The crusade of Barbastro (also known as the siege of Barbastro or battle of Barbastro) was an international expedition, sanctioned by
Pope Alexander II
Pope Alexander II (1010/1015 – 21 April 1073), born Anselm of Baggio, was the head of the Roman Catholic Church and ruler of the Papal States from 1061 to his death in 1073. Born in Milan, Anselm was deeply involved in the Pataria refor ...
, to take the
Spanish
Spanish might refer to:
* Items from or related to Spain:
**Spaniards are a nation and ethnic group indigenous to Spain
**Spanish language, spoken in Spain and many Latin American countries
**Spanish cuisine
Other places
* Spanish, Ontario, Cana ...
city of
Barbastro
Barbastro (Latin: ''Barbastrum'' or ''Civitas Barbastrensis'', Aragonese: ''Balbastro'') is a city in the Somontano county, province of Huesca, Spain. The city (also known originally as Barbastra or Bergiduna) is at the junction of the rivers Cinc ...
, then part of the
Hudid Emirate of Lārida. A large army composed of elements from all over
Western Europe
Western Europe is the western region of Europe. The region's countries and territories vary depending on context.
The concept of "the West" appeared in Europe in juxtaposition to "the East" and originally applied to the ancient Mediterranean ...
took part in the siege and conquest of the city (1064). The nature of the expedition, famously described by
Ramón Menéndez Pidal
Ramón Menéndez Pidal (; 13 March 1869 – 14 November 1968) was a Spanish philologist and historian."Ramon Menendez Pidal", ''Almanac of Famous People'' (2011) ''Biography in Context'', Gale, Detroit He worked extensively on the history of t ...
as "a crusade before the crusades", is discussed in historiography, and the
crusading
The First Crusade inspired the crusading movement, which became an important part of late medieval western culture. The movement influenced the Church, politics, the economy, society and created a distinct ideology that described, regulated, a ...
element of the campaign is still a moot point.
Expedition
Pope Alexander II first preached the Reconquista in 1063 as a "Christian emergency." It was also preached in
Burgundy
Burgundy (; french: link=no, Bourgogne ) is a historical territory and former administrative region and province of east-central France. The province was once home to the Dukes of Burgundy from the early 11th until the late 15th century. The c ...
, probably with the permission or participation of
Hugh of Cluny
Hugh (13 May 1024 – 29 April 1109), sometimes called Hugh the Great or Hugh of Semur, was the Abbot of Cluny from 1049 until his death. He was one of the most influential leaders of the monastic orders from the Middle Ages.
Biography
Hugh was ...
, where the abbot's brother,
Thomas de Chalon
Thomas may refer to:
People
* List of people with given name Thomas
* Thomas (name)
* Thomas (surname)
* Saint Thomas (disambiguation)
* Thomas Aquinas (1225–1274) Italian Dominican friar, philosopher, and Doctor of the Church
* Thomas the Ap ...
, led the army. Certainly zeal for the crusade spread elsewhere in
France
France (), officially the French Republic ( ), is a country primarily located in Western Europe. It also comprises of Overseas France, overseas regions and territories in the Americas and the Atlantic Ocean, Atlantic, Pacific Ocean, Pac ...
, for
Amatus of Montecassino
Amatus of Montecassino ( la, Amatus Casinensis), (11th century) was a Benedictine monk of the Abbey of Montecassino who is best known for his historical chronicles of his era. His ''History of the Normans'' (which has survived only in its medieva ...
notes that the "grand chivalry of the French and Burgundians and other peoples" (''grant chevalerie de Francoiz et de Borguegnons et d'autre gent'') was present at the siege.
Thus, a large army was present at the siege when it began in 1064 primarily of Frenchmen and Burgundians, along with a contingent of Italians, made up mostly of Normans, as well as a local
Spanish army
The Spanish Army ( es, Ejército de Tierra, lit=Land Army) is the terrestrial army of the Spanish Armed Forces responsible for land-based military operations. It is one of the oldest active armies — dating back to the late 15th century.
