Alfonso III of Aragon

Reign: 1285 – 1291
Life: 1265–1291

He conquered the Kingdom of Majorca between his succession and 1287. Soon after assuming the throne, he conducted a campaign to reincorporate the Balearic Islands into the Crown of Aragon , which had been lost due to the division of the realm by his grandfather, James I of Aragon . He followed this with the conquest of Menorca, until then an autonomous Muslim state (Manûrqa) within the Kingdom of Majorca, on 17 January 1287, the anniversary of which now serves as Menorca's national holiday. Alfonso initially sought to maintain Aragonese control over Sicily by supporting the claims of his brother James II to the island. His reign was marred by a constitutional struggle with the Aragonese nobles, which eventually culminated in the articles of the Union of Aragon, the so-called "Magna Carta of Aragon", which devolved several key royal powers into the hands of lesser nobles. In culture Dante Alighieri , in the Divine Comedy , recounts that he saw Alfonso's spirit seated outside the gates of Purgatory with the other monarchs whom Dante blamed for the chaotic political state of Europe during the 13th century.

During Alfonso III of Aragon's reign, Edward I of England ruled England, Denis I of Portugal ruled Portugal, and Kublai Khan ruled China.

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A History of Medieval Spain by Joseph F. O'Callaghan

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A History of Medieval Spain

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Alfonso III of Aragon

The World During Their Reign

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