BADAJOZ, capital of the Spanish province of that name and the see of a bishop. Pop. Badajoz overlooks the Guadiana from a slight eminence, crowned by the ruins of a Moorish castle. A bastioned wall with moat and outworks and forts on the surrounding heights give an appearance of great strength. The river, which flows between the castle hill and the fort of San Cristobal, is crossed by a granite bridge, built 1460, repaired 1597 and rebuilt 1833. The aspect of Badajoz recalls its stormy history; even the cathedral, built in 1258, resembles a fortress, with massive embattled walls. Badajoz was the birth place of the statesman Manuel Godoy, duke of Alcudia (1767 1851), and of the painter Luis Morales "the divine" (1509-86). Two pictures by Morales, unfortunately retouched in modern times, are in the cathedral. Owing to its position the city enjoys a considerable transit trade with Portugal ; its principal industries are the manufacture of foodstuffs of various kinds, alcoholic and other drinks, basket work, blankets and wax. Badajoz first rose to importance under Moorish rule, becoming in 1031 the capital of a small Moorish kingdom, which retained a fitful independence until 1229, when it was captured by Alphonso IX. of Leon. During the Peninsular War Badajoz was unsuccessfully attacked by the French in 1808 and 1809; but on March 10, 1811, the Spanish commander was bribed into surrendering to the French. A British army endeavoured to retake it, and on May 16 defeated a relieving force at Albuera, but the siege was abandoned in June. For the operations preceding and following the siege of Badajoz in 1812, see PENINSULAR WAR. Its fortifications in 1812 were of great strength, whilst the high ground overlooking the town was covered by the forts of Pardaleras, Picurina and San Cristobal. In 1811 Wellington and Beresford had each attacked Badajoz un successfully from the north ; Wellington now chose the south-east corner, between the bastions of Trinidad and Santa Maria, for his point of attack. But first it was necessary to capture Ft. Picurina, which covered this angle; after one day's bombardment, 600 men of the 3rd Division stormed Picurina, unbreached, losing half their number but capturing 200 prisoners. Batteries and parallels were dug and on March 3o fire was opened on the fortress; by April 5, 1812, breaches had been made in both bastions and in cur tain between. The Light and 4th Divisions were detailed to storm the breaches while Picton's 3rd Division escaladed the castle at the north-east corner of the town, and Leith's 5th Division the San Vincente bastion at the north-west. At first the assault upon the breaches was a terrible and bloody failure. Huge mines had been laid below the ditch, chevaux de frise, bombs and every device of defensive siege warfare littered the breaches; whilst cannon and muskets swept with their fire every inch of the ground. For two hours the gallant soldiers of the Light and 4th Divisions struggled, stormed and died in vain. At midnight the survivors were re called, leaving 2,000 dead and dying behind them. Picton's at tempt to escalade the unbreached castle had also been beaten off with heavy loss. Failure stared Wellington in the face. But after Picton's attack had died away, a small group of his offi cers and men with two ladders found a quiet way up on to the walls of the castle while its defenders were listening to the battle at the breaches ; reinforcements dashed up, and in a few minutes the castle was in the hands of the British. Almost simultaneously, Leith gained a footing in the San Vincente bastion, a late start having lulled its garrison into a state of false security. Sweeping along the battlements and through the deserted streets of the town, he took the defenders of the breaches in rear; at the same time the Light and 4th Divisions dashed forward again and the town was won. The French commander, Phillipon, retired across the river to Ft. Cristobal and there surrendered. Again, as at Ciudad Ro drigo, the glory of the assault was dimmed by the excesses of the storming troops, who for three days were completely out of hand. The British losses were very heavy, amounting to 5,000, three quarters of them in the assault; the French garrison of 5,000 were either killed or captured with 140 guns.