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The Battle of Aljubarrota took place on August 14, 1385, between Portuguese forces commanded by King Jo�o I and his general Nuno Alvares Pereira, and the Castilian army of King Juan I. The place was Aljubarrota, between the towns of Leiria and Alcoba�a in central Portugal. The result was a decisive defeat for the Castilians and the end of the 1383�1385 Crisis, establishing Jo�o as King of Portugal. Independence was assured and a new dynasty, the House of Aviz, was established. Scattered border clashes with Castilian troops would persist until the death of Juan I in 1390, but these posed no real threat to the Portuguese monarchy. To celebrate his victory and acknowledge divine help, Jo�o I ordered the construction of the Monastery of Santa Maria of Batalha and the founding of the town of Batalha (the Portuguese word for "battle"). The king, his wife, Philippa of Lancaster, and several of his sons are buried in this monastery, which is an important part of Portuguese heritage. Pope Benedict XVI waives the five-year waiting period usually required before beatification, expediting the process for his predecessor, John Paul II (pictured). ------------------------------------------------------------------------ Frederick Noronha 784 Near Convent, Sonarbhat SALIGAO GOA India Freelance Journalist TEL: +91-832-2409490 MOBILE: 9822122436 http://fn.swiki.net http://www.livejournal.com/users/goalinks fred at bytesforall.org http://www.bytesforall.org
