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Saracens

(Encyclopedia)Saracens sârˈəsənz [key], term commonly used by medieval Europeans to designate the Arabs and, by extension, the Muslims in general, whether they were Arabs, Moors, or Seljuk Turks. ...

Guadalajara, town, Spain

(Encyclopedia)Guadalajara, town, capital of Guadalajara prov., central Spain, in Castile–La Mancha, on the Henares River. Its economy is mainly agricultural. It flo...

Segovia, city, Spain

(Encyclopedia)Segovia, city (1990 pop. 55,188), capital of Segovia prov., central Spain, in Castile and León, on the Eresma River. It stands on a rocky hill (3,297 ft/1,005 m high) crowned by the cathedral and the...

Ourique

(Encyclopedia)Ourique ōrēˈkə [key], town (1991 pop. 1,339), Beja dist., S Portugal, in Baixo Alentejo. Although tradition says Alfonso I defeated the Moors there in 1139, the battle of Ourique was actually foug...

Alfonso I, king of Portugal

(Encyclopedia)Alfonso I, 1109?–1185, first king of Portugal, son of Henry of Burgundy. After his father's death (1112), his mother, Countess Teresa, ruled the county of Portugal with the help of her Spanish lover...

Cid

(Encyclopedia)Cid or Cid Campeador sĭd, Span. thēᵺ kämpāäᵺōrˈ [key] [Span.,=lord conqueror], d. 1099, Spanish soldier and national hero, whose real name was Rodrigo (or Ruy) Díaz de Vivar. Under Ferdina...

Valencia, autonomous community, Spain

(Encyclopedia)Valencia välānˈthēä [key], autonomous community (2011 pop. 5,009,931), 8,980 sq mi (23,257 sq km), and former kingdom, E Spain, on the Mediterranean. It now comprises the provinces of Alicante/Al...

Alfonso I, Spanish king of Asturias

(Encyclopedia)Alfonso I (Alfonso the Catholic), 693?–757, Spanish king of Asturias (739–57). He was the son-in-law of the first Asturian king, Pelayo. A Berber rebellion (740–41) against the Moors enabled him...

Faro, town, Portugal

(Encyclopedia)Faro fäˈrō [key], town, capital of Faro dist. and of Algarve, S Portugal. The southernmost...

Ferdinand II, Spanish king of León

(Encyclopedia)Ferdinand II, d. 1188, Spanish king of León (1157–88), son and successor of Alfonso VII. He invaded Castile and set up a protectorate during the minority (1158–66) of his nephew Alfonso VIII. He ...