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Battle of La Higueruela 1431: Castilian cavalry charging across the Vega of Granada beneath Sierra Elvira at dusk, painted in the style of a 16th-century fresco

Battle of La Higueruela 1431 Won the Field, Not Granada

On 1 July 1431 Castile routed Granada's army on the Vega but took no land. How that one day became a 60 m fresco at El Escorial, and where to trace it.

Portrait of James Walker
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Seven years resident in Granada. Specialist in Nasrid architecture, Al-Andalus history, and Andalusian walking routes.

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Nasrid Granada1238–1492
Castile won the field on 1 July 1431 and took nothing. John II's army, led by Álvaro de Luna, beat the Granadan troops of Muhammad IX on the Vega, but gained no territory and left Granada untaken[1]. The day survives mostly as a mural painted for Philip II in the 1580s at a cost of 3,800 ducats[2], on a wall of El Escorial, a monastery-palace in the Sierra de Guadarrama about 50 km from Madrid[3] and not in Granada. There is no marked battlefield to visit; the Granada-side trace is the ruined city of Medina Elvira under Sierra Elvira.
Nasrid Granada1238–1492
Battle fought on the Vega
1 July 1431
Castilian victory with no territorial gain; Granada not taken[1]
Cost of the Higueruela wall
3,800 ducats
Painted at El Escorial from January 1587 to September 1589[2]
Yusuf IV's yearly tribute
20,000 dinars
Paid to Castile under the vassalage that followed the battle[20]

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Camp at Atarfe: a palisade the size of Seville

On 29 June the Castilian army ringed its camp with a wooden palisade with four gates, said to be as wide as the city of Seville[4]. John II had crossed into Granadan territory on 26 June and was camped before the capital three days later[5]. The constable Álvaro de Luna, who ran the campaign, set the royal camp in the Vega on the bank of the Genil, at a village called Atarfe, one league from Granada[6].
The sultan facing them was Muhammad IX, nicknamed el Zurdo. A camp with a four-gate palisade is not a raiding party; it is the layout of an army that expected to stay, which makes what happened next stranger. In late June the Vega is already baked dry, and a timber fence around thousands of men would have been a long grey line against the yellow stubble.
Castile would not take the city until the Catholic Monarchs' conquest in 1492. This July was a show of force, and its outcome says more about Castile's divisions than about Granada's defences.
Timeline
  1. 26 June 1431

    John II enters Granadan territory

  2. 29 June 1431

    Palisade built round the camp

    Four gates, at Atarfe on the Genil

  3. 1 July 1431

    The battle on the Vega

  4. 10 July 1431

    Castile breaks camp

  5. 1 January 1432

    Yusuf IV displaces Muhammad IX

  6. 1587-1589

    Fresco painted at El Escorial

1 July: trumpets, Santiago and a rout

The fighting took a single day. Before the charge Luna had the trumpets sounded and called aloud on Santiago, telling his men to follow him[7]. His chronicler credits the Granadan side with up to 4,000 horse and 200,000 foot, crossbowmen and lancers[8]; the figure shows how the constable's circle wanted the victory remembered and tells you nothing about how many men stood in the Vega.
In the king's own chronicle the Moors turned their backs, broke and ran toward the city, its orchards and the hills, and only the nearness of night kept the pursuit short of Granada's gates[9]. Drawing on that documentary record, Prof. Martina Díaz Sammaroni puts the Muslim dead at 10,000 to 12,000[10]. The following days were spent on the plain itself: the king ordered the orchards, fields and buildings around the city razed[11].
1066 Granada massacre scene in Jewish history: a mob attacking the Jewish quarter of Nasrid-era Granada at dusk, the Alhambra hill silhouetted in the background, smoke rising over whitewashed rooftops, sombre red and amber tones

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Where exactly it was fought is still argued. Spanish accounts place it beside Medina Elvira on Sierra Elvira, in the municipality of Atarfe[12], which squares with the chronicle's camp at Atarfe. The name, La Higueruela, means little fig tree and comes from the place where it happened[13]. Local tradition adds that a single small fig tree stood alone after the fighting[14], a story to enjoy as tradition and not as evidence.

