But James I was Aragonese or Catalan?

BarcelonaWho hasn't found themselves immersed, these hot days, in an absurd discussion with someone from Madrid or Aragon about whether Catalonia was ever an independent territory or if they were mere counties dependent on the Kingdom of Aragon? About whether Jaume I was Catalan or Aragonese? In these cases, it's always good to have a good historical summary at hand, like the one published these days in the newspaperEl Punt Avuiby historian Cristian Palomo. This is precisely one of the functions of the press: to translate historiographical (or scientific in general) erudition into educational pieces accessible to the general public. Not everyone needs to know the genealogical tree of the House of Barcelona inside out, but we should have some basics that allow us to easily and quickly discredit some theses.

Palomo explains very well, for example, how the title of Count of Barcelona is not just another noble title (like the Count of Godó, for example), but rather the title of a sovereign, a prince, almost since its constitution by Charlemagne. That is why in the Middle Ages a count could be much more powerful than a king, which is exactly what happened in the case of Count Ramon Berenguer IV of Barcelona when he married Princess Peronella of Aragon. The fact that from then on his sons held the title of King of Aragon above that of Count of Barcelona does not hide that it was actually this latter title that gave historical continuity and patrimonial value to the House. Palomo explains that the title of Count of Barcelona "is one of the highest and most prestigious count titles in the world," and as proof of this, it is what Juan de Borbón chose to declare himself as a claimant to the throne. There are few count titles in the world that have survived for more than a millennium, always linked to the sovereignty of a territory.