Siege of Coria ( 1138 ) The short first Siege of Coria by Alfonso VII of León took place in July 1138 , on the heels of a successful " razzia " ( raid ) deep into al - Andalus ( the Islamic south of Spain ) . The main source for the siege is the second book of the contemporary " Chronica Adefonsi imperatoris " . Coria had previously been reconquered just after 1085 by Alfonso VI . It was lost to the Almoravids not long after Alfonso ' s death in 1109 . Preparations . Besides the knight s of the royal household , the king was accompanied by the private followings ( " mesnadas " ) of his leading barons , such as the brothers Count Rodrigo Martínez and Osorio Martínez , and by a contingent of militia from the nearest Christian city , Salamanca . The king also brought with him physicians and surgeons . ( Possibly one of these , a certain " medicus " and canon of Toledo named Hugo , was rewarded by Alfonso for his prior services in 1152 . ) Before investing Coria Alfonso " sent plundering companies to the city to capture the men , women and all the livestock in the fields [ outside the walls ] . " The Corians responded ( " bravely " in the words of the " Chronica " ) with a sally , but the plundering troops feigned retreat and led the Muslims into an ambush prepared by Alfonso , where they were all cut down . The city responded by shutting its gates and fortifying them with timbers ; Alfonso moved his camp close by the city . The besieging forces were inadequate for the task and Alfonso sent messengers into the Extremadura and the Province of León threatening to confiscate the property of any " knights and foot soldiers [ who ] did not come [ and ] offended the emperor . " Siege . The conduct of the infantry armed with spears , swords and clubs , and also of the archers , crossbowmen and slingers , was distinguished in light of the paucity of cavalry , but not enough to alter the result . Siege engineers also played a prominent role , but they played an even greater part in the second siege of Coria in 1142 . The machines present are described by the " Chronica " as " high wooden towers that actually reached above the city walls " , " engines " and " mantlet s " . The town was successfully shut off and nobody was said to have been able to either leave or enter . The day before the actual assault on the walls had began , Alfonso decided to go into the mountains to hunt deer , boar and bear , leaving Rodrigo Martínez in command of the siege . The next morning the magnate led an unsuccessful assault on the walls , in which he was wounded by an arrow while climbing one of the siege towers . The arrow pierced both his headpiece and his corselet and the iron head struck his neck . Although Rodrigo was able immediately to remove it , the surgeons were unable to staunch the hemorrhaging and he succumbed some hours later : Neither the conjurers nor the physicians could stop the bleeding . Finally Rodrigo said to those around him , " Take off my arms , for I am extremely disheartened . " Immediately they removed his arms and carried him to his tent . Throughout the entire day they attempted to cure his wound . Around sunset all hope in medicine was lost , and he died . As soon as the news had spread through the camp , there was tremendous mourning — more than anyone had imagined . Upon returning from the mountains , the Emperor was informed of the Consul ' s death . He learned the cause upon entering the camp . Alfonso gathered all of his advisors , and in their presence , he appointed Osorio , Rodrigo ' s brother , to be consul in his place . The next day Alfonso " realizing his many misfortunes . . . yielded to fate " and lifted the siege . The noblemen each returned to their homes while the king accompanied the militia to Salamanca . Rodrigo ' s brother , now Count Osorio , and the former ' s retainers carried Rodrigo ' s body back to León .