The Story of Majorca and MinorcaMarkham, Clements R. (Clements Robert), Sir
History
The Story of Majorca and Minorca
Markham, Clements R. (Clements Robert), Sir
Balearic Islands (Spain) -- History
During the rest of his life Prince Fernando was connected with the
affairs of Greece. Long before, the Duke of Burgundy and the Comte
de la Marche, grandsons of the King of France, had invaded the
Morea, driven out the Grecian rulers, founded the city of Patras,
and established the French dukedom of Athens and principality of the
Morea. The Catalan company finally put an end to the Athens dukedom by
killing the Comte de Brienne and all his nobles. In the Morea, Louis,
the fifth in descent from the Duke of Burgundy, died without male
heirs, but left two daughters. One inherited the Morea, and the other
the Barony of Matagrifon. One was married to Felipe, a younger son of
Charles of Anjou, and the other to his friend the Count of Andria.
Felipe was recognised as Prince of the Morea, and his friend as Baron
of Matagrifon. Philip died childless, and his widow married a Comte de
Nevers. The Count of Andria died, leaving a daughter Isabel, who was
unjustly deprived of her inheritance. Her mother thought that there was
no knight in Christendom who would be more likely to take up the cause
of an injured and dispossessed princess than En Fernando of Majorca.
The mother, with her beautiful daughter, came to Messina, where they
were hospitably received by the King of Sicily. Muntaner says that
Isabel was the fairest, the rosiest, the most discreet maiden he had
ever seen. The marriage of En Fernando with the fair Isabel of Andria
took place at Messina, and, after several days of festivity, the Prince
took his bride to Catania. Muntaner was then in command of the island
of Gerbes, on the African coast, but he at once complied with a request
that he should join En Fernando. He arrived at Catania a few days
before the Princess gave birth to a fine boy. He brought with him great
store of wedding presents, consisting of richly embroidered dresses,
slippers of finely dressed leather, cloth of various colours, and
jewels. He spread them all out before the Prince and Princess, to their
great delight. The birthday was on the first Saturday in April 1315.
The child received the name of Jayme in the cathedral of St. Agatha at
Catania.
There was a melancholy termination to the bright prospect which seemed
to open before the young married pair. En Fernando had no sooner
completed his preparations to sail for the Morea with a well-equipped
force and recover his wife’s dominions, than Isabel was seized with
a fever and died a month after the birth of her child. She died
in her husband’s arms, who was thus plunged in grief and was long
inconsolable. He buried his bride under a monument near the tomb of St.
Agatha.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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