Battle of Fraga

The Battle of Fraga was a battle of the Spanish Reconquista that took place on 17 July 1134 at Fraga, Aragon, Spain. The battle was fought between the combined forces of King Alfonso the Battler and Viscount Centule VI of Béarn,¹ and a variety of Almoravid forces that had come to the aid of the town of Fraga which was being besieged by Alfonso. The battle resulted in an Almoravid victory. The Aragonese monarch Alfonso died shortly after the battle.

Background

Since the second half of the 11th century, the kings of Aragón and the counts of Barcelona and Urgel tried with obstinacy to conquer the Muslim held towns and frontier fortresses of the Marca Superior. Specifically, they targeted the low lands around the Segre and Cinca Rivers all the way to the mouth of the Ebro, an active and prosperous region with direct access to the Mediterranean Sea. The most important towns in this region were Lleida, Mequinenza, Fraga, and Tortosa.

The battle

In July 1134, Alfonso, known by the Muslims as Ibn Rudmir (literally "son of Ramiro) or al-Farandji, laid siege to the town of Fraga with an army from Aragon.² The Almoravid response was swift and decisive. The Emir of Cordoba, son of the caliph, equipped a force of 2,000 cavalry-men; the Emir of and put together 500 cavalry-men; and the governor of another 200. Once these forces combined, they marched to the relief of Fraga.