In 1169 Afonso Henriques was disabled in a thwarted attempt to seize the Alcazaba of Badajoz. He was inside the outer walls of the walled city when he learned of the arrival of an army led by King Fernando II of León. In his hasty retreat on horseback, he slammed his leg against the bolt of a castle gate (thought to be the Puerta de la Coracha), fell from his horse and was made prisoner by the soldiers of the king. He spent months convalescing, but never recovered from his injuries. Legend states that he never rode a horse again. It is not certain if this was because of his injuries or because of a prohibition imposed on him in exchange for his release from captivity. In any case, the aged king, now approximately 60 years old, was obliged to surrender almost all the conquests he had made in Galicia in successful raids over the previous years. This event became known in Portuguese history as the Desastre de Badajoz.
