Abstract
Alphonse II King of Aragon (1164–1196). He was the first king of the Crown of Aragon and son of the Queen Petronila of Aragon (1157–1164) and the count of Barcelona, Ramon Berenguer IV (1137–1162). Aware of the new political reality that he embodied as King of Aragon and Count of Barcelona, Alphonse II made significant changes to his iconography. Among the most important of these is the binomial that he incorporated to his pendent seals; that is, a portrayal of Alphonse enthroned as king on the obverse and Alphonse as count and mounted on a horse on the reverse. As a known bibliophile and as a result of his desire to reorganise his chancellery following the union of various political entities, he ordered the compilation of the Liber Feudorum Maior, the folios of which demonstrate his potestas regia through their lavish iconography. He was no less innovative in his coinage, on which he included, for the first time, the image of his head wearing the crown.
Highlights
Definition: Alphonse II King of Aragon (1164–1196)
Does emphasise the difference between thecrowned two ranks means insignia andNeverclothing; theless, the artist does emphasise the difference between the two ranks meansa of infor example, on fol. 62r, Alphonse II (Figure 6) is depicted with a visibleby crown, precious signia and clothing; for example, on fol. 62r, Alphonse II (Figure 6) is depicted with a mantle knotted over his shoulder and rich clothing, while on another folio, a letter that visible crown, a precious mantle knotted over his shoulder and rich clothing, while on he signs only as count, he is depicted with his head uncovered and in simpler attire
Other images of Alphonse II can be found throughout the Middle Ages in the Crown of Aragon, such as in the copies of the Fuero Latino de Teruel, from the mid-13th century and preserved in Biblioteca Nacional, Madrid, ms. 690, D-44 and Archivo Municipal, Teruel: see [11], pp. 135–137), which show images of the king as an author; some of the folios of the Usatges i constitucions de Catalunya from the Arxiu Municipal de la Paeria, in Lleida [31,32], dated to the 1320s, on whose fol. 25r the king presides over the Courts of Peace and Truce, or folio 75r, in one of whose initials he appears as author at the approval of the Courts of Monzón
Summary
Publisher’s Note: MDPI stays neutral with regard to jurisdictional claims in published maps and institutional affiliations. King Ramiro II on 11 August 1137, which led to his marriage to Princess Petronila. The count was king, a legal combination that was resolved by giving pre-eminence to the royal title. Well aware of the relevance and significance of his person as the latest link in the royal chain, and in order to make visible the continuity of the regia stirps that he represented, he revived the name and, to great effect, the signum regis used by Alphonse I, the last and legendary de facto king of Aragon (about Alphonse II, see: [1,2,3,4,5,6])
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a call
