Battle of Araviana facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Battle of Araviana
Part of the War of the Two Peters
Castilian knights and soldiers at the time of the Castilian Civil War
Date 22 September 1359 Location Near Ágreda, Crown of Castile Result Victory of Henry of Trastamara and the Crown of Aragon
Belligerents
Crown of Castile	Crown of Aragon Castilian exiles
Commanders and leaders
Juan Fernández de Henestrosa   †	Henry of Trastámara
Strength
1,500 cavalry	800 cavalry
Casualties and losses
Unknown, but heavy	Unknown

The Battle of Araviana was a fight between two groups of soldiers on horseback. It happened on September 22, 1359. This battle was part of a bigger conflict called the War of the Two Peters.

About 800 soldiers from the Crown of Aragon fought in this battle. Many of them were Castilian exiles. They were led by Henry of Trastámara. This group had ridden into Castilian land. Near the town of Ágreda, they met a Castilian army. This Castilian force was led by Juan Fernández de Henestrosa. The Aragonese soldiers won the battle. Many Castilian noblemen and knights were killed or captured. This included Henestrosa himself.

Why the Battle Happened

The War of the Two Peters began in 1356. It started because of a disagreement between two kings named Peter. Peter IV of Aragon sent some ships to help France. These ships captured two ships from Genoa near Sanlúcar de Barrameda. Genoa was fighting against Aragon's ally, Venice.

King Peter I of Castile was in Sanlúcar at the time. He felt insulted and demanded the Genoese ships be freed. But the Aragonese captain refused. So, Castilian warships chased him. Peter I of Castile then complained to Peter IV of Aragon. When he didn't get what he wanted, he declared war.

Peter I of Castile quickly began attacking. He tried to capture the town of Guardamar by sea, but he failed. He also sent small groups of soldiers to raid the border. In 1359, Castilian ships attacked the coasts of Valencia and Catalonia. They didn't get big wins, but they threatened towns like Alicante.

Peter IV of Aragon saw his southern border was in danger. He sent horse companies to defend areas like Orihuela, Crevillente, and Elche. He also made sure all his forts had enough food and supplies.

The Battle Itself

In the months that followed, the fighting moved to the border between Aragon and Castile. In September, Henry of Trastámara led a raid into Castilian land. Henry wanted to be the king of Castile. He was the half-brother and rival of Peter I. His younger brother Tello also joined him. Several members of the Aragonese House of Luna were there too.

This group had about 800 horse soldiers. They met a much larger Castilian army. The Castilian force had 1,500 horse soldiers. They were led by Juan Fernández de Henestrosa, who was Peter I's uncle. Henry of Trastámara decided to fight instead of running away. The battle happened near Ágreda.

The fight was quick. The Castilian army was defeated. Juan Fernández de Henestrosa was among those killed. Other important Castilians who died were Gomez Suárez de Figueroa and Fernando García Duque. Many noblemen and knights were captured. These included Iñigo López de Orozco and Fernando Rodríguez de Villalobos. The Castilian flag was also captured. Its bearer, Gonzalo Sánchez de Ulloa, was killed.

What Happened Next

Peter I learned about his army's defeat when he arrived in Seville. The Aragonese armies won another battle soon after at Tarazon. But a few months later, in the spring of 1360, Henry was defeated. This happened at the First Battle of Nájera, where Peter I himself led the army.

In that battle, Henry had 1,200 horse soldiers and 2,000 foot soldiers. Peter had a much bigger army. He had 5,000 horse soldiers and 10,000 foot soldiers. Peter won the first day, but he decided to pull back. This allowed Henry to keep fighting. After this, Castile focused its attacks on the southern Valencian border.

The town of Orihuela was later raided by 800 Castilian and Moorish horse soldiers. But a group of 250 horse soldiers, led by Count Alfons of Ribagorza, drove them away. They also got back the land that was lost.

See also

In Spanish: Batalla de Araviana (1359) para niños