Atlas of Battles

battle, early modern

Battle of Alcântara

Battle of Alcântara was a battle fought in 1580 in what is now Portugal. Its exact site is not recorded; the atlas places it at its recorded location. It was part of the War of the Portuguese Succession, which ran from 1580 to 1583. The recorded result: Spanish victory. Recorded strength: 13,000 infantry; 1,800 cavalry; 22 guns against 8,000 infantry; 500 cavalry; 30 guns.

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«Croquis del sitio y orden de la batalla habida entre el sr. don Antonio, nombrado rey de Portugal y el Duque de Alba, capitán general del rey católico don Felipe II, delante de Lisboa por mar y por t
«Croquis del sitio y orden de la batalla habida entre el sr. don Antonio, nombrado rey de Portugal y el Duque de Alba, capitán general del rey católico don Felipe II, delante de Lisboa por mar y por t. Desconocido. Unknown, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons.
Fought1580
WherePortugal38.706N, 9.174W, placed at the location, approximate
OutcomeSpanish victory
BelligerentsSpainagainstPro-Crato Portugal
Casualties and losses500 dead or woundedand4,000 dead or captured
Part ofWar of the Portuguese Succession1580 to 1583

Where it sits in the War of the Portuguese Succession

Battle of Alcântara, 1580Naval Battle of the Tagus, 1580Capture of Porto, 1580Battle of Salga, 1581Battle of Ponta Delgada, 158215801582Battle of Alcântara, 1580
5 placed engagements of the War of the Portuguese Succession in time order; taller ticks are more widely documented. Each tick is a link.

Record

Date1580 (year precision)
PlacePortugal
38.706N, 9.174W
KindBattle, early modern
Strength13,000 infantry; 1,800 cavalry; 22 guns8,000 infantry; 500 cavalry; 30 guns
Casualties and losses500 dead or wounded4,000 dead or captured
Commanders
  • António, Prior of Crato
  • Francisco de Portugal, 3rd Count of Vimioso
Battle of AlcântaraBattle of AlcântaraSiege of LisbonSiege of al-LixbûnâCapture of LisbonSiege of LisbonAction of 11 November 1779Action of 11 November 1779ÉvoraLeiriaBejaSantarémPortalegre100 km38.706N, 9.174W
Placed at its recorded location; the exact site is not recorded. with the nearest other engagements in the atlas. Present-day coastlines, rivers and borders; towns from Natural Earth.

Nearest engagements

In the same war

Elsewhere in 1580

Battle of Alcântara is one of 1,390 engagements of the 16th century in the atlas and one of 135 in present-day Portugal.

Sources

Identity, coordinates, dates and the war from Wikidata Q741788, released under CC0. Result, belligerents, commanders, strength and casualties from the infobox of the English Wikipedia article Battle of Alcântara (1580), revision 1380550607, read 2026-11-14, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0; the article's text is not reproduced here. Present-day country and state from Natural Earth. Dates before 1582 follow the Julian calendar as recorded.