A victory that took nothing

Castile did not besiege Granada: the council chose to withdraw, and John II broke camp on 10 July[15]. The chronicles offer several reasons, none of them flattering to a victor:
  • Noble discord: some said the great lords' quarrel with the constable was the main cause[16]
  • Supplies and a gift: supply difficulties, and a gold-laden present of raisins and figs to Luna that critics called a sweet bribe[16]
  • An earthquake: the ground shook in the camp, more in Granada and most in the Alhambra, where pieces of the wall came down[17]
The Alhambra palace complex viewed from the Albaicin hillside, with the Sierra Nevada mountains behind

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At home the monarchy made the most of it, and the papacy allowed religious feasts every 1 July across Castile to commemorate the day[18].
Granada paid later, in Castile's currency of choice. Yusuf IV entered the city with strong Castilian backing and displaced Muhammad IX on 1 January 1432[19], pledging lifelong vassalage and an annual tribute of 20,000 gold dinars[20], the same logic of Nasrid tribute to Castile that had kept the emirate alive since Ibn al-Ahmar. It lasted barely a season: Muhammad IX beat a Castilian column in late March, re-entered Granada in April and had Yusuf executed[21]. Yusuf's brief reign is one chapter of the Nasrid civil war over the succession.

From a canvas in Segovia to a wall at El Escorial

Philip II's Sala de las Batallas at El Escorial is a gallery measured at 60 metres long, 6 wide and 8 high, though 55 metres appears in other descriptions[22], and its east wall carries the Battle of Higueruela[23]. How a Castilian win of 1431 reached a king's palace-monastery a century and a half later is a story of one old canvas and four Genoese painters.

The canvas in the tower

Fray José de Sigüenza wrote that a canvas 130 feet long was found in old chests in a tower of the Alcázar of Segovia[24]; that is about 36 metres, and the cloth looks contemporary with the battle itself[25]. A summary of the same account puts the tower in the Alcázar of Toledo instead[26], so scholars disagree on the city, and Segovia is the version most often repeated. Fabrizio Castello was paid 1,030 reales in 1582 to restore it[27]. It was a grisaille, a monochrome painting in tones of grey, of the fifteenth century[28].

Four Genoese painters, 1587 to 1589

Philip II's order of 10 December 1584 named four Genoese painters, Niccolò Granello, his half-brother Fabrizio Castello, Lazzaro Tavarone and Orazio Cambiaso, son of Luca[29]. The Higueruela wall itself ran from 1587 to September 1589[30], two years and nine months of work that cost 3,800 ducats[2]. The story opens with the preparations, King John II stepping out of his tent[31].
Sigüenza admired the painted cloths hung from hooks, so lifelike that they fooled many viewers into trying to lift them[32]. It is the right sort of compliment for a wall that reproduces a canvas that reproduces a fight.

Tracing La Higueruela from Granada today

In short, three places carry the trace: El Escorial for the painting, Granada for the city it shows, and Atarfe for the plain. No marker stands on the battlefield, so the trace on the Granada side is Medina Elvira, the ruined city at the foot of Sierra Elvira where the Vega meets the hills, in the municipalities of Atarfe and Pinos Puente[33]. Few of the old city's remains are visible[34], and the Junta de Andalucía has listed free guided visits to the excavations on occasion; check for a current date before you go.
The fresco gives a city view instead. One reading finds the Torre Turpiana, the minaret of the main mosque, above the roofs[35], and in another scene the Puerta Elvira with burials from the Ben Malik cemetery, on what is now the Triunfo esplanade[36]. Walk out of the Albaicín towards that gate and you are on ground the painters set into their wall.

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  • Painting: El Escorial, east wall of the Sala de las Batallas
  • City: Puerta Elvira and the Triunfo esplanade, Granada
  • Plain: Medina Elvira, Atarfe and Pinos Puente

Frequently asked questions

Who won the Battle of La Higueruela in 1431?
Castile won, but modestly. John II's forces under Álvaro de Luna routed Muhammad IX's troops on 1 July 1431, yet gained no territory and failed to take Granada.

