Battle of Épila facts for kids

The Battle of Épila was a big fight that happened on July 21, 1348. It took place near Zaragoza, in what is now Spain. This battle was between a group of nobles and towns called the Union of Aragon and their king, King Peter IV. The king's army was led by a brave knight named Don Lope de Luna. This battle was the final showdown after a long disagreement between many important people in Aragon and their king. The Union was completely defeated.

Why the Battle Happened

The problems between the King of Aragon and many of the nobles and towns started way back in 1282. This was after King Peter III conquered Sicily. Because of this, the Pope at the time, Pope Martin IV, removed Peter III from the church. To protect their special rights and work together against the king, the nobles of Aragon created something called the Oath of the Union. They promised to support each other if the king tried to take away their freedoms. This group, the Union of Aragon, grew to include major cities, like Zaragoza, which was the capital of the Kingdom of Aragon.

After a big meeting in Zaragoza in 1283, King Peter III had to agree to the Union's demands. These demands were written down in something called the General Privilege of the Union. These special rights were made even stronger in 1287 during the time of his son, King Alphonso III.

The Union Against King Peter IV

Peter IV became king of Aragon in 1336. His first big challenge came in 1347 when the Union of Aragon became active again. The main reason for this new conflict was King Peter IV's decision to make his daughter, Constance, the next queen. This went against the rights of his brother, Prince James, who was supposed to be the heir.

Prince James quickly went to Zaragoza to get the support of the Aragonese nobles against the king's decision. The nobles who rebelled swore loyalty to the Union again, supporting Prince James. Most towns, including the capital city, soon joined them. A similar Union also formed in the Kingdom of Valencia.

At first, King Peter IV tried to solve the problem peacefully. He called a meeting in Zaragoza. He agreed to cancel his decision about his daughter and confirmed the Union's special rights from 1287. But after this, it became clear that the only way to solve the problem was through fighting.

Sadly, Prince James died in Barcelona shortly after the meeting. Fighting then broke out in both Aragon and Valencia. In Valencia, the Union defeated the king's supporters in some smaller battles. But in Aragon, King Peter IV got help from important nobles like Lope de Luna and the towns of Daroca and Teruel. By early 1348, King Peter IV made a deal with the Valencian Union. This meant all the fighting would now focus on the Kingdom of Aragon.

The Battle of Épila

By the spring of 1348, the Union's forces were gathered in Zaragoza. They didn't want to work with the nobles who still supported the king. Meanwhile, Lope de Luna tried to capture the city of Tarazona, which was part of the Union. In early July, King Peter IV, with the Valencian area now peaceful and with help from the people of Teruel, Daroca, and Calatayud, marched towards Zaragoza. He wanted to end the rebellion.

The Unionists realized they couldn't fight the combined forces of King Peter IV and Lope de Luna. They tried to stop them by taking a town called Épila, which the king's side controlled. Lope de Luna understood that if the Unionists took Épila, he would be stuck and couldn't get help from King Peter. So, Lope de Luna immediately left the siege of Tarazona and quickly marched towards Épila to stop the Unionist army.

The final battle happened on July 21, 1348.

Who Fought in the Battle

King Peter IV's Side

• In Épila:
  • Blasco de Alagon
  • Thomas Cornel
  • Martin Lopez de Pomar-warden
• Lope de Luna's Army:
  • Lope de Luna, with 400 knights
  • Alvar García de Albornoz with 600 knights
  • Workers from Daroca

The Union's Side

• Prince Ferdinand of Aragon
• Juan Ximénez de Urrea, Lord of Biota
• Juan Ximénez de Urrea, captain of the Union
• Workers from Zaragoza
• About 15,000 men, including knights and foot soldiers

How the Battle Happened

The battle started on the morning of July 21. The Union troops, led by Juan Ximénez de Urrea, Jr., tried to take Épila. Blasco de Alagon was defending Épila. His job was to hold the town until King Peter IV's main army joined Lope de Luna's forces. The Unionists attacked very hard, but they didn't have enough soldiers to break through the defenses. They also didn't have much time to prepare, because they knew Lope de Luna was coming fast. After their first attack failed, the Unionists burned the crops and buildings outside the town. They hoped this would force a fight in the open field.

The most important part of the battle was at the bridge over the Jalón River. The Unionists tried to hold the bridge until more soldiers, led by Gómez de Albornoz, arrived. But the inexperienced workers from Zaragoza couldn't stop hundreds of well-armed and skilled horsemen. These soldiers not only crossed the bridge but also directly attacked the rebellious Aragonese nobles who were waiting in reserve. Some of the Aragonese nobles quickly ran away because the Unionist troops couldn't stop the cavalry. Only those who were most dedicated to the Union kept fighting, hoping to last until night. But eventually, their resistance broke. Many of the main leaders of the Aragonese Union were killed or captured.

What Happened After

King Peter IV's army won the Battle of Épila completely. It was a final victory. The main supporters of the Union who were killed included Juan Ximénez de Urrea, Lord of Biota, and others. Among the prisoners was Juan Ximénez de Urrea, Jr., who had led the Union army in Valencia. He was executed a few days later. Prince Ferdinand himself was captured by soldiers and sent to Castile, because people feared King Peter IV might order him to be executed.

King Peter IV then called a meeting in Zaragoza. He gave Lope de Luna the special title of "Count." Lope de Luna was the first nobleman in Aragon to get this title without being part of the royal family. On October 4, 1348, the Parliament of Aragon took away all the special rights of the Unionists. King Peter IV even destroyed the documents that listed these rights. However, the king also gave more power to the Justice of Aragon. This person's job was to help solve problems between the Aragonese people and the king. So, many of the rights that the nobles had wanted for themselves through the Union were now protected by the Justice of Aragon and extended to all the people of Aragon.

See also

In Spanish: Batalla de Épila (1348) para niños