Portugal almost ceased to exist. I'm talking about the Battle of Aljubarrota in 1385. Luna: That's the big one, right? The battle that saved Portugal from being swallowed by Castile. Lucas: Exactly. And to understand why it was so close, we have to go back a bit. In 1383, King Fernando I of Portugal died without a male heir. His only daughter, Beatriz, was married to King Juan I of Castile. So Juan claimed the Portuguese throne, and a lot of the Portuguese nobility backed him. But many others — especially in Lisbon and the merchant class — didn't want to be ruled by Castile. Luna: So there was a succession crisis — the Crise de 1383-1385. Lucas: Yes. And from that chaos emerged an unlikely leader: João, the Master of the Order of Avis. He was an illegitimate son of King Pedro I, so not the obvious choice. But he became the figurehead of the resistance. And he had a brilliant military commander — Nuno Álvares Pereira. Luna: The constable. I've heard he's a national hero. Lucas: Absolutely. Nuno Álvares Pereira is often compared to Portugal's version of Joan of Arc — though he lived a bit later. He was deeply religious, incredibly disciplined, and a tactical genius. By 1385, João had been proclaimed king as João I, but Castile was preparing a massive invasion to crush him. Lucas: The Castilian army, led by Juan I himself, crossed the border with perhaps 30,000 men — including heavy cavalry and crossbowmen. João and Nuno had maybe 6,500 men, plus a small contingent of English longbowmen sent by John of Gaunt, who had his own claims in Iberia. Luna: So they were hugely outnumbered. How did they win? Lucas: The key was terrain and formation. Nuno chose his ground carefully — a narrow, sloping hill near the village of Aljubarrota, flanked by streams and thick vegetation. That neutralized the Castilian cavalry's advantage. He then arranged his infantry in a defensive square or wedge, with the longbowmen on the flanks. Lucas: The Castilians had to attack uphill, through mud, into a dense formation of Portuguese spearmen and English archers. The longbows, by the way, were devastating — they could shoot faster and farther than crossbows, and they rained arrows on the Castilian knights before they even got close. Luna: So it's like Agincourt, but earlier — and in Portugal. Lucas: Exactly. The parallels are striking. The battle started on the afternoon of August 14, 1385. The Castilian vanguard charged, but they were funneled into a killing zone. Portuguese men at arms held the line, and Nuno himself fought in the front ranks. The fighting was brutal — hand-to-hand, with swords, axes, and polearms. Lucas: After about an hour, the Castilian formation broke. Juan I fled, and his army was slaughtered in the pursuit. Thousands died — maybe 5,000 or more Castilians, versus a few hundred Portuguese. It was a total victory. Luna: And that secured João I's throne — and Portugal's independence. Lucas: Yes. The following year, Portugal and England signed the Treaty of Windsor — the oldest still-active alliance in the world. And Nuno Álvares Pereira became a legend. After his military career, he became a Carmelite monk and was later beatified. But the battle itself also spawned a famous legend. Luna: The bakeress of Aljubarrota? I think I've heard something about that. Lucas: Right. The story goes that after the battle, a local bakeress named Brites de Almeida — she had six fingers on each hand — killed seven Castilian soldiers who were hiding in her oven. It's probably a myth, but it's become a symbol of popular resistance. The oven is still shown in the town of Aljubarrota. Lucas: The battle also had a lasting impact on Portuguese identity. The day of the battle, August 14, became a national holiday for centuries. And the site itself — the battlefield — is now a protected area, with a small museum. You can still see the layout of the defensive formation. Luna: It's amazing that such a small kingdom could hold off a much larger one. And the tactics were so ahead of their time. Lucas: For sure. And the legacy continued — Portugal remained independent through the age of exploration, and that small nation built a global empire. Aljubarrota was the foundation. But you know, it's funny — we talk about things like the caravel and the spice trade, but none of that would have happened if Portugal had been absorbed into Castile. Luna: That's a sobering thought. One battle really changed everything. Lucas: And that's exactly why we keep coming back to these stories — because the past is full of those hinge moments. By the way, this episode — like all our episodes — is ad-free. That's a deliberate choice. If you'd like to support that, you can do so at buy me a coffee dot com slash fexingo. Luna: Yeah, it means a lot that we can keep this independent and focused on the history itself, not on selling something. Lucas: Exactly. So, back to Aljubarrota — one more detail I love. The Portuguese battle cry that day was 'São Jorge!' — Saint George, the patron saint of England and also of Portugal. That's how intertwined the two nations already were. Luna: So they were literally invoking the same saint. That's a nice symbol of the alliance. Lucas: It is. And after the battle, João I built the Monastery of Batalha — literally 'Battle' — to commemorate the victory. It's one of the most stunning Gothic buildings in Portugal, and it's a UNESCO World Heritage site. The construction took over a century, but it's a permanent monument to that single day. Lucas: Nuno Álvares Pereira himself is buried there, in the Chapter House, along with many of the Aviz dynasty kings. So if you ever visit Portugal, you can see the place where the nation's independence was cemented. Luna: I've seen pictures — it's incredible. The intricate stonework, the stained glass. It really does feel like a statement of triumph. Lucas: Absolutely. And it's worth remembering that the victory wasn't just military — it had huge political ramifications. It allowed Portugal to pursue its own path, eventually leading to the voyages of discovery. Without Aljubarrota, there might have been no Prince Henry the Navigator, no Vasco da Gama. Luna: It's like a foundation stone for everything that came after. Lucas: Exactly. And I think that's why, even today, the battle is taught in Portuguese schools as a defining moment. It's not just a battle — it's the story of a small nation that refused to be swallowed up. Luna: Well, I'm glad we dug into it. Sometimes the domestic history is just as dramatic as the overseas empire. Lucas: Absolutely. Next time we'll jump back overseas — maybe to the Moluccas, or the China coast. But for now, I think we've given Aljubarrota its due.