The ...
made up of
Catalans
Catalans (Catalan language, Catalan, French language, French and Occitan language, Occitan: ''catalans''; es, catalanes, Italian language, Italian: ''catalani'', sc, cadelanos) are a Romance languages, Romance ethnic group native to Cataloni ...
and
Aragonese. Later, these Catalan and Aragonese soldiers would be disgusted by the crimes committed by those Normans after the capture of the city.
The leader of the papal contingent was a Norman by the name of
William of Montreuil
William of Montreuil (french: Guillaume de Montreuil) ( † aft. 1068), was an Italo-Norman freebooter of the mid-eleventh century who was briefly Duke of Gaeta. He was described by Amatus of Monte Cassino as "an exceptional knight, small in statu ...
. The leader of the Spaniards was
Sancho Ramírez, King of Aragón and Navarre
The name Sancho is an Iberian name of Basque origin (Santxo, Santzo, Santso, Antzo, Sans). Sancho stems from the Latin name Sanctius.Eichler, Ernst; Hilty, Gerold; Löffler, Heinrich; Steger, Hugo; Zgusta, Ladislav: ''Namenforschung/Name Studies/ ...
, whose realm was greatly threatened by the Moors to the south. The largest component, the
Aquitainian
Aquitaine ( , , ; oc, Aquitània ; eu, Akitania; Poitevin-Saintongeais: ''Aguiéne''), archaic Guyenne or Guienne ( oc, Guiana), is a historical region of southwestern France and a former administrative region of the country. Since 1 January ...
, was led by Duke
William VIII of Aquitaine
William VIII ( – 25 September 1086), born Guy-Geoffrey (''Gui-Geoffroi''), was duke of Gascony (1052–1086), and then duke of Aquitaine and count of Poitiers (as William VI) between 1058 and 1086, succeeding his brother William VII (Pierre-Gui ...
(known as Guy-Geoffrey), whom one historian calls the "Christian generalissimo". Though the makeup of this grand army has been subject to much dispute, that it contained a large force of Frankish knights is generally agreed upon.
The duke of Aquitaine led the army through the
Pyrenees
The Pyrenees (; es, Pirineos ; french: Pyrénées ; ca, Pirineu ; eu, Pirinioak ; oc, Pirenèus ; an, Pirineus) is a mountain range straddling the border of France and Spain. It extends nearly from its union with the Cantabrian Mountains to C ...
at
Somport
Somport or Col du Somport, known also as the Aspe Pass or Canfranc Pass, (el. 1632 m.) is a mountain pass in the central Pyrenees on the border of France and Spain. Its name is derived from the Latin ''Summus portus''. It was one of the most popu ...
. He joined the Catalan army at
Girona
Girona (officially and in Catalan language, Catalan , Spanish: ''Gerona'' ) is a city in northern Catalonia, Spain, at the confluence of the Ter River, Ter, Onyar, Galligants, and Güell rivers. The city had an official population of 103,369 in ...
early in 1064. The entire army then marched past
Graus
Graus (, ) is a village in the Spanish province of Huesca, located in the Pyrenees at the confluence of rivers Esera and Isabena. It is the administrative capital of the region. It is one of the areas of Aragon in which is still preserved the A ...
, which had resisted assault twice before, and moved against Barbastro, then part of the
taifa
The ''taifas'' (singular ''taifa'', from ar, طائفة ''ṭā'ifa'', plural طوائف ''ṭawā'if'', a party, band or faction) were the independent Muslim principalities and kingdoms of the Iberian Peninsula (modern Portugal and Spain), re ...
of
Lleida
Lleida (, ; Spanish: Lérida ) is a city in the west of Catalonia, Spain. It is the capital city of the province of Lleida.
Geographically, it is located in the Catalan Central Depression. It is also the capital city of the Segrià comarca, as ...
ruled by
Al-Muzaffar. The city was besieged for forty days until it surrendered according to both Muslim and Christian sources.
