James I of Aragon Monument

James I the Conqueror, also known as Jaume el Conqueridor in Catalan and Jaime el Conquistador in Spanish, ruled as King of Aragon, Lord of Montpellier, King of Majorca, King of Valencia, and Count of Barcelona from 1213 to 1276. His remarkable reign, the longest among Iberian monarchs, witnessed the expansion of the Crown of Aragon in multiple directions. He extended his dominion into Languedoc to the north, the Balearic Islands to the southeast, and Valencia to the south.

Through a treaty with Louis IX of France, James I secured the renunciation of any French suzerainty over the County of Barcelona and other Catalan counties. However, he relinquished aspirations of reclaiming Catalan territories in Occitania and vassal counties loyal to the County of Barcelona, which had been lost by his father, Peter II of Aragon, during the Albigensian Crusade and subsequently annexed by the Kingdom of France. Instead, James I focused on expanding southward. His role in the Reconquista, particularly in Mediterranean Spain, paralleled that of his contemporary Ferdinand III of Castile in Andalusia.

James I's upbringing under the Knights Templar crusaders, who fought alongside the French and defeated his father, significantly influenced his decision to formally renounce most of the once Catalan territories in Languedoc and Occitania. It effectively became forbidden for him to maintain the traditional influence of the Count of Barcelona in those regions.

James I's contributions as a legislator and organizer elevated him among European kings. He compiled the Llibre del Consolat de Mar, a maritime trade code that solidified Aragonese supremacy in the western Mediterranean. Additionally, he played a vital role in the development of the Catalan language, supporting Catalan literature and authoring a quasi-autobiographical chronicle of his reign called the Llibre dels fets.

The monument in the Plaza de España in Palma is made of bronze on a stone pedestal with the inscription "Mallorca to the conqueror." After the demolition of the Puerta de Santa Margarita, the Palma City Council decided to erect a monument in honor of King James I. A competition was held, and the winner was Ignacio Farran. Infanta Isabel de Borbón y Borbón laid the cornerstone of the work in 1913. However, Farran abandoned the project in 1914, having only completed the coats of arms of the monument.

Enric Clarassó i Daudí, a Catalan, was the one who continued the works. He created the equestrian figure of the king and the soldier carrying the laurel. Due to financial problems, the ensemble was not inaugurated until the feast of San Sebastián in 1927.