Where was the Battle of La Higueruela fought?
On the Vega of Granada, near Medina Elvira on Sierra Elvira, in the municipality of Atarfe. The chronicle places the royal camp at Atarfe on the Genil, a league from the city, though the exact field is debated.

Why did John II not take Granada after the battle of La Higueruela in 1431?
The council chose to withdraw and the king broke camp on 10 July. The chronicles blame noble discord with the constable, supply problems, a gold-laden gift to Luna and an earthquake.

What does La Higueruela mean?
Little fig tree. The name comes from the place where the fight happened; a later tradition says one small fig tree was left standing, but that is tradition.

Where can you see the painting of the Battle of La Higueruela?
On the east wall of the Sala de las Batallas at El Escorial. Check the monument's current opening times before you travel.

Who painted the Battle of La Higueruela fresco and when?
Genoese painters Niccolò Granello, Fabrizio Castello, Lazzaro Tavarone and Orazio Cambiaso. The Higueruela wall was painted from 1587 to September 1589 after Philip II's order of 1584.

Can you visit the Battle of La Higueruela site near Granada?
There is no marked battlefield. The nearest trace is the Medina Elvira excavation at Atarfe, where free guided visits have been announced from time to time.

Sources

36 references Show
  1. Wikipedia — Battle of La Higueruela (opens in a new tab)

    “The battle was a modest victory for the forces of Castile, with no territorial gain and failing to take Granada.”

  2. historicalsoundscapes.com (opens in a new tab)

    “El trabajo duró desde enero de 1587 a septiembre de 1589, dos años y nueve meses, y tuvo un costo de 3.800 ducados.”

  3. esmadrid.com (opens in a new tab)

    “Located in the heart of the Sierra de Guadarrama mountain range (on one side of Mount Abantos), just 50 kilometres from Madrid”

  4. historicalsoundscapes.com (opens in a new tab)

    “El 29 de junio el campamento fue cercado por una valla de madera “de tanto compás como la ciudad de Sevilla”, con cuatro puertas.”

  5. historia-hispanica.rah.es (opens in a new tab)

    “Juan II entra en territorio granadino al frente del ejército castellano. Tres días después acampa ante la capital.”

  6. historicalsoundscapes.com (opens in a new tab)

    “asentó real con las sus huestes en la Vega de Granada sobre la ribera del Genil en una aldea que llaman el Atarfe, una legua de Granada”

  7. historicalsoundscapes.com (opens in a new tab)

    “Mandó tocar las trompetas e a grand voz comenzó a llamar el nombre del apóstol Santiago e dijo a todos los suyos que lo siguiesen”

  8. historicalsoundscapes.com (opens in a new tab)

    “fasta cuatro mil de caballo, doscientos mil peones entre ballesteros e lanceros”

  9. dialnet.unirioja.es (opens in a new tab)

    “e si la noche no fuera tan cerca, la matanza en los Mo-ros fuera mucho mayor”

  10. fheargentina.com.ar (opens in a new tab)

    “los moros fueron vencidos y desbaratados, dejando un saldo de entre 10.000 y 12.000 muertos.”

  11. historicalsoundscapes.com (opens in a new tab)

    “El rey mandó arrasar en los días siguientes todas las huertas, campos y edificaciones”

  12. Wikipedia — Batalla de La Higueruela (opens in a new tab)

    “La batalla de La Higueruela tuvo lugar el 1 de julio de 1431 en las inmediaciones de la Medina Elvira, situada en la Sierra Elvira”

  13. dialnet.unirioja.es (opens in a new tab)

    “por llamarse assí el Lugar donde sucedió, y se dio”

  14. Wikipedia — Batalla de La Higueruela (opens in a new tab)

    “únicamente quedó en pie una pequeña higuera que dio nombre a la batalla”

  15. dialnet.unirioja.es (opens in a new tab)

    “Definitivamente se optó porque Juan II levantase el campamento y volviese a su reino, como así hizo el 10 de julio.”

