"Talavera" Talavera de la Reina by pedroswift

We came to check out the battle site. Visited the impressive Memorial which is off the motorway & hard to miss. Remarkably the topography reminded us of Australia: complete with gum trees. No koalas!
The action fought here in 1809 was an early attempt at using "combined" Anglo-Iberian forces. Wellesley (later to be come "Wellington") through his firm personal control and quick responses to what could have been a disaster won the day but at huge expense - 5,365 casualties (25% of his forces). The French under Marshall Victor suffered 7,268 casualties. Battle of Talavera

Tiled Map of battle site

The town is famous for its ceramic tiles: a good example of which is the map of the battleground.

• In a nutshell:On the Penninsular War Trail