Alfonso VIII of Las Navas, King of Castile

ALFONSO VIII de las Navas, king of CASTIGLIA. - B. in 1158, d. in 1214, son of Sancio III, whom he succeeded while still a minor; this led to discord among the guardians, and the Saracens took advantage of it to occupy several Christian cities, which A. later partly reconquered. He was defeated in the battle of Alarcos, but Pope Innocenzo III took advantage of this misfortune to promote the union of the Spanish monarchs against the common enemy. Thus, fighting all together, except for the king of León, they achieved the splendid victory of Las Navas di Tolosa (1212), which led to the occupation of Jaén and other important cities. The banner of Abū 'Abd Allāh Muhammad an-Nasir was sent to Rome and placed in the Vatican.