Aside from
William of Montreuil
William of Montreuil (french: Guillaume de Montreuil) ( † aft. 1068), was an Italo-Norman freebooter of the mid-eleventh century who was briefly Duke of Gaeta. He was described by Amatus of Monte Cassino as "an exceptional knight, small in statu ...
and Guy-Geoffrey, a 1078 story about the Normans placed
Robert Crispin Robert Crispin (french: Crépin, died 1072), called Frankopoulos, was a Norman mercenary who fought in the Reconquista and the Byzantine Empire.
Early life
Robert was the son of Gilbert Crispin. He had two older brothers, Gilbert, lord of Tillie ...
as the leader of the campaign. However, it is more likely that he was the leader of the contingent of Normans who participated in the campaign.
Consequences
Terms were given by the Christians to spare the lives of the Muslims and respect their properties, but the pact was quickly broken. Another source tells that the garrison offered to surrender their property and property of their families in exchange for letting them leave the town, and so it was agreed with the besiegers. However, the Crusaders didn't honour the treaty and killed the soldiers as they came out. Crusade soldiers plundered and sacked the city without mercy. It is said fifty thousand Muslims were killed or captured and the victors divided an enormous amount of booty. The contemporary Muslim chronicles suggest the invading forces might have slain the adult males and enslaved women and children; the numbers however are greatly exaggerated: Barbastro would hardly reach a population of two thousand in those times.
The
Andalusi The Arabic '' nisbah'' (attributive title) Al-Andalusi denotes an origin from Al-Andalus. Al-Andalusi may refer to:
* Abu Hayyan al-Gharnati
* Ibn Hazm
* Ibn Juzayy
* Ibn 'Atiyya
* Said Al-Andalusi
Ṣāʿid al-Andalusī (); he was Abū al-Qāsi ...
Muslim
Muslims ( ar, المسلمون, , ) are people who adhere to Islam, a monotheistic religion belonging to the Abrahamic tradition. They consider the Quran, the foundational religious text of Islam, to be the verbatim word of the God of Abrah ...
jurist
Ibn 'Abd al-Barr
Yūsuf ibn ʿAbd Allāh ibn Muḥammad ibn ʿAbd al-Barr, Abū ʿUmar al-Namarī al-Andalusī al-Qurṭubī al-Mālikī, commonly known as Ibn ʿAbd al-Barr ( ar, ابن عبد البر) , among the witnesses of the fall of Barbastro, described the aftermath as follows:
''"What can be your opinion, Oh Muslims, when you see masajid and oratories, that once were witness to the recitation of the Qur’ān
The Quran (, ; Standard Arabic: , Quranic Arabic: , , 'the recitation'), also romanized Qur'an or Koran, is the central religious text of Islam, believed by Muslims to be a revelation from God. It is organized in 114 chapters (pl.: , sing.: ...
and the sweetness of the call to prayer; immersed in širk and slander, loaded with bells and crosses, in the place of the followers of ar-Raḥmān: aʼimmah and pious men, vergers and muʾaḏḏinūn...are dragged away by the kuffār like animals for sacrifice, they are brought to the butcher; they prostrate themselves humbly in the masajid which are then burnt and reduced to ashes while the kuffār laugh and insult us, and our Dīn
Dīn ( ar, دين, Dīn, also anglicized as Deen) is an Arabic word with three general senses: judgment, custom, and religion. It is used by both Muslims and Arab Christians.
In Islamic terminology, the word refers to the way of life Muslims ...
wails and weeps."''
The plight of women seems to have been particularly difficult as a consequence of the siege and victory of the crusaders. Many died during the siege of thirst-related diseases and were subjected to degrading treatment after victory, converting them into servants and slaves, or sometimes even exposing them to the torture of their husbands.
The crusaders made off with a huge booty. Al-Bakri's
('Book of Highways and Kingdoms', written 1067-8) records the capture of a good many Saracen girls and Saracen treasures.
