Royal Court of Catalonia-Aragon
Crown of Aragon
Head of State
Alfons V "El Magnànim" (The Magnanimous), Count of Barcelona, King of Aragon, Mallorca, Valencia, the Two Sicilies, Corsica and Sardinia by the Grace of God
- Pere Miquel Carbonell.
Chronicles of Spain
What is more unnatural and offensive, that like a father who does not take care of his son, a kingdom has to part without his King?
- Miquel Casadevall,
Accounts of the Catalan Courts
King Alfons was crowned at the age of 22 after the sudden death of his father Fernando el d'Antequera, first king of the Trastámara line in Aragon. Fascinated by the spirit and the works of the Renaissance, his look has always been set on the lands of Italy, for the dismay of his abandoned wife, which carries the burden of ruling the Iberian Realms. He speaks five different languages, being those Castillian, Catalan, French, Latin and Italian, and he is even now learning Greek. His divise, and open book with the motto
Vir sapiens dominabitur astris, "Wise men will dominate the stars".
Royal Family
Maria of Castilla, wife, Queen of Aragon, sister to the King of Castilla
Joan of Navarra, brother, Duke of Peñafiel, Gandia and Montblanc, Heir to the Kingdom of Navarra
Joan of Castilla, cousin, King of Castilla
Elionor of Aragon, sister, bethrotred to the Duke of Bedford
Maria of Aragon, sister
Pere of Aragon, brother, Duke of Noto
Enric of Aragon, brother, Duke of Villena and Count of Empúries, Albuquerque and Ledesma
Giovanna II of Naples, Queen of Naples, adoptive mother of King Alfons
Other personalities
Alfons de Borja i Cabanilles
The very same fra Vicenç Ferrer once said to his parents that his voluntarious child would reach far in the love of God. Now, at 41 years old, he is the Archbishop of València and Cardinal of the Roman Church. He is held in much esteem by the gracious King, who has also nominated him vicechancellor of in regards to the Italian possessions of the Crown. His family was a noble one, and following the advice of the confessor of the Pope, he has studied and later taught as canon of Lleida until the King brought him under his service as personal secretary in 1416.
Ausiàs Marc
Well known is the taste of the King for the arts, and have no doubt that Ausiàs Marc is the greatest poet ever coming from the lands of the Crown since the glorious days where the pennant of Barcelona held high in the castles of la Provença. Descendant of a Valencian noble family, he holds the rank of knight, and has a small state near Valencia.
Joanot Martorell
One of the most valiant, yet some of his enemies would call him a violent fool, knights at service of the Crown. Long time brother in arms of King Alfons, he has now been gifted with the embassy of the Crown to England. Well known is the love of Joanot for these lands, and his mastery of the language which is there spoken, proof of that is that he always carries a copy of
Guy of Warwick, his favorite novel, which he is trying to translate to Catalan vernacular. He keeps a close relationship with Ausiàs March with whom share a love for the written word, which is common to the monarch.
The General Courts
The Crown of Aragon is a parlamentarian monarchy. All laws adressing taxation are to be approved by the parliament, where Nobility, Clergy and Peasantry are equally represented. Currently, there are two political parties in Barcelona.
La Busca (The splinter): The party of the impoverished farmers and liberated serfs.
La Biga (The balk): The party of the rich merchants and great landowners of Barcelona.
Currently, La Biga controls the Parliament.
Important offices held inside the Crown.
Conseller en Cap (Head Counselor)
The Head Counselor is the head of the Council of Barcelona that rules the city. Its power is great, and his influence on the politics of the Crown not to be disregarded.
Galcerà de Requesens is the current Head Counselor of Barcelona.
Protonotari (Protonotary)
A charge often occupied by a man of the utmost trust of the King, he reads the petitions and proclamations of the King to the Courts. And he is the only one that can approach his throne during the celebration of the Courts.
Bernat Metge is the current Protonotary
Lloctinent General (General Lieutenant)
The General lieutenant is the king where the King is absent. He has power to legislate and negotiate in his name inside the boundaries of the Principate of Catalonia only. Traditionally, the heir to the throne is trusted this office.
Currently
Joan de Navarra, brother to the king and
Maria de Castella, wife to the King share the responsibilities when the King is not at Barcelona.
Royal Chancellery
- Ramon Muntaner
Chronicles of the reign of Peter the Great
The Crown of Aragon is itself a commonwealth of kingdoms united to stand their common foes, and thus the Crown promotes friendship and union between the christian realms. The Royal Chancellery is the office where all the foreign policy is conducted.
Bernat Metge, and
Pere de Floixà i Llúria are the current chancellors of the Crown of Aragon.
Foreign Ambassadors presently at Barcelona:
Martí Garcés representing
The Knights of St. John
NOTE: Garcés doesn't reside at Barcelona, but in a Priory at Saragossa
José Dalever representing
Naples
Count Álvarez de Lorenzana representing
Castilla-León
Piero Guarisco representing
Genoa
Catalan Embassies established abroad:
Pedro de Lazaga, count of Tarassona, destined to the court of
Castilla-León
Joan de Vallcarca, vice-consul of the Seas, destined to the court of
Genoa
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