Badabing, Badajoz

Badajoz was the victim of a siege in 1812, one of Wellington's bloodiest battles, as he cleared the Portugues border prior to advancing. With a French relieving force threatening he was fired to assault before the walls had been fully breached.

View across the river from San Cristobal fort.

The citadel is well preserved and there have been extensive digs to show the evolution of the fortifications. However, there is nothing that shows the events of 1812.

Looking toward the main assault, which came from the northeast. It was bloody and unsuccessful and Allied bodies were piled in the moat before these defense works.

Layers of walls and buildings.

More layers, with San Cristobal across the river at rear. It became the last holdout of the French commander, Phillipon, but had to surrender without supplies.

The approximate location of a successful, and surprising, assault by the 3rd Division.

While the main assault had been bloodily repulsed, it had drawn so many of the French defenders that two diversionary assaults succeeded. 3rd Division was able to scale the walls to the east, while 5th Division broke through in the west, fought their way through the city and attacked the defenders in front of the main assault from the rear.

A monument to an heroic defence but this is from an earlier siege, by the French against the Spanish.

The location is in the general area of 5th Division's successful assault.

After taking the city the Allied troops went on a three day rampage: drinking, looting, raping, and even shooting officers who tried to stop them. Remember that the Spanish inhabitants were Allies!

Fortunately it wasn't the end of Badajoz, though there are signs it is currently going through a tough spell. (We walked down one street where every shop was empty, not just closed.) 

The Archeological Museum

Apparently a copy of a tower in Seville

The gate at the end of the Roman bridge

Three poets. Never heard of them, but the statue is cool.

Just as everything was opening up we headed away, though not far. We parked up at Albuera, which happens to be another Peninsular War battlefield. More of that tomorrow. We're parked on a street between a park and the school so it's quite popular with the locals. Hopefully not noisy overnight.

Look at those clouds!