Explore the Tapestry 'The Attack of Asilah'

El asalto de Arcila (The Storming of Asilah) is the third tapestry in a series of four, which starts with El desembarco en Arcila and ends with La toma de Tánger. Together they tell the story of the conquests of Asilah and Tangier by King Afonso V of Portugal.

The tapestries at the Parochial Tapestry Museum in Pastrana demonstrate extraordinary technical skill, and their materials—silk and woollen threads, with natural dyes—are of exceptional quality, lending them a radiance with intense colors. The detailed recounting of the events follows a linear and chronological order.

It shows how the attack to the fortress begins on Saturday August 24 after three days of siege and having succeeded in opening a gap in the wall. The soldiers engage in close combat. This is the bloodiest and most dynamic tapestry in the series.

It depicts King Afonso V of Portugal on horseback with his sword raised, at the moment of opening the charge. The intricacies of his armor and the horse's caparison are depicted in meticulous detail.

Central scene in the tapestry of the attack on Asilah which shows soldiers in the heat of battle being bombarded, bloody and cut, with scimitars and swords high up.

Trumpet players depicted with puffed-up cheeks blowing into the instrument. They are always in front of the king and the prince, showing their position.

Some foot soldiers have just breached the wall and are entering the town through an open gap in the wall.

Crossbowmen aiming to shoot.

Different groups of soldiers try to climb the walls with the aid of ladders dodging the counterattack