Siege of Coria (1138)

Siege of Coria (1138)
07/1138 AD defeated

The unsuccessful, first and shorter of two attempts by Alfonso VII of León to take the city of Coria in Muslim Spain.

The day before the actual assault on the walls had begun, Alfonso decided to go into the mountains to hunt deer, boar and bear, leaving Rodrigo Martínez in command of the siege.[11] The next morning the magnate led an unsuccessful assault on the walls, in which he was wounded by an arrow while climbing one of the siege towers.[12] The arrow pierced both his headpiece and his corselet and the iron head struck his neck.[13] Although Rodrigo was able immediately to remove it, the surgeons were unable to staunch the hemorrhaging and he succumbed some hours later.

The next day Alfonso "realizing his many misfortunes ... yielded to fate" and lifted the siege. The noblemen each returned to their homes while the king accompanied the militia to Salamanca. Rodrigo's brother, now Count Osorio, and the former's retainers carried Rodrigo's body back to León.

Coria, Cáceres

Lattitude: 39.9819° N
Longitude: 6.5372° W
Region: Europe

Modern Day Spain

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