JAMES II OF ARAGON

'James II, King of Aragon' (10 August 1267 – 2 November 1327), in Spanish ''Jaime II'', in Aragonese ''Chaime II'', in Catalan ''Jaume II'', also 'James II of Barcelona', called ''The Just'' (Aragonese: 'Lo Chusto', Catalan: 'El Just') was the second son of Peter III of Aragon and Constance of Sicily.
He succeeded his father as King of Sicily in 1285, and was then known as "James I of Sicily." Upon the death of his brother Alfonso III in 1291, he succeeded also to the throne of Aragon. By a peace treaty with Charles II of Anjou in 1296, he agreed to give up Sicily, but the Sicilians instead installed on the throne his brother Frederick. He reigned in Aragon until his death in 1327.
By the Treaty of Anagni in 1295, he returned the Balearic Islands to James II of Majorca. Aragon retained control over the continental territories of the Majorca kingdom — Montpellier and Roussillon — throughout James' reign. In 1298, by the Treaty of Argilers, James of Majorca recognised the suzerainty of James of Aragon.

Contents

Ancestors

Family

Mistresses and offspring

Ancestors

'James II's ancestors in three generations'

'James II of Aragon'	'Father:' Peter III of Aragon	'Paternal Grandfather:' James I of Aragon	'Paternal Great-grandfather:' Peter II of Aragon
			'Paternal Great-grandmother:' Marie of Montpellier
		'Paternal Grandmother:' Violant of Hungary	'Paternal Great-grandfather:' Andrew II of Hungary
			'Paternal Great-grandmother:' Violant of Courtenay
	'Mother:' Constantia of Sicily	'Maternal Grandfather:' Manfred of Sicily	'Maternal Great-grandfather:' Frederick II, Holy Roman Emperor
			'Maternal Great-grandmother:' Bianca Lancia
		'Maternal Grandmother:' Beatrice of Savoy	'Maternal Great-grandfather:' Amadeus IV of Savoy
			'Maternal Great-grandmother:' Anne of Burgundy

Family

He married four times:
— Isabella of Castile, daughter of Sancho IV of Castile and his wife María de Molina. The wedding took place in the city of Soria, in 1 December, 1291 when the bride was only 8 years old. The marriage, which was never consummated, was dissolved after Sancho's death in 1295, when James chose to change his alliances and take advantage of the turmoil inside Castile.
— Blanche of Anjou, daughter of his family's rival Charles II of Naples and Maria Arpad of Hungary. They married in the city of Villabertran, in 29 October, 1295. She bore him several legitimate children:

★ James (Jaume) (b. 29 September, 1296 - d. Tarragona, July 1334). James renounced his right to the throne in 1319 to become a monk. He refused to consummate his marriage to Leonor of Castille, who later become the second wife of his brother Alfonso.

★ Alfonso IV of Aragon (1299 – 24 January 1336). He became the King of Aragon in 1327 and ruled until his death. He married twice: first to Teresa d'Entença and then to Eleanor of Castile after his first wife died.

★ Maria (b. 1299 - d. as a nun in Sijena, 1316). She married Pedro of Castile, son of Sancho IV of Castile.

★ Constance (Constança) (b. Valencia, 1 April, 1300 - d. Castillo de Garcia Munoz, 19 September, 1327). Constance married Juan Manuel, Duke of Penafiel, nephew of Alfonso X of Castile.

★ John (Juan) (b. 1304 - d. Pobo, Zaragoza, 19 August 1334). John became the first Archbishop of Toledo and Tarragona in 1318, and Patriarch of Alexandria in 1328.

★ Isabel of Aragon (b. 1305 - d. Styria, 12 July 1330). Elizabeth married Frederick I of Austria.

★ Peter (Pere) (b. 1305 - d. Pisa, 4 November 1381), Count of Ribagorça and Prades. Peter married Jeanne, daughter of Gaston I of Foix.

★ Blanca (b. 1307 - d. Barcelona, 1348), Prioress of Sixena.

★ Ramon Berenguer (b. August 1308 - d. a priest at Barcelona, 1366), Count of Empúries and Baron of Ejerica.. Ramon married firstly with Blanca, daughter of Philip I of Taranto, and secondly with Maria, daughter of Jaime of Aragon.

★ Violante (b. Barcelona, October 1310 - d. Pedrola, 19 July 1353). She first married Philip, Despot of Romania, son of Philip I of Taranto. Her second marriage was with Lope de Luna, Lord of Segorbe.
— Maria of Lusignan, daughter of the King Hugh III of Cyprus. They married by proxy in Santa Sophia, Nicosia, in 15 June 1315, and in person in the city of Girona, in 27 November 1315. This marriage was childless.
— Elisenda of Moncada, daughter of Pedro I of Moncada, Lord of Altona and Soses. They married in the city of Tarragona, in 25 December 1322. This marriage was childless too, and, after the king's death, she entered the monastery of Poor Clares in Pedralbes as a nun.

Mistresses and offspring

In addition to his legitimate offspring, James had three natural children born with Sicilian women:
— With Gerolda:

★ Sancho (b. Sicily, 1287 - d. young?).

★ Napoleón (b. Sicily, 1288 - m. 1338), Lord of Joyosa Guarda (Gioiosaguardia) and Acquafredda (in Sardinia); married a daughter of a Majorcan named Guillermo Robert.
— With Lucrecia:

★ James (Jaume) (b. Mazzara, 1291 - d. 1350), Vicario di Cagliari (1317–1341); married firstly with Jaumetta Guerau, from Majorca, and secondly with Puccia, a Sardinian woman.
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