Jacques III of Majorque

See also: Jacques III

Jacques III (Catane 1315 - Llucmajor, Majorque, October 25th 1349), king de Majorque, count of Roussillon and Cerdagne, lord of Montpellier and prince d' Achaïe, is a Catalan sovereign of the 14th century.

Wire of infant Ferdinand de Majorque, wire junior by the king Jacques II of Majorque and Isabelle de Sabran, claiming with the principality of Achaïe, Jacques is born in 1315, undoubtedly with Catane. His/her mother dies very little of time after her birth; his/her father then undertakes to conquer on his behalf the principality of Achaïe. To put Jacques at the shelter of the engagements, infant it Ferdinand entrusts to Ramon Muntaner the responsibility to lead it to Perpignan to the care of his/her grandmother Esclarmonde de Foix, widow of the king Jacques II. Jacques is indeed not only the heir to the principality of Achaïe, but also, after his/her father, that of the kingdom of Majorque, whose sovereign, his uncle Sanche I {{er}}, does not have wire.

After a perilous voyage, Ramon Muntaner gives the child to his grandmother, after having taken care to make it recognize like legitimate heir to its father. This last dies in 1316, overcome by Louis of Burgundy his rival for the principality of Achaïe. King Sanche, anxious to preserve his kingdom of the ambitions of his cousin the king Jacques II of Aragon, makes of Jacques his heir. When Sanche dies in 1324 poses however the problem of the regency of the kingdom of Majorque. Indeed the only brother of Sanche still in life, Philippe, is an ecclesiastic, therefore not very ready to take in hand the kingdom. Jacques d' Aragon then puts forward his rights, like nearer cousin in male line to Jacques de Majorque; the count de Foix makes the point that he is the cousin nearest, but in female line. Different chalk-linings from aristocracy roussillonnaise take party for one or other from applicants with regency, which brings a great disorder which is not solved by the recognition, at the same time by the king d' Aragon and the count de Foix, of infant Philippe as regent. To seal peace, Jacques III, who is nine years old, marries in 1325 the infante Constance, grand-daughter of Jacques d' Aragon, who has three of them.

Like price of his recognition of Philippe, Jacques II of Aragon imposes on the kingdom hard economic conditions. Finances majorquines are undermined by the assistance which had to king d' Aragon for the conquest of the Royaume of Sardinia. It also seems that Jacques III on this date is still recognized as prince by a big part of the aristocracy of Achaïe. In 1335 Jacques is recognized major and attempts to reorganize its kingdom. In 1337 it promulgates the palatine laws which set up a label of court which is taken again thereafter by the major share of the courses of Occident. The kingdom of Majorque can however survive only by maintaining peace with the kingdom of Aragon. However in 1336 Pierre IV of Aragon reaches the throne in Barcelona. In spite of their youth and their close relationship, the two cousins dedicate a savage hatred. Pierre tries to reimpose in Jacques the oath of vassalage which Jacques II of Aragon had given up in 1295.

After several years of minor conflicts between the two sovereigns, Pierre IV opens in 1343 a lawsuit for treason of his brother-in-law. At the same time, it invades the Balearic Islands. The armies of Jacques are defeats to the battle of Santa Ponça. The following year, Pierre invades Roussillon and Cerdagne. Jacques III must go and give his kingdom to his cousin. It remains nevertheless in possession of the seigniory of Montpellier, located in kingdom of France and on which Pierre IV does not have any right. From there it launches several unfruitful attacks on Roussillon. In 1349 it is solved to sell Montpellier to king de France and with raising an imposing army with which it attacks Majorque. The October 25th 1349, Jacques III finds death with the Bataille of Lluchmajor. His/her children, Jacques and Isabelle, are taken along in captivity to Barcelona. Jacques (IV) was applicant with the throne of Majorque, but could never tear off it with the crown of Aragon, but it managed to reconquer part of Achaïe. With its death in 1375, the dynasty of Majorque dies out definitively.

Palatine Laws. (promulgated on May 9th, 1337) It was believed very a long time, that the book of the Palatine Laws had received the influence of the Felip regent (Philippe), or even, that it was its work. Today, it is confirmed that the true author was indeed the king Jaume III (Jacques III), him only. That shows to it solid culture and the innovative spirit of this twenty-two year old young man! Written in Latin, the book was carried out in Palma de Mallorca (Majorque), probably consequently team of copyists and illuminators which already produced two other invaluable manuscripts: Llibre dels Privilegis dels Reys de Mallorca (gone back to 1334 and preserved at the Files del Reialme de Mallorca with Palma) and Còdex of Franquícies de Mallorca (Codex of the Franknesses, preserved at the files of the Crown of Aragon with Barcelona). Admittedly, in much of country, there exist regulations on the Royal Court, but, the Palatine Laws of Jaume III are exceptional and remarkable by the meticulous description of each function, so modest it is.

The final objective being, above all, to defend and preserve its kingdom of Mallorca by putting it at the shelter external internal divisions and dangers. Quite real problems. From the point of view interns, it is the rebellion against the Felip regent whom Jaume painfully lived during its childhood in Perpignan. From the external point of view, they are the appetites of conquest of the king de France on Montpeller and those of the sovereign of Catalonia-Aragon, on all the kingdom of Mallorca. The Palatine ones of Jaume III thus represent a political act, an effort to affirm its authority and its prestige. It is true that, seen outside, the kingdom of Mallorca gives the indication of a kingdom in full blooming, with its brilliant court, its organization meticulous person and its effective administration.

