Battle of Almansa Museum

The battle of Almansa occurred on April 25, 1707 during the War of the Spanish Succession. The battle pitted supporters of the Habsburg claimant to the throne, Archduke Charles of Austria, and those of the eventual victor, the Bourbon, Phillip V of Spain.

Bourbon forces were commanded by the Duke of Berwick, an illegitimate son of the deposed James II of England (VII of Scotland). The Habsburg supporters included a large number of English troops commanded by Henri du Massue, Earl of Galway, a French Huguenot exile.

Among the Habsburg forces was a Portuguese army commanded by the 80-year-old Marquess of Minas. It’s reputed that his mistress dressed as a man and fought with the Portuguese cavalry during the conflict. However, she was eventually killed in battle. The victorious Bourbon forces lost 3,000 soldiers, with another 3,000 wounded, while the losing Habsburg supporters lost 4,000 soldiers with 5,000 captured as prisoners.

As a result of the battle, the Bourbons took control of northeast Spain.

The museum is small and tucked away at the base of the steps to the castle. Included among the displays are costumes and replica weapons used in the annual reenactment of the battle.