Second Battle of Olmedo
Encyclopedia
The Second Battle of Olmedo was fought on 20 August 1467 near Olmedo
in Castile
(now in the province of Valladolid, Spain
) as part of the succession conflict between Henry IV of Castile
and his half-brother Alfonso, Prince of Asturias.
Alfonso's troops advanced eastwards along the valley of the Duero towards central Castile, while the troops loyal to Henry moved north from Cuéllar
towards Medina del Campo
to try to cut them off: the two armies met near Olmedo.
Henry's troops comprised:
A notable absence among Henry's troops was Juan Pacheco
, who was occupied with securing the leadership of the Order of Santiago
.
With Prince Alfonso fought the troops of the Archbishop of Toledo, the Archbishop of Seville, of the Counts of Luna, Plasencia and Ribadeo, as well as of the Order of Calatrava
.
The result of the battle is not altogether clear, as both sides claimed victory, although Henry's troops were superior in strength. However, after the battle, Henry lost the support of Pedro Arias de Ávila and of the Count of Alba, the latter won over by favours from the Marquess of Villena
and from the Archbishop of Toledo.
Olmedo, Spain
Olmedo is a municipality in the province of Valladolid, Spain.-Transport:Olmedo is on the N-601 road ....
in Castile
Castile (historical region)
A former kingdom, Castile gradually merged with its neighbours to become the Crown of Castile and later the Kingdom of Spain when united with the Crown of Aragon and the Kingdom of Navarre...
(now in the province of Valladolid, Spain
Spain
Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...
) as part of the succession conflict between Henry IV of Castile
Henry IV of Castile
Henry IV , King of the Crown of Castile, nicknamed the Impotent , was the last of the weak late medieval kings of Castile...
and his half-brother Alfonso, Prince of Asturias.
Alfonso's troops advanced eastwards along the valley of the Duero towards central Castile, while the troops loyal to Henry moved north from Cuéllar
Cuéllar
Cuéllar is a large town and local government district in the autonomous community of Castile and León, in Spain. It had a population of 9,841 in 2008....
towards Medina del Campo
Medina del Campo
Medina del Campo is a town located in the middle of the Spanish Meseta Central, in the province of Valladolid, Castile-Leon autonomous region, 45 km from Valladolid. It is the capital of a farming area, far away from the great economic centres.-History:...
to try to cut them off: the two armies met near Olmedo.
Henry's troops comprised:
- at the vanguard, Pedro de Velasco, his brothers Luis and Sancho and his cousin Juan;
- in the second line, the Marquess of Santillana with his brothers Hurtado and PedroPedro González de MendozaPedro González de Mendoza was a Spanish cardinal and statesman.-Biography:He was born at Guadalajara in New Castile, the chief lordship of his family. He was the fourth son of Íñigo López de Mendoza, marqués de Santillana, deceased 1458, and one of the cadet brothers of Diego Hurtado de Mendoza, 1...
(who was bishop of Calahorra), along with the royal guard under the command of Juan Fernández Galindo; - the rearguard under the command of Beltrán de la CuevaBeltrán de la CuevaBeltrán de la Cueva y Alfonso de Mercado, 1st Duke of Alburquerque was a Spanish nobleman and presumed lover of Queen Joan of Portugal.-Early life:...
.
A notable absence among Henry's troops was Juan Pacheco
Juan Pacheco
Juan Pacheco Juan Pacheco Juan Pacheco (Belmonte, (1419 – 1474) was a Spanish nobleman who dominated the political scene in the Kingdom of Castille during the final years of John II of Castile and almost right up to the reign of Isabel I of Castile...
, who was occupied with securing the leadership of the Order of Santiago
Order of Santiago
The Order of Santiago was founded in the 12th century, and owes its name to the national patron of Galicia and Spain, Santiago , under whose banner the Christians of Galicia and Asturias began in the 9th century to combat and drive back the Muslims of the Iberian Peninsula.-History:Santiago de...
.
With Prince Alfonso fought the troops of the Archbishop of Toledo, the Archbishop of Seville, of the Counts of Luna, Plasencia and Ribadeo, as well as of the Order of Calatrava
Order of Calatrava
The Order of Calatrava was the first military order founded in Castile, but the second to receive papal approval. The papal bull confirming the Order of Calatrava as a Militia was given by Pope Alexander III on September 26, 1164.-Origins and Foundation:...
.
The result of the battle is not altogether clear, as both sides claimed victory, although Henry's troops were superior in strength. However, after the battle, Henry lost the support of Pedro Arias de Ávila and of the Count of Alba, the latter won over by favours from the Marquess of Villena
Juan Pacheco
Juan Pacheco Juan Pacheco Juan Pacheco (Belmonte, (1419 – 1474) was a Spanish nobleman who dominated the political scene in the Kingdom of Castille during the final years of John II of Castile and almost right up to the reign of Isabel I of Castile...
and from the Archbishop of Toledo.