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

Torres Novas

The castle-town north of the Tagus that surrendered to al-Mansur in 1190 after a short siege; its defenders were freed and the town razed and burned.

Sancho re-chartered it the same year.

Who holds it

Name
Sancho I (the crown); the alcaide on 1 January 1200 is not pinned
Title
Royal town under the king's alcaide or tenente
Confidence
medium

Lord in 1200

The crown; the alcaide on 1 January 1200 is not pinned.

Overlord

Sancho I of Portugal

What the town holds

  • The castle and town

How things stand that morning

Royal town, rebuilt.

Wealth

Farmland of the Almonda valley.

Military

Castle. No figures.

Threats

  • A new Almohad campaign

Fuero

Foral of Sancho I, 1190 (fair), after its destruction that year.

Council

A royal concelho being resettled.

Communities

Settlers; others not pinned.

Militia

Not pinned. No figures.

Where the sources disagree

Evidence: The 1190 destruction from the campaign page; the foral date from standard references.

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. Almohad campaign against Portugal (1190-1191) (en.wikipedia)

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