The 1412 Compromise of Caspe (Compromiso de Caspe in Spanish, Compromís de Casp in Catalan) was an act and resolution of parliamentary representatives of the constituent realms of the Crown of Aragon (the Kingdom of Aragon, Kingdom of Valencia, and Principality of Catalonia), meeting in Caspe, to resolve the interregnum following the death of King Martin of Aragon in 1410 without a legitimate heir. Succession through the male line, as ordained in the will of James I of Aragon should have gone to James II, Count of Urgell, however multiple others claimed the throne, which led to the "conclave" and compromise.

Background

The Aragonese succession laws at that time were based more on custom than any specific legislation, and even case law did not exist. However the will of an earlier king, James I of Aragon had been followed most of the time and all successions after the union of Catalonia with Aragon in 1137 had been to the eldest son, to the next younger brother, or to the only daughter. However, earlier successions indicated that agnates (males in the male line) of the Aragonese royal family had precedence over daughters and descendants of daughters; for example, Martin himself had succeeded over the daughters of his late elder brother, King John I.

However, more distant agnates had lost out to the daughter of the late king in the 11th century, when Petronilla succeeded over claims of the then agnates (second cousins or the like), the kings of Navarre.

J. N. Hillgarth writes: "Among the descendants by the male line, the closest relation to Martin was James II, Count of Urgell." T. N. Bisson writes that "the issue was (or became) political rather than simply legal, a utilitarian question of which candidate with some dynastic claim would make the best king."

Candidates

The major candidates for succession were:

  • James II, Count of Urgell, Martin's closest agnate as patrilineal great-grandson of Alfonso IV of Aragon. Incidentally, he was also Martin's brother-in-law. Appointed Lieutenant of the Kingdom by Martin, he was heir male of the line and claimed the throne according to agnatic primogeniture.
  • Louis of Anjou, matrilineal grandson of John I of Aragon and grandnephew of Martin. He was heir general to the line and claimed the Aragonese throne according to cognatic primogeniture.
  • Alfonso I, Duke of Gandia, 80-year-old patrilineal grandson of James II of Aragon. He claimed the throne by both agnatic seniority and proximity of blood to the previous kings of Aragon. He died in March 1412.
  • John of Ribagorza, brother of Alfonso, who inherited his claim.
  • Ferdinand of Castile, matrilineal grandson of Peter IV of Aragon and nephew of Martin, claimed the throne by proximity of blood to the last king.
  • Frederic, Count of Luna, natural grandson of Martin of Aragon, being the bastard of Martin's predeceased son, Martin I of Sicily. Born illegitimate, he had been legitimized by Antipope Benedict XIII.

Family tree

Interregnum 1410–12

thumb|[[Salvador Vinegra's depiction of the deliberations]]

The parties had agreed to a parliamentary process to resolve the issue, but coordinating deliberations between the cortes (parliaments) of Aragon, Valencia and Catalonia was made difficult by their diverging interests. Thus, a general cortes was demanded by the governor of Catalonia to meet in Montblanc, but the meeting was delayed and ended up in Barcelona, starting in October 1410 and only being Cortes of the Principality of Catalonia. As the Cortes dragged on, the situation became violent.

Antón de Luna, an Aragonese supporter of Count James II of Urgell, assassinated the Archbishop of Zaragoza, García Fernández de Heredía (supporter of Louis of Anjou). This event damaged the candidacy of James of Urgell and gave strength to the candidacy of Ferdinand of Castile (regent of Castile and therefore commanding a nearby army with which he protected his allies). There was fighting in the streets, especially between partisans of Aragon and Valencia. The conflict divided the Kingdom of Aragon, with two rival Cortes meeting: one favorable to Ferdinand of Castile in Alcañiz, and another favorable to James II, Count of Urgell in Mequinenza (but this one was not recognized by the Catalan parliament at Tortosa). The same occurred in Valencia, with Cortes in Traiguera and Vinaròs. Furthermore, in 1410-1412 Ferdinand's troops entered Aragon and Valencia to fight the Urgellists. The Trastamarist victory at the Battle of Morvedre on 27 February 1412 finally left Valencia in their hands.

Conflicts and deliberations

thumb|Proclamation of Ferdinand I as king of Aragon, by [[Dióscoro Puebla]]

Pope Benedict XIII (Avignon) intervened and proposed a smaller group of nine compromisarios (negotiators).