Peter II of Aragon Totally Explained

Everything about Pedro Ii Of Aragon totally explained

Peter II of Aragon (1174 – September 12 1213), surnamed the Catholic, was the king of Aragon (as Pedro II) and count of Barcelona (as Pere I) from 1196 to 1213.
   He was the son of Alfonso II of Aragon and Sancha of Castile. In 1205 he acknowledged the feudal supremacy of the Papacy and was crowned in Rome by Pope Innocent III, swearing to defend the Catholic faith (hence his surname, "the Catholic"). He was the first king of Aragon to be crowned by the Pope.
   On June 15, 1204 he married (as her third husband) Marie of Montpellier, daughter and heiress of William VIII of Montpellier by Eudocia Comnena. She gave him a son, James, but Peter soon discarded her. Marie was popularly venerated as a saint for her piety and marital suffering, but was never canonized; she died in Rome in 1213.
   He led the Christian forces to defeat the Moors at the Battle of Las Navas de Tolosa in 1212.
   Peter returned from Las Navas in autumn 1212 to find that Simon de Montfort had conquered Toulouse, exiling Count Raymond VI of Toulouse, who was Peter's brother-in-law and vassal. Peter crossed the Pyrenees and arrived at Muret in September 1213 to confront Montfort's army. He was accompanied by Raymond of Toulouse, who tried to persuade Peter to avoid battle and instead starve out Montfort's forces. This suggestion was rejected.
   The Battle of Muret began on September 12, 1213. The Aragonese forces were disorganized and disintegrated under the assault of Montfort's squadrons. Peter himself was caught in the thick of fighting, and died as a result of a foolhardy act of bravado. He was thrown to the ground and killed. The Aragonese forces broke in panic when their king was slain and the crusaders of Montfort won the day.
   Upon Peter's death the kingdom passed to his only son by Marie of Montpellier, the future James the Conqueror.

Ancestors

Peter's ancestors in three generations>

Peter II of Aragon	Father: Alfonso II of Aragon	Paternal Grandfather: Ramon Berenguer IV, Count of Barcelona	Paternal Great-grandfather: Ramon Berenguer III, Count of Barcelona
			Paternal Great-grandmother: Douce I of Provence
		Paternal Grandmother: Petronila of Aragon	Paternal Great-grandfather: Ramiro II of Aragon
			Paternal Great-grandmother: Agnes of Aquitaine
	Mother: Sancha of Castile	Maternal Grandfather: Alfonso VII of León	Maternal Great-grandfather: Raymond of Burgundy
			Maternal Great-grandmother: Urraca of Castile
		Maternal Grandmother: Richeza of Poland	Maternal Great-grandfather: Władysław II the Exile
			Maternal Great-grandmother: Agnes of Babenberg

Sources

Sumption, Jonathan. The Albigensian Crusade, 2000

Further Information

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