The open country between the Tagus and the line of Almohad fortresses at Alcantara, Caceres, Montanchez, Trujillo and Santa Cruz.
Leon (Coria, Ciudad Rodrigo) and Castile (Plasencia) face it from the north; the Almohads retook Caceres in 1174 and Trujillo, Montanchez and Santa Cruz in 1196, and briefly held Plasencia in 1196 before Castile recovered it in 1197. The roads that cross it are the Via de la Plata through Caceres and the Tagus bridges at Alcantara and Alconetar. Under the truce it is quiet, but the land between the castles is pasture and wasteland rather than settled country.
Sides
- almohad
- leon
- castile
Who raids here
Almohad garrisons of Caceres and Trujillo toward Coria and Plasencia; Leonese and Castilian knights and the military orders (Santiago, Pereiro, Calatrava) toward Caceres and Trujillo.
Castles
Almohad: Alcantara, Caceres, Montanchez, Trujillo, Santa Cruz. Leonese: Coria, Ciudad Rodrigo. Castilian: Plasencia.
Last campaign
Al-Mansur's campaign of 1196; Castile's recovery of Plasencia in 1197. Next: Alfonso IX takes Alcantara in 1213 and attacks Caceres.
Where the sources disagree
Evidence: Fortress dates from es.wikipedia (Trujillo, Montanchez, Caceres); the belt's extent is a judgement.
On the map: A zone, not a line; the Leon and Castile agents may draw the northern side differently.
Sources and studies
- Trujillo (Espana) (es.wikipedia)
- Montanchez (es.wikipedia)
- Caceres (es.wikipedia)
- Battle of Alarcos (en.wikipedia)
Last revised 4 November 2026. Published 4 November 2026. Suggest a correction on the OMNIA Discord.