On the Origins of Crusading in the Peninsula: the Reign of Alfonso VI (1065-1109)

Alfonso VI of Leon-Castile’s reign coincided in time with the origins and first development of the Crusading phenomenon, promoted by pope Urban II from 1095 onwards. This fact influenced the very nature and character of warfare against Muslims in the Iberian Peninsula. This caused a trend to further sacralisation of the
Reconquest, increasingly considered as a genuine Holy War. This article intends to analyze the patterns of this trend throughout Alfonso VI’s reign.