Alfonso VIII of Castile

Reign: 1158 – 1214
Life: 1155–1214

After having suffered a great defeat with his own army at Alarcos against the Almohads in 1195, he led the coalition of Christian princes and foreign crusaders who broke the power of the Almohads in the Battle of Las Navas de Tolosa in 1212, an event which marked the arrival of a tide of Christian supremacy on the Iberian Peninsula. His reign saw the domination of Castile over León and, by his alliance with Aragon, he drew those two spheres of Christian Iberia into close connection.

During Alfonso VIII of Castile's reign, Henry II of England ruled England, Afonso I of Portugal ruled Portugal, and Knut Eriksson ruled Sweden.

Want to learn more? Further reading

Reconquest and Crusade in Medieval Spain by Joseph F. O'Callaghan

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The World During Their Reign

The most notable rulers who held power elsewhere at the same time, from European courts to Ottoman, Mughal, and Chinese thrones.

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Reconquest and Crusade in Medieval Spain

Joseph F. O'Callaghan

Alfonso VIII and Las Navas de Tolosa, the battle that turned the tide against the Almohads.

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