Peter II of Aragon
Encyclopedia
Peter II the Catholic was the King of Aragon (as Pedro II) and Count of Barcelona (as Pere I) from 1196 to 1213.
He was the son of Alfonso II of Aragon
and Sancha of Castile. In 1205 he acknowledged the feudal supremacy of the Papacy and was crowned in Rome by Pope Innocent III
, swearing to defend the Catholic faith (hence his surname, "the Catholic"). He was the first king of Aragon to be crowned by the Pope.
In the first decade of the thirteenth century he commissioned the Liber feudorum Ceritaniae
, an illustrated codex cartulary for the counties of Cerdagne
, Conflent
, and Roussillon
.
On June 15, 1204 he married (as her third husband) Marie of Montpellier
, daughter and heiress of William VIII of Montpellier
by Eudocia Comnena. She gave him a son, James
, but Peter soon discarded her. Marie was popularly venerated as a saint for her piety and marital suffering, but was never canonized; she died in Rome in 1213.
He participated in the Battle of Las Navas de Tolosa
in 1212 that marked the turning point of Arab domination on the Iberian peninsula.
The Crown of Aragon
was widespread in the area that is now southernwestern France, but which at that time was under the control of vassal local princes, such as the Counts of Toulouse. The Cathars or Albingenses rejected the authority and the teachings of the Catholic Church. Innocent called upon Louis IX of France to suppress the Albigenses. Under the leadership of Simon of Montfort
a campaign was launched. The Albigensian Crusade, which led to the brutal slaughter of approximately 20,000 men, women and children, Cathar and Catholic alike, essentially destroyed the previously flourishing civilization of Occitania and brought the region firmly under the control of the King of France, and the Capetian dinasty from north of France.
Peter returned from Las Navas in autumn 1212 to find that Simon de Montfort
had conquered Toulouse
, exiling Count Raymond VI of Toulouse
, who was Peter's brother-in-law and vassal. Peter crossed the Pyrenees and arrived at Muret
in September 1213 to confront Montfort's army. He was accompanied by Raymond of Toulouse, who tried to persuade Peter to avoid battle and instead starve out Montfort's forces. This suggestion was rejected.
The Battle of Muret
began on September 12, 1213. The Aragonese forces were disorganized and disintegrated under the assault of Montfort's squadrons. Peter himself was caught in the thick of fighting, and died as a result of a foolhardy act of bravado. He was thrown to the ground and killed. The Aragonese forces broke in panic when their king was slain and the crusaders of Montfort won the day.
The nobility of Toulouse, vassals of the Crown of Aragon
, was defeated. The conflict culminated in the Treaty of Meaux-Paris in 1229, in which was agreed the integration of the Occitan territory in the French crown.
Upon Peter's death the kingdom passed to his only son by Marie of Montpellier, the future James the Conqueror
.
He was the son of Alfonso II of Aragon
Alfonso II of Aragon
Alfonso II or Alfons I ; Huesca, 1-25 March 1157 – 25 April 1196), called the Chaste or the Troubadour, was the King of Aragon and Count of Barcelona from 1164 until his death. He was the son of Ramon Berenguer IV of Barcelona and Petronilla of Aragon and the first King of Aragon who was...
and Sancha of Castile. In 1205 he acknowledged the feudal supremacy of the Papacy and was crowned in Rome by Pope Innocent III
Pope Innocent III
Pope Innocent III was Pope from 8 January 1198 until his death. His birth name was Lotario dei Conti di Segni, sometimes anglicised to Lothar of Segni....
, swearing to defend the Catholic faith (hence his surname, "the Catholic"). He was the first king of Aragon to be crowned by the Pope.
In the first decade of the thirteenth century he commissioned the Liber feudorum Ceritaniae
Liber feudorum Ceritaniae
The Liber feudorum Ceritaniae is, as its Latin title indicates, a book registering the fiefs within the counties of County of Cerdagne , which at the time included the old counties of Roussillon and Conflent, and the feudal obligations of the count and his vassals...
, an illustrated codex cartulary for the counties of Cerdagne
County of Cerdagne
The County of Cerdanya was one of the Catalan counties formed in the last decades of the 8th century by the Franks in the Marca Hispanica. The original Cerdanya consisted of the valley of the upper Segre. Today Cerdanya is a Catalan comarca.-Origins:...
, Conflent
County of Conflent
The County of Conflent or Confluent was one of the Catalan counties of the Marca Hispanica in the ninth century. Usually associated with the County of Cerdanya and the county of Razès, and was located to the west of Roussillon...
, and Roussillon
County of Roussillon
The County of Roussillon was one of the Catalan counties in the Marca Hispanica during the Middle Ages. The rulers of the county were the Counts of Roussillon, whose interests lay both north and south of the Pyrenees.-Visigothic county:...
.
On June 15, 1204 he married (as her third husband) Marie of Montpellier
Marie of Montpellier
Marie of Montpellier , was by birth heiress and later Sovereign Lady of Montpellier and by her three marriages Viscountess of Marseille, Countess of Comminges and Queen of Aragon....
