Battles of Cellorigo

Place in La Rioja where the Castle of Cellorigo was situated, guarding the mountain pass.

Date	882
Location	Cellorigo, La Rioja, Spain
Result	Asturian Victory

Belligerents

Kingdom of Asturias

Emirate of Córdoba

Commanders and leaders

Alfonso III of Asturias

Diego Rodríguez Porcelos

Vela Jiménez

Muhammad ibn Lubb ibn Qasi
Al-Mundhir of Córdoba
Almonder
Abuhalit

The Battles of Cellorigo were two battles that took place over the Castle at Cellorigo, La Rioja, Spain from 882 to 883. The two battles represented a struggle for control over the castle and its surrounding countryside. It was fought between the forces of the Kingdom of Leon, under the command of Alfonso III of Leon and the forces of the Emirate of Cordoba, under the command of Muhammad ibn Lubb ibn Qasi. Both actions resulted in a defeat for the Muslim. The castle that the battles were originally fought over has been unfortunately lost to history.

In 882, Muhammad ibn Lubb, who, like his father Lubb ibn Musa before him, previously had always had good relations with the Christian kingdoms to the north, joined in a coalition with the forces of the Córdoban Emir Muhammad I of Córdoba. The emir, as a gesture of good will, sent his son, Al-Mundhir of Córdoba to join ibn Lubb on raids along the Ebro River. Muhammad ibn Lubb made his way from Zaragoza along the Ebro and devastated the valleys he passed through in La Rioja which at the time belonged to the King of Zaragoza, Isma'el ibn Musa, and the King of Tudela, Fortun ibn Musa, both of whom were uncles of Muhammad ibn Lubb.

Once arriving at Cellorigo, they attempted to take the castle as it was strategically positioned to protect one of the few passes crossing the Obarenes Mountains. The castle was defended by Vela Jiménez, founder of the House of Vela and the first Count of Álava. The attack left both armies with many wounded and the Muslim forces were unable to succeed in taking the castle. Afterwards, Al-Mundir, son of the Córdoban emir, took a sizable portion of the Muslim army and went to Pancorbo, another mountain pass through the Obarenes. The assault on the Castillo de Pancorbo became prolonged over a number of days, finishing with another Muslim retreat and many casualties.

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