One of the subjects we have studied extensively throughout this semester is how the EU is a unifying organization. Or rather, that Europe has seen conflict amongst itself for thousands of years. The EU organization is a vehicle for the promotion of peace across a continent soiled by bloodshed. After I visited Lisbon and went into the hills of Sintra to visit the Palacio de Pena as well as the Moorish Castle, my curiosity about the history of the area was peaked. After doing some research, here’s what I found.
Portugal was at one point part of the Christian kingdom of Castile and Leon. Afonso Henriques, a son of the house of Burgundy and heir to the county of Portugal (which comprises the Douro region surrounding the modern city of Porto), was concerned about the stability of his inheritance. His mother, Teresa, had married a count in Galicia, and the residents of Portugal—especially Afonso—were concerned that Portugal would simply become part of that county. Afonso gathered an army at a very young age and fought against his mother and her supporters, defeating her and forcing her to abandon the throne. With the support of the local nobility, Afonso was proclaimed king (Villegas-Aristizábal, p. 163).
Having solidified Portugal’s independence from Leon, Afonso looked southward. Through a series of military campaigns against the moors, Afonso eventually arrived at the Tagus River, first conquering the riverside city of Santarém. Shortly thereafter, Lisbon, the modern capital of Portugal, was conquered with the help of Anglo-Norman crusaders who were passing through Portugal on their way to the Holy Land. An international force of English, Norman, German, Flemish, and Portuguese crusaders took the city of Lisbon and forced a Moorish evacuation in 1147 (Villegas-Aristizábal, p. 182).
The ruins of the Castelo de São Jorge in downtown Lisbon as well as the Moorish castle in Sintra are monuments to the violence that has been perpetuated in Europe for hundreds of years. The nation of Portugal, born out of conflict and noble greed, owes its very existence to the other nations of Europe and their willingness to participate in an essentially religious conflict that plagued Europe and the Middle East for hundreds of years.
America, by comparison, is a very young country. It’s only 235 years old, whereas Portugal has existed independently as a nation for nearly 900 years. I find it difficult to understand the wealth of history that has passed in such a foreign land, but also find it encouraging that after so many years of consistent bloodshed through the ages, Europe is finally facing its past and discouraging political instability through unification. I am impressed.
Works Cited
Villegas-Aristizábal, L. (2007, June). Norman and Anglo-Norman Participation in the Iberian Reconquista c.1018 - c.1248. Retrieved October 28, 2010, from University of Nottingham: http://etheses.nottingham.ac.uk/283/2/Norman_and_AngloNorman.pdf
No comments:
Post a Comment