The Western Mediterranean Kingdoms_ The Struggle for Dominion, 1200-1500

THE WESTERN MEDITERRA-NEAN KINGDOM 1200-1500

who faced the implacable hostility of the pope even after
Charles of Salerno was released from captivity in 1289. Under
pressure from the Union formed by the nobles and towns of
Aragon, and distracted by rebellious Aragonese barons in
Valencia, Alfonso not surprisingly began to bend, and indic-
ated that he would abandon his support for his younger
brother James of Sicily. His unexpected death in June 1291
put a temporary end to such initatives; he was childless,
and his heir was therefore none other than James of Sicily
(james II of Aragon), who was not at first prepared to aban-
don the island for which he had fought so hard. How this
could be achieved when overseas adventures evidently were
unpopular with the Aragonese and Catalan political com-
munity was the first problem he would have to resolve. The
price proved to be the abandonment of claims to Sicily, but
bv / no means the abandonment of claims elsewhere in the
western Mediterranean.

THE THREE RELIGIONS IN SPAIN

Excommunication and interdict did not make Peter and his

family turn violently against the Church; Queen Constance

in fact endowed an important convent of Poor Clares (the

female wing of the Franciscan movement) at Huesca in

northern Aragon; Peter continued to rely heavily on ecclesia-

stical advisers, such as Jaspert de Botonac, bishop of Valencia.

At the king's deathbed Bishop Jaspert was suitably coy:

Since there is no man in all the world, and above all men like

you, who are an earthly prince and a king, that may not some-

times fall into sin, I pray and beseech you to confess your

faults ... and to seek forgiveness for wrongs committed, if you

have committed any, and to pardon all those who have done

you harm and to be at peace with those against whom you have

at any time shown hatred or anger.^1 1

Certainly, the good bishop was not going to blame this ex-

communicate king for the hideous faults attributed to him

by the Church of which he was a prelate.

13. Bernat Desclot, Clzmnirlr, in Soldevila, Lrs quatrr gT(ms aoruqurs,
    cap. 168.