, daughter and heiress of William VIII of Montpellier
William VIII of Montpellier
William VIII of Montpellier was Lord of Montpellier, the son of William VII.He married Eudoxie or Eudokia Komnene, grand-niece of the Byzantine emperor Manuel I Komnenos. A condition of the marriage was that the firstborn child, boy or girl, would succeed to the lordship of Montpellier on...
by Eudocia Comnena. She gave him a son, James
James I of Aragon
James I the Conqueror was the King of Aragon, Count of Barcelona, and Lord of Montpellier from 1213 to 1276...
, but Peter soon discarded her. Marie was popularly venerated as a saint for her piety and marital suffering, but was never canonized; she died in Rome in 1213.
He participated in the Battle of Las Navas de Tolosa
Battle of Las Navas de Tolosa
The Battle of Las Navas de Tolosa, known in Arab history as the Battle of Al-Uqab , took place on 16 July 1212 and was an important turning point in the Reconquista and in the medieval history of Spain...
in 1212 that marked the turning point of Arab domination on the Iberian peninsula.
The Crown of Aragon
Crown of Aragon
The Crown of Aragon Corona d'Aragón Corona d'Aragó Corona Aragonum controlling a large portion of the present-day eastern Spain and southeastern France, as well as some of the major islands and mainland possessions stretching across the Mediterranean as far as Greece...
was widespread in the area that is now southernwestern France, but which at that time was under the control of vassal local princes, such as the Counts of Toulouse. The Cathars or Albingenses rejected the authority and the teachings of the Catholic Church. Innocent called upon Louis IX of France to suppress the Albigenses. Under the leadership of Simon of Montfort
Simon de Montfort, 5th Earl of Leicester
Simon IV de Montfort, Seigneur de Montfort-l'Amaury, 5th Earl of Leicester , also known as Simon de Montfort the elder, was a French nobleman who took part in the Fourth Crusade and was a prominent leader of the Albigensian Crusade...
a campaign was launched. The Albigensian Crusade, which led to the brutal slaughter of approximately 20,000 men, women and children, Cathar and Catholic alike, essentially destroyed the previously flourishing civilization of Occitania and brought the region firmly under the control of the King of France, and the Capetian dinasty from north of France.
Peter returned from Las Navas in autumn 1212 to find that Simon de Montfort
Simon de Montfort, 5th Earl of Leicester
Simon IV de Montfort, Seigneur de Montfort-l'Amaury, 5th Earl of Leicester , also known as Simon de Montfort the elder, was a French nobleman who took part in the Fourth Crusade and was a prominent leader of the Albigensian Crusade...
had conquered Toulouse
Toulouse
Toulouse is a city in the Haute-Garonne department in southwestern FranceIt lies on the banks of the River Garonne, 590 km away from Paris and half-way between the Atlantic Ocean and the Mediterranean Sea...
, exiling Count Raymond VI of Toulouse
Raymond VI of Toulouse
Raymond VI was count of Toulouse and marquis of Provence from 1194 to 1222. He was also count of Melgueil from 1173 to 1190.-Early life:...
, who was Peter's brother-in-law and vassal. Peter crossed the Pyrenees and arrived at Muret
Muret
Muret is a commune in the Haute-Garonne department in southwestern France.It is an outer suburb of the city of Toulouse, even though it does not belong to Greater Toulouse, which it has declined to join...
in September 1213 to confront Montfort's army. He was accompanied by Raymond of Toulouse, who tried to persuade Peter to avoid battle and instead starve out Montfort's forces. This suggestion was rejected.
The Battle of Muret
Battle of Muret
At the Battle of Muret on 12 September 1213 the Crusading army of Simon IV de Montfort defeated the Aragonese and Catalan forces of Peter II of Aragon, at Muret near Toulouse.-Background:...
began on September 12, 1213. The Aragonese forces were disorganized and disintegrated under the assault of Montfort's squadrons. Peter himself was caught in the thick of fighting, and died as a result of a foolhardy act of bravado. He was thrown to the ground and killed. The Aragonese forces broke in panic when their king was slain and the crusaders of Montfort won the day.
The nobility of Toulouse, vassals of the Crown of Aragon
Crown of Aragon
The Crown of Aragon Corona d'Aragón Corona d'Aragó Corona Aragonum controlling a large portion of the present-day eastern Spain and southeastern France, as well as some of the major islands and mainland possessions stretching across the Mediterranean as far as Greece...
, was defeated. The conflict culminated in the Treaty of Meaux-Paris in 1229, in which was agreed the integration of the Occitan territory in the French crown.
Upon Peter's death the kingdom passed to his only son by Marie of Montpellier, the future James the Conqueror
James I of Aragon
James I the Conqueror was the King of Aragon, Count of Barcelona, and Lord of Montpellier from 1213 to 1276...
.
Ancestry
Sources
- Sumption, Jonathan. The Albigensian Crusade. 2000.