Medieval History

The story of the thousands who fled the fall of Ceuta to rebuild their lives and plan their revenge in the ruins of Tétouan.

How Pedro de Meneses turned a strategic outpost into a profitable enterprise through the right of the fifth, privateering, and ransom negotiations.

The moment of decision when Pedro de Meneses, a landless noble and son of traitors, accepted the governorship of Ceuta when all others refused.

A look at the grim reality of life in occupied Ceuta, where a small garrison faced disease, hunger, and constant pressure from the continent.

The secret financing of the Portuguese armada through a web of private loans and international misdirection, bypassing the public scrutiny of the Cortes.

The secret reconnaissance mission that revealed the weaknesses of Ceuta's defenses and laid the groundwork for the Portuguese conquest, a daring act of espionage that risked everything for the promise of glory.

The early life of Dom Pedro de Meneses, the disgraced nobleman who would become the legendary governor of Ceuta, and the ruin of his family in the aftermath of the Portuguese civil war.

An exploration of the early 15th-century Portuguese court and its quest for a new crusade after the Treaty of Ayllón.