The Palatine Laws are promulgated in the town of Palma on May 9th, 1337. The manuscript is a splendor; it counts 74 layers, forming a total of 148 written pages, several colors, with eight great representations of scenes of the Court. In the introduction, Jaume III declares that the Palatine Laws were read completely in front of its Royal Council; it orders that they are observed strictly by each one. We learn that the Royal Council, composed of noble and clerks, account 14 members.

The king announces that it took again a great number of rules already observed previously; he confirms them and he adds others of them. Then, Jaume III launches out in a metaphor; according to him, the functions and the trades of its Royal House can be compared with the human body where all the members have a clean function and must achieve it according to a plan established by the creator. The king describes the four principal services: majordom, camarlenc, canceler, Mestre racional. The majordom and the camarlenc are the noble ones, but in fact, they exert their function only at the time of the principal festivals of the year. Among all the anthill which is activated in Palau Reial (Royal Castle), it is necessary to distinguish two groups. Initially, the personnel which lives on the spot; then, officers of high-row, honorary operations managers, who do not reside there permanently.

I thus point out to you the four services of the court of the king: service of Palau Reial under the orders of the majordom (63 people with its service), that of the camarlenc (54 people), that of the canceler (30 people) and that of Mestre racional (6 people). The court of the king is thus composed of approximately 150 people. And if we add to it the familiar ones and the guests, the personnel of the queen, one can say that when the king remains in Perpinyà or Palma, it has around him approximately 300 people.

Here some particular points. There are eight people assigned to the port mail with horse and in boat. Sign mistrust, the servants must taste the food which will be presented to the king, even the host must be divided with the priest at the time of the communion to the vault of the castle. Jaume III, in addition to the traditional homage, requires each one of its advisers, a particular and personal homage. For the festivals of Christmas, of Epiphany, Easter and Pentecost, it organizes great feasts where it appears serene and smiling in the middle of its subjects. The original manuscript, in an excellent state of conservation, is with the Royal Library of Brussels, in Belgique.On sees there the four large officers and some their subordinates in the performance of their duties. The majordom (main of hotel), with its rod, requires of the servants to lay out cover. The camarlenc (great chamberlain), the sword with the hand, gives its orders, while two camerers prepare the clothes of the king. The function of canceler (chancellor) is replaced by the royal council that the sovereign chairs sitted on the throne; Mestre racional (main of the financial accounts) and its secretaries receive payments and sums of money.

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Extract of the text (written in Latin)

1. The majordom, taken in the nobility, is in charge of the set of table linen: it carries a rod as a sign of command. It deals with inviting and to place the guests, the king precedes when it goes to table and when it leaves there, will seek the dishes with the kitchen with a sergeant of weapons and riders, tastes each dish and the fact of tasting by the camarlenc, makes also taste the bread and the wine by the bouteiller, supervises the servants, etc It exerts a jurisdiction and judges certain causes. It has under its orders the following personnel (of which the row is carefully fixed): two majordoms temporary, noble like him; four riders to be used to drink, of which one, noble, must taste drinks and take care of the cleanliness of the cuts to drink; a bouteiller and under-bouteiller, in particular charged to distribute to the poor the deteriorated wine and the bread and to precede the king on a journey; a panetier or baker, to make the bread and pies; several riders charged to cut out the food, including one noble, to slice the meats with art, to offer salt, the bread, water, etc; four riders table-mats, including one noble, having mission of carrying the plates in a given order and in a certain way, covered by a white towel hung with their neck; then, several riders to carry the dishes, but not having the right to pose them on the table, care reserved for others; extravagant and under-extravagant, making the provisions; a certain number of officers of the kitchen of the mouth with their auxiliaries, in particular two good cocks and a banker; ordinary cooks for the servants, with their particular bankers; an employee or museum, holding the key of the pantry; water carriers; Masters of stable, chevaucheurs, a civadier, preparing the food of the horses, the saddles, the harnesses, and carrying the mante of the horse of the king; one marshal-shoeing; stable boys; a large falconer and ordinary falconers; a huntsman keeping the pack; one to algotzir (alguazil), charged to stop and imprison the culprits; a tax prosecutor, assisting the majordom in the exercise of its jurisdiction; a zemblier, occupying itself of the luggage and the provisions of voyage, with several, auxiliary; finally five mimes or jugglers, including two playing of the trumpet, another of the drum, and two others playing of various instruments, in order to animate the soldiers in war and to brighten the daily meals, except Fridays and lasting the Lent. Indeed, the king and his guests must show a merry face, especially the feastdays. Feasts are given to the four great festivals of the year. The number of the dishes is fixed at two for the ordinary meals and three for the feasts; but that must mean large dishes or assembled dishes, to which are added small dishes of unspecified number. At the dessert, one or two kinds of fruits, according to the season, is put on the table, just as at the beginning of the meal; with their defect, cheeses. All the crockery is of money; the cuts with drinking are gilded or simple silver, according to the quality of the guests; money vases are used to wash the hands at the end to dine it.

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