Ferdinand I of Aragon
Encyclopedia
Ferdinand I called of Antequera and also the Just or the Honest) was king of Aragon
, Valencia
, Majorca
, Sardinia
and (nominal) Corsica
and king of Sicily
, duke (nominal) of Athens
and Neopatria, and count of Barcelona, Roussillon
and Cerdanya (1412–1416). He was also regent of Castile
(1406–1416).
, he was the younger son of king John I of Castile
and Eleanor of Aragon.
In 1406, upon the death of his elder brother, king Henry III of Castile
, Ferdinand declined the Castilian crown and instead, with Henry's widow Catherine of Lancaster
, became coregent during the minority of his nephew John II of Castile
. In this capacity he distinguished himself by his prudent administration of domestic affairs.
In a war with the Muslim kingdom of Granada, he conquered the town of Antequera
(1410), whence his surname.
After Ferdinand's maternal uncle, the king Martin I of Aragon
(Martin II of Sicily), died without surviving legitimate issue, Ferdinand was chosen king of Aragon
in 1412 to succeed him in the Compromise of Caspe
. The other candidate, count James II of Urgell
(see counts of Urgell
), revolted and Ferdinand dissolved the county of Urgell in 1413.
Ferdinand created the title of prince of Girona
for the heir of the Crown of Aragon
in 19 February 1416.
The most notable accomplishment of his brief reign was his agreement in 1416 to depose the antipope Benedict XIII
, thereby helping to end the Western Schism
, which had divided the Western Church for nearly 40 years.
He is buried in the Aragonese royal pantheon of the monastery of Poblet, in a magnificent tomb ordered by his son Alfonso
to Pere Oller
in 1417.
The Italian humanist Lorenzo Valla
wrote an official biography of Ferdinand (Historiarum Ferdinandi regis Aragonum libri sex).
(1374–1435). They had seven children:
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Kingdom of Aragon
The Kingdom of Aragon was a medieval and early modern kingdom in the Iberian Peninsula, corresponding to the modern-day autonomous community of Aragon, in Spain...
, Valencia
Kingdom of Valencia
The Kingdom of Valencia , located in the eastern shore of the Iberian Peninsula, was one of the component realms of the Crown of Aragon. When the Crown of Aragon merged by dynastic union with the Crown of Castile to form the Kingdom of Spain, the Kingdom of Valencia became a component realm of the...
, Majorca
Kingdom of Majorca
The Kingdom of Majorca was founded by James I of Aragon, also known as James The Conqueror. After the death of his first-born son Alfonso, a will was written in 1262 which created the kingdom in order to cede it to his son James...
, Sardinia
Kingdom of Sardinia
The Kingdom of Sardinia consisted of the island of Sardinia first as a part of the Crown of Aragon and subsequently the Spanish Empire , and second as a part of the composite state of the House of Savoy . Its capital was originally Cagliari, in the south of the island, and later Turin, on the...
and (nominal) Corsica
Corsica
Corsica is an island in the Mediterranean Sea. It is located west of Italy, southeast of the French mainland, and north of the island of Sardinia....
and king of Sicily
Kingdom of Sicily
The Kingdom of Sicily was a state that existed in the south of Italy from its founding by Roger II in 1130 until 1816. It was a successor state of the County of Sicily, which had been founded in 1071 during the Norman conquest of southern Italy...
, duke (nominal) of Athens
Duchy of Athens
The Duchy of Athens was one of the Crusader States set up in Greece after the conquest of the Byzantine Empire during the Fourth Crusade, encompassing the regions of Attica and Boeotia, and surviving until its conquest by the Ottoman Empire in the 15th century....
and Neopatria, and count of Barcelona, 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:...
and Cerdanya (1412–1416). He was also regent of Castile
Crown of Castile
The Crown of Castile was a medieval and modern state in the Iberian Peninsula that formed in 1230 as a result of the third and definitive union of the crowns and parliaments of the kingdoms of Castile and León upon the accession of the then King Ferdinand III of Castile to the vacant Leonese throne...
(1406–1416).
Biography
Born at Medina del CampoMedina del Campo
Medina del Campo is a town located in the middle of the Spanish Meseta Central, in the province of Valladolid, Castile-Leon autonomous region, 45 km from Valladolid. It is the capital of a farming area, far away from the great economic centres.-History:...
