James III of Majorca

James III. Mallorca ( Catalan: Jaume III de Mallorca; * April 5, 1315 in Catania, † October 25, 1349 in Llucmajor ), called " the Bold " ( Catalan c: el Temerari ), was from 1324 to 1344 / 49, a King of Majorca, Count of Cerdanya and Roussillon, and Lord of Montpellier from the House of Barcelona.

Life

Jacob was the only son of Prince Ferdinand of Majorca, the third son of King James II, and Isabel de Sabran, Countess of Matagrifó. He was orphaned early, after his father in trying to conquer the principality of Achaia in Greece, was struck in 1316 and killed by his enemies. Jacob was brought by the chronicler Ramon Muntaner to Perpignan, to the court of his uncle King Sancho, where he was educated in the care of his grandmother Esclarmunda of Foix. Since the uncle had no legitimate children, Jacob, was used by the latter as his heir and eventually follow him after 1324. Because of its immaturity led to Jacob first, another uncle, Infante Philip, the government.

Jacob was faced with a claim of Aragón on Majorca's throne, which were initially averted with the help of the pope, but had to pay fealty to 1327, James II of Aragon and in 1329 Alfonso IV of Aragon. King Philip VI. of France he did homage in 1331 for Montpellier. After the accession of Peter IV of Aragon, the Aragonese claims, however, lived on again. In a process begun in 1342 Jacob was found guilty in February 1343 for conspiring with enemies of Aragón and denied him in the episode his possession. In the same year aragoneische troops landed in Mallorca and beat Jacob troops at Santa Ponsa, 1244 were also the Roussillon and Cerdanya in the hands of Aragón and Jacob fled to France. Here he sold in 1349 Montpellier for 120,000 gold coins to the French king, to finance the reconquest of Mallorca. His ambitions ended with his death at the Battle of Llucmajor, Majorca finally fell to Aragón. His body was first buried in the cathedral of Valencia, and later transferred to the Cathedral La Seu in Palma.

Jacob's children kept to 1403 firmly in their claims to the Kingdom of Majorca, this could not prevail, however.

Progeny

He married 1336 Constance of Aragon ( 1322-1346 ), the daughter of King Alfonso IV. Came from the marriage James IV, who married in 1363 Queen Joan I of Naples, and a daughter Isabella ( 1337-1406 ), with the Margrave John II of Montferrat was married. From the second marriage with Violante of Villaragut, 1347, only one died young daughter came Esclaramunda ( 1348-1349 )

• Note: James III. is sometimes called the atomic number " II " when the first King of Majorca James I of Aragon is not considered in the count.