  16. historicalsoundscapes.com (opens in a new tab)

    “algunos decían que la causa principal porque el rey levantó su real sobre Granada fue la gran discordia que dicen había entre los grandes del reino con el condestable”

  17. historicalsoundscapes.com (opens in a new tab)

    “tremió [trembló] la tierra en el real e más en la ciudad de Granada e mucho más en el Alhambra, donde derribó algunos pedazos de la cerca della”

  18. Wikipedia — Batalla de La Higueruela (opens in a new tab)

    “consiguiendo, incluso, que el papado autorizase la celebración de fiestas religiosas cada 1 de julio en toda la Castilla para conmemorarlo.”

  19. historia-hispanica.rah.es (opens in a new tab)

    “Yusuf ibn al-Mawl, titulado Yusuf IV, entra en Granada con un fuerte apoyo castellano”

  20. Wikipedia — Yusuf IV of Granada (opens in a new tab)

    “Yusuf IV pledged lifelong vassalage, annual tribute of 20,000 gold dinars”

  21. historia-hispanica.rah.es (opens in a new tab)

    “Muhammad IX, que a finales de marzo ha derrotado a una columna castellana de apoyo a Yusuf IV, entra triunfante en Granada”

  22. ucm.es (opens in a new tab)

    “Este espacio mide 60 metros de largo por 6 metros de ancho y alcanza una altura de 8 metros.”

  23. ucm.es (opens in a new tab)

    “La pared este alberga la representación de la Batalla de Higueruela, acontecida durante la guerra contra el reino musulmán de Granada.”

  24. historicalsoundscapes.com (opens in a new tab)

    “en una torre del Alcázar de Segovia, en unas arcas viejas, se halló un lienzo de 130 pies de largo”

  25. dialnet.unirioja.es (opens in a new tab)

    “se encontró una enorme sarga (130 pies = 36,4 metros, aproximadamente) en unas arcas viejas de un torreón del Alcázar de Segovia”

  26. ucm.es (opens in a new tab)

    “Según Sigüenza, la elección de esta batalla se debió a la existencia de un lienzo encontrado en la torre del Alcázar de Toledo que representaba el mismo episodio.”

  27. historicalsoundscapes.com (opens in a new tab)

    “Esta pintura antigua fue restaurada en 1582 por Fabricio Castello, por cuyo trabajo recibió 1.030 reales”

  28. ceanbermudez.es (opens in a new tab)

    “Para esta obra los artistas genoveses utilizaron una grisalla del siglo XV.”

  29. ucm.es (opens in a new tab)

    “Niccolò Granello (1553-1593), su hermanastro Fabrizio Castello (1562-1617), Lazzaro Tavarone (1556-1641)”

  30. ucm.es (opens in a new tab)

    “Los trabajos comenzaron en 1587 y se extendieron hasta septiembre de 1589 y fueron ejecutados por Cambiaso, Tavarone, Castello y Granello.”

  31. ceanbermudez.es (opens in a new tab)

    “presenta los preparativos de la batalla, mostrando al rey Juan II en el momento que sale de su tienda”

  32. ucm.es (opens in a new tab)

    “Se fingen dos paños colgados de sus escarpias, con cenefas y franjas, tan al natural, que engañan a muchos, hasta llegar a levantarlos y asir dellos.”

  33. Junta de Andalucía (opens in a new tab)

    “El yacimiento arqueológico de Madinat Ilbira se localiza al pie de Sierra Elvira, en la Vega de Granada, en los términos municipales de Atarfe y Pinos Puente.”

  34. dipgra.es (opens in a new tab)

    “son pocos los restos visibles de la antigua ciudad”

  35. miradordeatarfe.es (opens in a new tab)

    “La parte superior nos presenta la zona de la ciudad donde estaba la torre Turpiana o alminar de la mezquita mayor de la ciudad”

  36. miradordeatarfe.es (opens in a new tab)

    “En otra de las escenas se ve la Puerta Elvira, algunos de los enterramientos del cementerio de Ben Malik, en lo que hoy es la explanada del Triunfo”