, he was the younger son of king John I of Castile
John I of Castile
John I was the king of Crown of Castile, was the son of Henry II and of his wife Juana Manuel of Castile, daughter of Juan Manuel, Prince of Villena, head of a younger branch of the royal house of Castile...
and Eleanor of Aragon.
In 1406, upon the death of his elder brother, king Henry III of Castile
Henry III of Castile
Henry III KG , sometimes known as Henry the Sufferer or Henry the Infirm , was the son of John I and Eleanor of Aragon, and succeeded him as King of the Castilian Crown in 1390....
, Ferdinand declined the Castilian crown and instead, with Henry's widow Catherine of Lancaster
Catherine of Lancaster
-Coat of arms:The following are Armorials of the House of Lancaster under her father, John of Gaunt.-References:* Anthony Goodman: "Katherine of Lancaster" in Oxford Dictionary of National Biography. Vol. 30 , p. 890-891....
, became coregent during the minority of his nephew John II of Castile
John II of Castile
John II was King of Castile from 1406 to 1454.He was the son of Henry III of Castile and his wife Catherine of Lancaster, daughter of John of Gaunt, 1st Duke of Lancaster by Constance of Castile, daughter of King Peter of Castile.-Regency:He succeeded his father on 25 December 1406, at the age of...
. In this capacity he distinguished himself by his prudent administration of domestic affairs.
In a war with the Muslim kingdom of Granada, he conquered the town of Antequera
Antequera
Antequera is a city and municipality in the province of Málaga, part of the Spanish autonomous community of Andalusia. It is known as "the heart of Andalusia" because of its central location among Málaga, Granada, Córdoba, and Seville...
(1410), whence his surname.
After Ferdinand's maternal uncle, the king Martin I of Aragon
Martin I of Aragon
Martin of Aragon , called the Elder, the Humane, the Ecclesiastic, was the King of Aragon, Valencia, Sardinia, and Corsica and Count of Barcelona from 1396 and King of Sicily from 1409...
(Martin II of Sicily), died without surviving legitimate issue, Ferdinand was chosen king 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...
in 1412 to succeed him in the Compromise of Caspe
Compromise of Caspe
The Compromise of Caspe made in 1412 was an act and resolution of parliamentary representatives on behalf of the Kingdoms of Aragon and Valencia and the County of Barcelona, to resolve the interregnum commenced by the death of King Martin I of Aragon in 1410 without a legitimate heir, in Caspe.The...
. The other candidate, count James II of Urgell
James II of Urgell
James II was the Count of Urgell , Viscount of Àger, and lord of Antillón, Alcolea de Cinca, and Fraga...
(see counts of Urgell
Counts of Urgell
This is a list of the counts of Urgell.-ca. 798-870 Counts appointed by the Carolingians:*798-820 Borrell, count of Urgell and Cerdanya*820-824 Aznar I Galíndez, count of Aragon, was given Borrell's counties while he was exiled from Aragon...
), revolted and Ferdinand dissolved the county of Urgell in 1413.
Ferdinand created the title of prince of Girona
Prince of Girona
The title of Prince of Girona is one of the titles given to the heir apparent to the Crown of Aragon. It originated in 1351 when King Peter IV of Aragon named his successor, to whom he conceded the title of Duke of Girona; the title embraced territories of the counties of Girona, Besalú, Empúries...
for the heir 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...
in 19 February 1416.
The most notable accomplishment of his brief reign was his agreement in 1416 to depose the antipope Benedict XIII
Antipope Benedict XIII
Benedict XIII, born Pedro Martínez de Luna y Pérez de Gotor , known as in Spanish, was an Aragonese nobleman, who is officially considered by the Catholic Church to be an antipope....
, thereby helping to end the Western Schism
Western Schism
The Western Schism or Papal Schism was a split within the Catholic Church from 1378 to 1417. Two men simultaneously claimed to be the true pope. Driven by politics rather than any theological disagreement, the schism was ended by the Council of Constance . The simultaneous claims to the papal chair...
, which had divided the Western Church for nearly 40 years.
He is buried in the Aragonese royal pantheon of the monastery of Poblet, in a magnificent tomb ordered by his son Alfonso
Alfonso V of Aragon
Alfonso the Magnanimous KG was the King of Aragon , Valencia , Majorca, Sardinia and Corsica , and Sicily and Count of Barcelona from 1416 and King of Naples from 1442 until his death...
to Pere Oller
Pere Oller
Pere Oller was a Catalan Gothic sculptor.From 1395 to 1399 he served as an apprentice on the choir of Barcelona Cathedral. He then relocated to Gerona, where the keystone of a vault from the chapel of Pia Almoina is attributed to him, as well as the tomb of Bishop Berenguer de Anglesola in the...
in 1417.
