Sancho of Majorca
Sancho | |
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Roman Catholicism |
Sancho (
Youth
Sancho was one of five children and the second son of
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
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,
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
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,
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
References
- ^ a b c d e f Shelley, Henry Charles (1926). Majorca. Methuen & Company. pp. 42–45, 187.
- ^ a b c d Cateura Bennàsser, Pau. "Sancho de Mallorca (1311-1324)". www.cervantesvritual.com. Catedrático de Historia Medieval de la UIB.
- ISBN 978-1434997500.
- ^ a b Colas, Jean Louis (1967). The Balearics, Islands of Enchantment. Rand McNally. pp. 45.
- ^ ISBN 0521894050.
- ISBN 9004115714.