Frontier town · Kingdom of Portugal · as at first light, 1 January 1200

Bragança

The walled frontier town of Trás-os-Montes, moved to its present site for defence and chartered by Sancho I in 1187.

Alfonso IX invaded the region in 1199 and besieged it without success.

Who holds it

Name
Fernão Fernandes de Bragança
Title
Tenente of Bragança
Since
1191
Confidence
high

See Bragança (Fernão Fernandes).

Lord in 1200

Held for the crown by the tenente Fernão Fernandes de Bragança (1191-1204).

Overlord

Sancho I of Portugal

What the town holds

  • The walled town and castle
  • Its termo

How things stand that morning

Held after a failed Leonese siege.

Wealth

Pasture, chestnuts and the roads into León.

Military

Walls and castle of 1187. No figures.

Threats

  • Leonese attack before the peace

Fuero

Foral of Sancho I, 1187; the king paid for its walls and castle the same year.

Council

A frontier concelho.

Communities

Settlers; others not pinned.

Militia

Frontier cavaleiros-vilãos and foot; they held the town against Alfonso IX in 1199. No figures.

Where the sources disagree

Evidence: Foral and siege from pt.wikipedia and es.wikipedia; tenente from Calderón Medina.

Primary sources for Portugal

Chronicles, registers, sagas and inscriptions written in or near 1200 that cover this entry. Each has its own page with editions, translations and where to read it.

5 more in the sources library for France and Iberia.

Sources and studies

  1. Sancho I de Portugal (pt.wikipedia)
  2. Castle of Bragança (en.wikipedia)
  3. Guerra castellano-leonesa (1196-1197) (es.wikipedia)
  4. Inés Calderón Medina, 'Beyond the Border: the aristocratic mobility between the kingdoms of Portugal and León (1157-1230)', e-Journal of Portuguese History

Last revised 4 November 2026. Published 4 November 2026. Suggest a correction on the OMNIA Discord.