The Italian humanist Lorenzo Valla
Lorenzo Valla
Lorenzo Valla was an Italian humanist, rhetorician, and educator. His family was from Piacenza; his father, Luciave della Valla, was a lawyer....
wrote an official biography of Ferdinand (Historiarum Ferdinandi regis Aragonum libri sex).
Family and children
In 1393 Ferdinand married Eleanor of AlburquerqueEleanor of Alburquerque
Eleanor, 2nd Countess of Alburquerque became Queen consort of Aragon by her marriage to Ferdinand I of Aragon. In Spanish, she is known as Leonor Urraca de Castilla, condesa de Alburquerque.- Family :...
(1374–1435). They had seven children:
- Alfonso V of AragonAlfonso V of AragonAlfonso the Magnanimous KG was the King of Aragon , Valencia , Majorca, Sardinia and Corsica , and Sicily and Count of Barcelona from 1416 and King of Naples from 1442 until his death...
(1396–1458), king of AragonCrown of AragonThe 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...
, SicilyKingdom of SicilyThe Kingdom of Sicily was a state that existed in the south of Italy from its founding by Roger II in 1130 until 1816. It was a successor state of the County of Sicily, which had been founded in 1071 during the Norman conquest of southern Italy...
and NaplesKingdom of NaplesThe Kingdom of Naples, comprising the southern part of the Italian peninsula, was the remainder of the old Kingdom of Sicily after secession of the island of Sicily as a result of the Sicilian Vespers rebellion of 1282. Known to contemporaries as the Kingdom of Sicily, it is dubbed Kingdom of... - Maria of AragonMaria of Aragon, Queen of CastileMaria of Aragon was the first wife and Queen consort of John II of Castile. The daughter of Ferdinand I of Aragon and Eleanor of Alburquerque, she married her cousin John in 1420.- Biography :...
, (1396–1445), queen of CastileCrown of CastileThe Crown of Castile was a medieval and modern state in the Iberian Peninsula that formed in 1230 as a result of the third and definitive union of the crowns and parliaments of the kingdoms of Castile and León upon the accession of the then King Ferdinand III of Castile to the vacant Leonese throne...
, first wife of John II of CastileJohn II of CastileJohn II was King of Castile from 1406 to 1454.He was the son of Henry III of Castile and his wife Catherine of Lancaster, daughter of John of Gaunt, 1st Duke of Lancaster by Constance of Castile, daughter of King Peter of Castile.-Regency:He succeeded his father on 25 December 1406, at the age of... - John II of AragonJohn II of AragonJohn II the Faithless, also known as the Great was the King of Aragon from 1458 until 1479, and jure uxoris King of Navarre from 1425 until his death. He was the son of Ferdinand I and his wife Eleanor of Alburquerque...
(1398–1479) - Henry of Aragon (c. 1400-1445), duke of Villena, count of Alburquerque and Empuries, lord of Sogorb, etc, and grand master of the military Order of Santiago
- Eleanor of Aragon, (1402–1445), queen of PortugalKingdom of PortugalThe Kingdom of Portugal was Portugal's general designation under the monarchy. The kingdom was located in the west of the Iberian Peninsula, Europe and existed from 1139 to 1910...
, who married Edward I of Portugal - Peter of Aragon (1406–1438), count of Alburquerque and duke of Noto
- Sancho of Aragon (1410–1416), grand master of the Orders of Calatrava and Alcántara
Ancestry
Further reading
- J. N Hillgarth, The Spanish Kingdoms. ISBN 0-19-822531-8
- T. N. Bisson, The Medieval Crown of Aragon. ISBN 0-19-820236-9
External links
- Ferdinand I of Catalonia-Aragon in the Catalan Hyperencyclopaedia
- H. J. Chaytor, A History of Aragon and Catalonia, ch. 14, "The 'Compromise' of Caspe".
- La Monarquía Hispánica: Fernando I el de Antequera (1412-1416) (in Spanish)
- Article of Francesca Español Bertran on his tomb in Poblet (in Spanish)
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