Repoblación

The Repoblación (Spanish: [repoβlaˈθjon], Galician: [repoβlaˈθjoŋ]; Portuguese: Repovoação, IPA: [ʁɛpuvuɐˈsɐ̃w]) was the ninth-century repopulating of a large region between the River Duero and the Cantabrian Mountains, which had been depopulated in the early years of the Reconquista and became known as the Desert of the Duero, although, despite its name, the region has never been completely depopulated as archaeological research has shown since there was a limited continuity of human occupation.

[2][3][4][5][6] In the reign of Alfonso I of Asturias (739–757), through a series of successful military campaigns against the Moors, the Christians had retaken Galicia, La Rioja, and León and brought the population of the northern regions firmly under their control.

Among the routes the foramontanos took was that between Cabuérniga and Campo de Suso, which was followed as early as 824, when the new population of Brañosera received the oldest known fuero in Spanish history.

Alfonso III (ruler from 886 to 910) reconquered the western strip as far as the Mondego and repopulated the areas of Portucale, Coimbra, Viseu, Lamego and León.

[2][3][4][5][6] At the end of the 11th century, King Afonso VI of León reached the Tagus (1085), repeating the same policy of alliances and developing collaboration with Frankish knights.