The Battle of Los Alporchones is fought in the context of the Spanish Reconquista between the Emirate of Granada and the combined forces of the Kingdom of Castile and Murcia resulting in a Christian
The commander who won the Battle of Los Alporchones wasn't even supposed to be there. Alonso Fajardo el Bravo led just 700 Castilian and Murcian troops against a Granadan force three times larger near Lorca on March 17, 1452. His men were outnumbered, but they'd positioned themselves on higher ground and used the terrain's narrow passages to funnel the enemy cavalry into chaos. The Christians killed over 1,500 Granadan soldiers and captured their commander. This wasn't some grand crusade—it was a border skirmish that shouldn't have mattered. But the victory secured Murcia's frontier for decades and proved that Granada's military power was crumbling from within. Forty years later, when Ferdinand and Isabella finally conquered Granada, they were just finishing what Fajardo's 700 had started.
March 17, 1452
574 years ago
Key Figures & Places
What Else Happened on March 17
Caesar's best general turned against him, and it nearly killed him. Titus Labienus had served under Caesar for eight years in Gaul, knew every one of his tactic…
Marcus Aurelius succumbed to illness in Vindobona, ending the era of the Five Good Emperors. His death elevated his son, Commodus, to sole power, abruptly halti…
He was Rome's first emperor born into the purple — literally raised in the palace — and Marcus Aurelius knew it was a mistake. The philosopher-emperor spent his…
He murdered the emperor, then forced the widow to marry him — all within days. Petronius Maximus bribed enough senators to claim the Western Roman throne in Mar…
Petronius Maximus seized the Western Roman throne with the Senate’s backing just one day after orchestrating the assassination of Valentinian III. His reign las…
Patrick died in Saul on March 17, 461, after four decades of preaching and building churches that transformed Ireland's spiritual landscape. His death sparked a…
Talk to History
Have a conversation with historical figures who witnessed this era. Ask questions, explore perspectives, and bring history to life.