| Siege of Lisbon (1109) | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Part of theNorwegian Crusade and theReconquista | |||||||||
 Map of the route taken during theNorwegian Crusade | |||||||||
| |||||||||
| Belligerents | |||||||||
| Kingdom of Norway | Almoravid Empire Taifa of Badajoz | ||||||||
| Commanders and leaders | |||||||||
| Sigurd I of Norway | Unknown | ||||||||
| Strength | |||||||||
| 60 ships | Unknown | ||||||||
| Casualties and losses | |||||||||
| Low | Unknown, high | ||||||||
Thesiege of Lisbon (Norwegian:Beleiringen av Lisboa) was a military campaign and siege at the city ofLisbon in 1109, with theNorwegian Realm fighting theIberian Muslims in and around the city. The Norwegians eventually won, suffering very low casualties. The siege in particular had a significant impact on Lisbon because of the ongoing Christian and Muslim conflicts on theIberian Peninsula.
In 1109 a Norwegian fleet of 60 ships enteredLisbon through theTagus river under the command ofSigurd I of Norway.[1] There, they would eventually besiege the city and hand it over to the ChristianKingdom of León through their vassal andHenry, Count of Portugal.
Although much of the actual siege is unknown, it is described as a vast and bloody battle. Thewalls were broken bycatapults, with the Norwegian army suffering few casualties and, withSigurd the Crusader at its head, seizing and plundering the city. The siege and raid on the Muslim city is often referred to as Sigurd's third victory during his crusade.[2] It is often recognised as having had a major impact on theReconquista.
It is unknown how much Sigurd's siege contributed to theReconquista, although much suggests an impact, with scholars even referring to the Norse raids on Iberia and the Balearic Islands as part of the larger history ofIslamic Iberia.[3]Some of the men that were captured in the siege were baptized afterwards. The king took what he could carry before leaving the city to continue theCrusade. He would later go on to attack theBarbary pirates of Majorca before continuing his journey toSicily.
Shortly after the siege, the city was handed over to theKingdom of León throughHenry, Count of Portugal. Evidence points to there being some sort of agreement betweenSigurd and Count Henry; however, there are no direct records of the alliance.[a] It is most likely not a coincidence of events, since Henry capturedSintra at least once in 1109. This suggests coordination between the two leaders, though pure chance should not be ruled out.[1]