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How to get here?The Kingdom of Majorca
The Kingdom of Majorca
The reign of the Kings of Majorca, well-known for frequent epidemics of the plague, murderous wars and the terror provoked by the Inquisition during 1233, was for most inhabitants of the Eastern Pyrenees a mythical time – the peak of the splendour of our Catalan country, dominated by Jack the Conqueror and his descendants – exceptional men and women of whom tales and legends only relate their virtues…
Jack the Conqueror, a handsome, cultured man who was brave and cunning, was wise enough to consolidate his power and construct his kingdom on a permanent basis by changing his orientation towards the south by the Treaty of Corbeil in 1258. He abdicated to don the habit of a Cistercian monk and died in it in 1276.
Peter III, his eldest son, became the Count of Barcelona and ruler of the kingdoms of Aragon and Valencia.
Jack II, his youngest son was the first to bear the title of “King of Majorca, Count of Roussillon and the Cerdagne, Lord of Montpellier and Viscount of Carladès.
Having sworn to their father that they would rule together “in peace and harmony for ever”, the two brothers squabbled over the territories. King Jack ruled until 1311 with his queen, Esclarmonde de Foix, who bore him 5 children.
It was one of his sons, "Ferran", who succeeded his father and one of Ferran’s two sons became King Jack III from 1324 to 1344.
King Jack III, a sophisticated party-animal and lover of Court society, should have been strong enough to resist the attacks of his rival (his brother-in-law, Peter IV King of Aragon), who ended up seizing Jack’s lands and amalgamating them into the Kingdom of Aragon.
King Jack III died in battle in October 1349 in a final desperate attempt to recover his inheritance.
That was the end of the dynasty of the Kings of Majorca who, in spite of their behaviour towards their relatives, did not blot their copybook.
We owe them a great debt in the area of civil liberties, a significant increase in the population, the development of the textile industry and international trade, and the creation and construction of the most beautiful architectural jewels - our heritage sites.
Jack the Conqueror, a handsome, cultured man who was brave and cunning, was wise enough to consolidate his power and construct his kingdom on a permanent basis by changing his orientation towards the south by the Treaty of Corbeil in 1258. He abdicated to don the habit of a Cistercian monk and died in it in 1276.
Peter III, his eldest son, became the Count of Barcelona and ruler of the kingdoms of Aragon and Valencia.
Jack II, his youngest son was the first to bear the title of “King of Majorca, Count of Roussillon and the Cerdagne, Lord of Montpellier and Viscount of Carladès.
Having sworn to their father that they would rule together “in peace and harmony for ever”, the two brothers squabbled over the territories. King Jack ruled until 1311 with his queen, Esclarmonde de Foix, who bore him 5 children.
It was one of his sons, "Ferran", who succeeded his father and one of Ferran’s two sons became King Jack III from 1324 to 1344.
King Jack III, a sophisticated party-animal and lover of Court society, should have been strong enough to resist the attacks of his rival (his brother-in-law, Peter IV King of Aragon), who ended up seizing Jack’s lands and amalgamating them into the Kingdom of Aragon.
King Jack III died in battle in October 1349 in a final desperate attempt to recover his inheritance.
That was the end of the dynasty of the Kings of Majorca who, in spite of their behaviour towards their relatives, did not blot their copybook.
We owe them a great debt in the area of civil liberties, a significant increase in the population, the development of the textile industry and international trade, and the creation and construction of the most beautiful architectural jewels - our heritage sites.
Some words on the history
Some important dates... Pre-History Ancient Times The middle Ages The Kingdom of Majorca The Treaty of the Pyrenees Once upon a time... Vauban
The Palace of the Kings of Majorca, Perpignan
The palace was built during the last quarter of the 13th century by King Jack II of Majorca, who made his home in Perpignan in 1276.
It sits on a hill to the south of the town surrounded by gardens. After 35 years of construction it was eventually completed with the consecration of the chapels in 1309.
It sits on a hill to the south of the town surrounded by gardens. After 35 years of construction it was eventually completed with the consecration of the chapels in 1309.
Gothic Architecture
The 2 counties of Roussillon and Cerdagne were amalgamated into the Kingdom of Majorca. With the new political regime, the old Romanesque sites became what was known as “the new art” which we now call gothic art.