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BATTLE // April 23, 1521

Battle of Villalar

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Overview

The Battle of Villalar was a battle in the Revolt of the Comuneros fought on 23 April 1521 near the town of Villalar in Valladolid province, Spain. The royalist supporters of King Charles I won a crushing victory over the comuneros rebels. Three of the most important rebel leaders were captured, Juan de Padilla, Juan Bravo, and Francisco Maldonado. They were executed the next day, effectively ending armed resistance to Charles I.

Overview adapted from Wikipedia, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.

Significance

The Battle of Villalar, fought on 23 April 1521 near Villalar in Valladolid province, delivered a decisive royalist victory that effectively ended the Revolt of the Comuneros. The royalist forces of King Charles I, numbering approximately 8,400, defeated a comunero army of around 7,400, inflicting roughly 1,000 casualties. Three of the rebellion's principal leaders — Juan de Padilla, Juan Bravo, and Francisco Maldonado — were captured during the engagement and executed the following day. Their deaths removed the central command structure of the comunero movement and extinguished organized armed resistance to Charles I, bringing the revolt to a close after roughly a year of conflict.

Forces & casualties

Troop strength

  • Royalist Castilians8,400
    medium
  • Comuneros7,400
    medium

Royalist Castilians fielded a 1.1 : 1 numerical advantage

Casualties

  • Comuneros1,000
    medium14% loss rate

Commanders (4)

Last verified July 2026
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