Armengol III of Urgel
Ermengol (or Armengol) III (10321065), called ''el de Barbastro'', was the count of Urgell from 1038 to his death. He was the son of Ermengol II, Count of Urgell and his wife Velasquita "Constance", probably the daughter of Bernard I, Count of Be ...
, the brother-in-law of King Sancho Ramírez, was entrusted with the government of the city. On 17 April 1065, after roughly ten months of occupation, the Moors easily retook the city. Thibaut, the Burgundian leader, died, possibly of wounds received on campaign, while returning to France after the loss of the city in 1065.
Historiography
Historian
Reinhart Dozy
Reinhart Pieter Anne Dozy (Leiden, Netherlands, 21 February 1820 – Leiden, 29 April 1883) was a Dutch scholar of French (Huguenot) origin, who was born in Leiden. He was an Orientalist scholar of Arabic language, history and literature.
Biogra ...
first began a study of the War in the mid-nineteenth century based on the scarce primary sources, mainly Amatus and
Ibn Hayyan
Abū Marwān Ḥayyān ibn Khalaf ibn Ḥusayn ibn Ḥayyān al-Qurṭubī () (987–1075), usually known as Ibn Hayyan, was a Muslim historian from Al-Andalus.
Born at Córdoba, his father was an important official at the court of the Andalusi ...
. Dozy first suggested the participation of a papal element based on Ibn Hayyan's reference to the "cavalry of Rome." Subsequent historiography has stressed the
Cluniac
The Cluniac Reforms (also called the Benedictine Reform) were a series of changes within medieval monasticism of the Western Church focused on restoring the traditional monastic life, encouraging art, and caring for the poor. The movement began wit ...
element in the War, primarily the result of
Ferdinand I of León
Ferdinand I ( 1015 – 24 December 1065), called the Great (''el Magno''), was the count of Castile from his uncle's death in 1029 and the king of León after defeating his brother-in-law in 1037. According to tradition, he was the first to have h ...
's recent attempts to introduce the
Cluniac reform
The Cluniac Reforms (also called the Benedictine Reform) were a series of changes within medieval monasticism of the Western Church focused on restoring the traditional monastic life, encouraging art, and caring for the poor. The movement began wi ...
to Spain and inspired by the death of
Ramiro I of Aragon
Ramiro I (bef. 10078 May 1063) was the first King of Aragon from 1035 until his death, although he is sometimes described as a petty king. He would expand the nascent Kingdom of Aragon through his acquisition of territories, such as Sobrarbe and ...
following the failed
siege of Graus.
This interpretation has been criticized in more recent decades, especially the papal connection and Italian involvement. It has been suggested that Alexander was preoccupied with the
Antipope Cadalus at the time and did not preach a
plenary indulgence
In the teaching of the Catholic Church, an indulgence (, from , 'permit') is "a way to reduce the amount of punishment one has to undergo for sins". The ''Catechism of the Catholic Church'' describes an indulgence as "a remission before God of ...
for warriors of the Reconquista until the 1073 campaign of
Ebles II of Roucy
Ebles II (died May 1103), also called Eble or Ebale, was the second Count of Roucy (1063–1103) of the House of Montdidier. He was the son and successor of Hilduin IV of Montdidier and Alice (Alix), daughter of Ebles I of Roucy. He is famous for ...
. It has also been theorized that it was not William of Montreuil, but Guy Geoffrey, who was the "Roman" leader implied by Ibn Hayyan.
Notes
Sources
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*Villegas-Aristizábal, Lucas, "Pope Gregory VII and Count Eblous II of Roucy’s Proto-Crusade in Iberia c. 1073", Medieval History Journal 21.1 (2018), 1-24. http://journals.sagepub.com/doi/abs/10.1177/0971945817750508
{{Authority control
Province of Huesca
11th century in Al-Andalus
11th-century crusades
1060s in Europe
Conflicts in 1064
1064 in Europe
Sieges involving Aragon
Battles of the Reconquista