James I of Aragon: Life, Reign, and Legacy
James I of Aragon: A King’s Life
James I was born in Montpellier on February 2, 1208, and died in Alcira on July 27, 1276. He was the king of Aragon, Mallorca, and Valencia, Count of Barcelona and Urgell, and Lord of Montpellier.
James I began his reign at the age of 10, ruling for 58 years until his death at 68. He was buried in the Royal Monastery of Santa Maria de Poblet.
Early Life and Succession
James was the son of Mary of Montpellier and Peter II of Aragon. He became an orphan in 1213 after his father died in the Battle of Muret.
The circumstances of his birth were unusual. King Peter, concerned about the lack of a legitimate heir, was deceived. In early May 1207, taking advantage of the king’s visit to Montpellier, he was told that a lady from Montpellier was waiting for him in a palace. However, it was actually Marie of Montpellier who spent the night with the king. In the morning, she revealed her identity, and the king rode to Montpellier.
Naming the Infant
To choose the name of the infant, Marie of Montpellier lit twelve candles with the names of the twelve apostles: Peter, Andrew, James, John, Philip, Bartholomew, Matthew, Matthias, Thomas, Simon, Judas, and Judas Iscariot. The last candle to burn out had the name of James, which became the name chosen for the child.
Reign and Conflicts
During the early years of his reign, King James faced several conflicts with the nobility. In 1219, a new Royal Council was appointed, headed by the Archbishop of Tarragona. This council lasted until 1221, when King James married Eleanor of Spain at the age of 13. The Parliament of Aragon was also created in Daroca.
In 1228, he conquered Mallorca, and in 1248, he conquered Valencia.
Succession and Division of Kingdoms
James I followed a patrimonial conception of the state, dividing his kingdoms among his children. Initially, in his first will of 1223, he had only one child. By his fourth will in 1248, he had four children, and he ensured that each would be a king with a territory.
At the time of his death, only two of his children were alive: Prince Peter and Prince James. In his last will of 1262, he left his second son, Prince Peter (later Peter III of Aragon), the Kingdom of Aragon, Catalonia, and the Kingdom of Valencia, maintaining the Crown of Aragon. He separated the island territories, Northern Catalan, and Occitan.
His younger son, Prince James (later James II of Mallorca), received the Kingdom of Mallorca, the County of Roussillon, the County of Cerdanya, the Duchy of Carlat, the Barony of Omeladès, and the Lordship of Montpellier, giving rise to the Crown of Majorca.