Sancho of Majorca

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Sancho
Roman Catholicism

Sancho (

Lord of Montpellier from 1311 to his death. His 13-year-long reign was markedly undisturbed by turmoil, which earned him his epithets, and is thus often contrasted to the troublesome reigns of his father, James II, and nephew, James III
, his predecessor and successor respectively.

Youth

Sancho was one of five children and the second son of

Balearic islands to their father.[1] Following the release, the princes were sent to the French royal court in Paris for education.[2]

Sancho's family was noted for its religious zeal. When in 1299 his elder brother, James, renounced his right to the throne to become a Franciscan, Sancho became heir apparent to his father's dominions.[3] He was officially recognized as such in 1302 despite his poor health, for the alternative was his younger brother Ferdinand, with whom their father was at odds.[2]

Personal life

A tower at King Sancho's palace in Valldemossa

A

Eleanor, married his cousin (James II of Aragon's brother) Frederick III of Sicily.[2]

Sancho was of delicate constitution and prone to asthma,[1] prompting him to spend much of his time enjoying fresh air in the uplands. He thus established his residence in Valldemossa; the Valldemossa Charterhouse was later built on the site of Sancho's palace.[4] The King also loved sports; he introduced partridges to the islands and passed severe anti-poaching laws. Pious but nevertheless notoriously lecherous, Sancho had three mistresses and at least four illegitimate daughters and an illegitimate son who entered a religious order.[1]

Reign

Sancho became king upon James II's death on 29 May 1311. In his early reign, Sancho struggled to continue his father's policy of stabilising the kingdom, but the major city of the realm,

Corts and assist him in the conquest of Sardinia.[1] At the Corts, he swore fealty to his cousin in full view of the assembled legislators,[5] which assured James so much that he absolved Sancho from obligations to attend his future Corts.[1]

Sancho extorted money from the realm's Jewish population in order to build a powerful navy that would rival that of the

Succession issues and death

Sancho's tomb in the Cathedral of Perpignan, by Frederic Marès

King Sancho's marriage was childless, which proved problematic in terms of succession. James II of Aragon claimed that the crown should revert to him if Sancho were to die leaving no legitimate issue, but Sancho himself was eager to prevent that. The elder of his two brothers, Ferdinand, had predeceased him; the younger,

Ferdinand, and in 1322 Sancho devised a will detailing the line of succession: should Sancho have no legitimate children, the crown was to pass to James, then to the younger Ferdinand, and only if both boys were to die childless to the King of Aragon. He then proceeded to prepare the realm for his underage nephew's accession by establishing a regency council consisting of six people, three from the Kingdom of Majorca and three from the counties of Roussillon and Cerdagne.[2] War almost broke out with the enraged King of Aragon, but Sancho had the support of King Charles IV of France.[4]

In the summer of 1324, the asthmatic Sancho sought to escape the heat of his kingdom by spending the season in Formiguères. The precaution was futile, however. He died of an asthma attack on 4 September 1324. His nephew, James III, succeeded him.[1] The arrival of Sancho's funeral procession on 11 September caused a tumult in Perpignan, with the townspeople attacking the nobles who accompanied his corpse and seizing the King's remains. The remains are now interred in the newly built Cathedral of Perpignan, which Sancho himself had chosen for his burial.[6]

Family tree

James I of Aragon
Peter III of AragonJames II of Majorca
Alfonso III of AragonJames II of Aragon,
I of Sicily
Frederick III of SicilyJames of MajorcaSancho of MajorcaFerdinand of MajorcaPhilip of Majorca
James III of Majorca

References

  1. ^ a b c d e f Shelley, Henry Charles (1926). Majorca. Methuen & Company. pp. 42–45, 187.
  2. ^ a b c d Cateura Bennàsser, Pau. "Sancho de Mallorca (1311-1324)". www.cervantesvritual.com. Catedrático de Historia Medieval de la UIB.
  3. .
  4. ^ a b Colas, Jean Louis (1967). The Balearics, Islands of Enchantment. Rand McNally. pp. 45.
  5. ^ .
  6. .
Sancho of Majorca
Born: c. 1274 Died: 4 September 1324
Regnal titles
Preceded by
1311–1324
Succeeded by