Atlas of Battles

battle, early modern

Battle of Cempoala

Battle of Cempoala was a battle fought in 1520 in what is now Mexico. Its exact site is not recorded; the atlas places it at its recorded location. It was part of the Spanish conquest of the Aztec Empire, which ran from 1519 to 1521. The recorded result: Cempoala victory. Recorded strength: 266 Spanish; 200 Chinantec warriors against 900 Spanish: ~80 horsemen; ~80 musketeers; ~10 artillery.

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'Batalla de Zampoala' ca. 1670-1740. Workshop of Loz Gonzalez (1670-1730) - Museo Franz Mayer - Mexico
'Batalla de Zampoala' ca. 1670-1740. Workshop of Loz Gonzalez (1670-1730) - Museo Franz Mayer - Mexico. José Luiz, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
Fought1520
WhereMexico19.447N, 96.404W, placed at the location, approximate
OutcomeCempoala victory
BelligerentsCempoala of Totonacapan; Chinantla; Crown of Castile Spanish EmpireagainstGovernorate of Cuba
Part ofSpanish conquest of the Aztec Empire1519 to 1521

Where it sits in the Spanish conquest of the Aztec Empire

Battle of Tlaxcala, 1519Battle of the Pánuco River, 1520Battle of Tetzcoco, 1520Battle of Nautla, 1520Battle of Cempoala, 1520La Noche Triste, 1520Battle of Otumba, 1520Battle of Huaxtepec, 1521Battle of Tacuba, 1521Battle of Xaltocan, 1521Battle of Yecapixtla, 1521Battle of Colhuacatonco, 1521Battle of Loma del Sangremal, 153115191531Battle of Cempoala, 1520
13 placed engagements of the Spanish conquest of the Aztec Empire in time order; taller ticks are more widely documented. Each tick is a link.

Record

Date1520 (year precision)
PlaceMexico
19.447N, 96.404W
KindBattle, early modern
Strength266 Spanish; 200 Chinantec warriors900 Spanish: ~80 horsemen; ~80 musketeers; ~10 artillery
Casualties and losses2 Spanish killed; Unknown number of Spanish wounded; Indigenous losses unknown15 killed; Unknown number of wounded
Commanders
  • Pánfilo de Narváez
Battle of CempoalaBattle of CempoalaSiege of VeracruzFirst Siege of VeracruzSecond Siege of VeracruzSiege of VeracruzBattle of VeracruzSiege of VeracruzFirst Siege of VeracruzBattle of VeracruzPoza Rica de HidalgoTehuacanCórdobaTeziutlánSantiago TuxtlaXalapaOrizabaNautla100 km19.447N, 96.404W
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 1520

Battle of Cempoala is one of 1,390 engagements of the 16th century in the atlas and one of 160 in present-day Mexico.

Sources

Identity, coordinates, dates and the war from Wikidata Q97610233, released under CC0. Result, belligerents, commanders, strength and casualties from the infobox of the English Wikipedia article Battle of Cempoala, revision 1379383932, 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.