17 - How King Enrique entered Burgos and took the castle and the Jewish quarter
Published online by Cambridge University Press: 10 January 2024
Summary
For a few days, the king remained in Calahorra, and there he was joined by many forces. He then left, bound for Burgos. He neared the town of Logroño, which had taken King Pedro's side, and did not succeed in taking it. He approached the town and before reaching it sent a message to find out the wishes of the townsfolk as to whether they would welcome him. The people of the town were very happy at his approach and sent him messengers to say that he could enter the following day, for all of them were ready to pay him obeisance, even though those in the castle, namely the governor and some 200 men-at-arms, were on the side of King Pedro, as also was the Jewish quarter; they added that he should not fail to continue his journey on that account, because they would all later go over to his side.
Thereupon the king left and headed for Burgos, where all the people and the clergy gave him a great welcome, despite the arrows and artillery being fired from the castle. The king ordered an attack on the castle and on the Jewish quarter by means of undermining the walls and hurling projectiles from siege engines. Immediately the Jews agreed to side with the king and paid him one conto. Alfonso Fernández, the castle governor, held out and defended it for a number of days. Finally, he surrendered the castle to King Enrique and handed over the King of Naples, who was within its walls and who had come to support King Pedro at the battle of Nájera. The king sent him to the castle of Turiel and later received 80,000 doblas, which his wife Queen Giovanna paid to ransom him.
While in Burgos, the king received news that the city of Córdoba was on his side and that King Pedro was in Seville and was fortifying the township of Carmona. He was greatly pleased at these reports and dispatched his wife and the prince, his son, to the Toledo area, because in that region many places were on his side. She went accompanied by the Archbishop of Toledo, the Bishop of Palencia and others. After that, the king laid siege to the town of Dueñas, because it lay on the road between Burgos and Valladolid and was a source of havoc and destruction.
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- Information
- The Chronicles of Fernão LopesVolume 2. The Chronicle of King Fernando of Portugal, pp. 40 - 41Publisher: Boydell & BrewerPrint publication year: 2023