 |
 he
Catalan King, Jaume I, ‘the Conqueror,’ organized the Catalan
territory. From Salses in the north to Guardamar in the south
he stabilised the economy, modernised and harmonised the region.
From 1262 he made provisions and arrangements until his death
in 1276, upon which his sons shared his domains. The eldest,
Pere II, received a good portion of old Catalonia, Aragon and
Valencia. The younger son, Jaume II, was given the new Kingdom
of Majorca, composing the five islands of Baléares, the
Comtats del Rosselló, Conflent i Cerdanya and the northern
parts of Catalonia. The Comtats existed independently of Barcelona
at that time. During this period numerous residents of continental
Catalonia were leaving to populate the Baléares Islands,
the sea forming a bridge between the mainland and the outposts.
Perpignan was the capital of the Kingdom of Majorca.
 |
| The
Palace of the Kings
of Mallorca, the seat of rulers, Perpinyà |
Nevertheless,
the Kingdom of Majorca was short-lived,disappearing in 1349
and reintegrating into the orbit of the Catalan-Aragon kings.
At the same time, however, the Catalan area enlarged itself
on the Mediterranean due to trade with Sicily, Sardinia and
Corsica. The Catalan authority reinforced its administration
and in 1359 established the Generalitat – a government which
is still in existence today. On this basis the Catalan invigorated
their economy, above all the textiles industry, which became
celebrated for its’ Catalan fabric, and the iron industry established
in the Cerdagne. This Catalonia, innovative and dynamic, was
endowed with a strong commercial spirit. The strong competition
between the Catalan and Italian merchants was evident in their
race to do business with Greece and Constantinople. In the middle
of this period (around 1349-1350) Perpignan gave itself its
University. Because he instigated its creation, the King of
Catalonia-Aragon, Pere III, was able to reconcile with the rebels
of the north who wanted to see the demise of the Kingdom of
Majorca. But the fatal blow for the Catalan authority was the
death of the Catalan King Marti l’Humà in 1410. As he
had no descendents his death brought about the end of the Catalan
dynasty. The Castilians, Trastàmara, who took their orders
from the crown of Aragon, forced the retreat and the Mediterranean
Catalan struggled – the sovereignty of the region weakened.
|
|
