LESSON 5 BIG PENINSULAR KINGDOMS

FIVE MINUTES to READ pages 90 and 91

MAIN DATES 1118: Alfonso I the Battler conquered Zaragoza 1137: Marriage of Petronila, Queen of Aragon, and Ramón Berenguer IV, Count of Barcelona

5.5. Crown of Aragon The Crown of Aragon –In 1118 Alfonso I the Battler conquered Zaragoza. He died without sons. –The Crown of Aragon was created in the 12th century, after the marriage of Petronila of Aragon and the Count of Barcelona, Ramon Berenguer IV, in –In the 13th century, the Crown of Aragon expanded around the Mediterranean. James I the Conqueror took Valencia, Alicante, Murcia and Balearic Islands. Peter the Great and his successors conquered Sicily, Sardinia and Naples

5.5. Crown of Aragon Government –The Crown of Aragon was made up of (estaba formada por) the Catalan counties and the kingdoms of Aragon, Valencia and Mallorca. –Each territory kept its own institutions and customs. The King of Aragon could not establish new taxes or laws without the approval of the Cortes of each kingdom –The Generalitat in Catalonia and Valencia, and the Justicia, an institution which defended the rights of individuals in Aragon, ensured that the fueros and decisions of the Cortes were respected

5.5. Crown of Aragon Economy and society –Most of the population lived from agriculture, although the Crown of Aragon traded with many counties, and had consulates in European, Asian and African cities –An important number of Muslims lived in the Crown of Aragon. Most of them worked as peasants –The trade and the agriculture gave too much money to the middle class of Aragon, the Bourgeoisie

5.5. Crown of Aragon Culture –With this money several buildings were built. Romanesque style: Monastery of San Juan de la Peña in Huesca Gothic style: Cathedral of Palma de Mallorca, and the Markets (lonja) of Valencia and Palma

LINKS AND PHOTOS The Mediterranean Empire of the Crown of Aragon – – Archive of the Crown of Aragon – tas/aragon/aragon.htmlhttp:// tas/aragon/aragon.html