Catalan Crusade, also known as the Crusade of James I, was a 1269 failed attempt of crusade, organized by the Crown of Aragon, led by king James I of Aragon, against the Mamluk Sultanate, led by Baibars. The crusade aimed at reconquering the Holy Land from Muslim control, back into Christian sphere of influence. It ended with a failure, as most of the Aragonian forces weren't able to reach the destination of the invasion, and the remaining forces weren't numerous enough to withstand the Mamluk army, in effect, being destroyed at the arival.
Background
editIn 1268, James I of Aragon, the king of the Crown of Aragon, was attempting the
Chaime I d'Aragón was in Toledo in the year 1268 to attend the first mass of his son or infant Sancho d'Aragón, archbishop of this city and received an embassy from the Ilkhanate of Persia sent by Abaqa Khan , that he offered help in an expedition against the Holy Land that he planned or king and that Michael VIII Paleologo would also be emperor of Romanya.
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The Crusade of James I, also called the Catalan Crusade, or Catalan Crusade, was a failed attempt at a crusade in 1269, [1] which would have been the Ninth Crusade.
James I the Conqueror, being in Toledo on Christmas Day 1268 to attend the first Mass of his son the Infant Sancho of Aragon, archbishop of the city received a Tartar embassy, who offered his help to the Roman emperor of the East Michael VIII Paleologist against the Turks in an expedition to the Holy Land projected by the Conqueror.
On September 4, 1269, a flock of 30 large ships and some galleys set sail from Barcelona, with eight hundred chosen men, Almogavars, Templars, Hospitallers, and the natural children of King Ferdinand Sanxis de Castre and Peter I Ferrandis of Hixar. a total army of 2,500 men. The company was a total failure, as a storm forced the damaged royal galley to take refuge in Aigües Mortes, near Montpellier, where the king disembarked and returned by land to Catalonia, while only 11 ships went finally reaching Sant Joan d'Acre led by Sanxis de Castre and Ferrandis. The arrival of Christian reinforcements was answered by Sultan Baybars I with an attack on Acre that caused many casualties among the Crusaders. [2]
At the Council of Lyons II in 1274, James I offered to take up the cross, but his offer was not accepted.
On September 4, 1269, he left Barcelona with 30 naus grans and any galleys, with 800 trigau men, almogavars, templers, hospitalers and the fillos bordes d'o rei Ferrando Sanchez de Castro and Pero Ferrández d'Íxar, an army total of 2,500 men. The company was a total failure due to a thunderstorm that forced the galley reyal to dock in Aigües Mortes, near Montpeller, on o rei disembarked and returned by land to Catalonia while only 11 ships managed to finally arrive at Sant Chuan d'Acre led by Ferrando Sánchez de Castro and Pero Ferrández d'Íxar. The arrival of Christian reinforcements was answered by o soldán Baybars I with an attack on Acre that caused many losses in the cruisers.[2]
In the council of León d'el Roine in 1274, Chaime offered to accept the cross but his offer was not met.