THE EMERGENCE OF ARAGO!\'-CATALONIAwith mainland Muslims in view of an apparent shortage of
native manpower.^26
The conquest of the Balearic islands is often seen as the
moment when the outlook of the Catalan-Aragonese mon-
archy shifted decisively from southern France towards the
Mediterranean frontier with Islam. In fact, the major con-
sequences of the invasion of Majorca were, if anything, a
strengthening of ties to the southern French and Proven<=al
cities, which were rewarded with houses and commercial priv-
ileges in Majorca City, in gratitude for their crucial role in
the conquest. Nun yo San<=, count of Roussillon, also acquired
extensive properties in Majorca City. As well, the Balearic
Islands would later enjoy a political union with the southern
French territories of the Crown of Aragon, of some signific-
ance in the bitter War of the Vespers (1282-1302). Nor did
James I try to impose direct authority on his new kingdom,
entrusting it to Pedro of Portugal who had in any case mar-
ried James's former mistress Aurembiaix, acquired a title to
the county of Urgell, and was now only too happy to relin-
quish Urgell in exchange for lifelong rights in Majorca which,
as has been seen, he never did much to activate. At a stroke,
James had a viceroy to govern Majorca on his behalf (after
a fashion), and he had also gained control of the county
that lay sandwiched between Old Catalonia and the highlands
of Aragon, and that gave access to strategically valuable areas
of the Pyrenees. Arguably, then, it was almost as much for
Urgell as for Majorca thatJames had launched his invasion.
Only gradually did James respond to the absence of interest
shown by Pedro of Portugal in his Majorcan domain, develop-
ing instead a plan to grant Majorca to his second surviving
son, also named James.
JAMES THE CONQUEROR IN VALENCIA
The difficulty was that the conquest of Majorca had been
the work of James's Catalan and southern French subjects
and allies, but there was no obvious benefit for the Aragonese- Abulafia, Mediterranean Emporium, pp. 56-60; Lourie, Crusade and
Colonisation, essays nos v, vi, vii; T. Glick, From Muslim fortress to Chris-
tian castle. Social and cultural change in medie:val Spain (Manchester,
1995), pp. 132-4.