The Mediterranean Kingdoms

Crown of Aragón's coastal empire

Explore the maritime empire of the Crown of Aragón along the Mediterranean coast, from the Romanesque valleys of Catalonia to the Moorish fortresses of Alicante and the island kingdom of Mallorca.

The Crown of Aragón was medieval Europe's great Mediterranean power. From its heartland in the valleys of Catalonia and Aragón, this confederation of kingdoms expanded to encompass Valencia, Mallorca, Sardinia, Sicily, Naples, and briefly even Athens. Its trading fleets dominated the western Mediterranean; its legal code (the Usatges) was among the most advanced in Europe; and its kings — particularly Jaume I 'the Conqueror' and Pedro III 'the Great' — rank among the most formidable rulers of the medieval world.

This itinerary follows the Crown's Mediterranean expansion through 17 stops covering approximately 950 kilometres along the coast and one offshore island. Beginning at Cardona — the 'salt mountain fortress' that was the economic engine of medieval Catalonia — the route moves through the Romanesque treasures of interior Catalonia before following the coast south through the chain of fortresses that Jaume I conquered between 1229 and 1245: Valencia, Xàtiva, Villena, Alicante.

The route crosses to Mallorca, where Jaume I's 1229 invasion ended centuries of Muslim rule and established the Kingdom of Mallorca. At Bellver Castle, the only circular Gothic castle in Spain, and the mountain village of Fornalutx, described as 'the prettiest village in Spain,' the Mediterranean dimension of Spanish medieval history reveals itself in its full, sun-drenched glory.

Stops on this route

1. Cardona Castle — The 'salt mountain fortress' — Catalonia's most important medieval castle, now a luxury parador
2. Besalú — Romanesque bridge and one of Spain's only surviving medieval Jewish mikvahs (ritual baths)
3. Rupit — Hanging bridge village in the volcanic Garrotxa region — stone houses clinging to a cliff
4. Hostalric Castle — Built on volcanic basalt rock — strategic fortress controlling the road from Barcelona to France
5. Montblanc Castle — The medieval walled town where Sant Jordi (St. George) allegedly slew the dragon
6. Siurana — Last Moorish stronghold in Catalonia — the queen's legendary leap from the cliff rather than surrender
7. Miravet Castle — Templar fortress on the Ebro — their last holdout against the King of Aragón in 1308
8. Siege of Tortosa (1148) — Ramon Berenguer IV conquers the key Ebro fortress with Templar and Genoese support
9. Peñíscola Castle — Castle-town jutting into the Mediterranean — home to the antipope Benedict XIII (Papa Luna)
10. Sagunto Castle — Ancient acropolis where Hannibal's siege in 219 BC triggered the Second Punic War
11. Siege of Valencia (1238) — Jaume I's greatest conquest — the city that became the second jewel of the Crown of Aragón
12. Xàtiva Castle — Double castle of the Borgia family — with a portrait of Philip V hung upside-down as eternal protest
13. Villena Castle — Tower fortress of the Vinalopó valley — the famous Villena Treasure (Iron Age gold) was found nearby
14. Alicante Castle — Santa Bárbara fortress 166m above the sea — panoramic views of the entire Costa Blanca
15. Siege of Mallorca (1229) — Jaume I's daring amphibious invasion with 150 ships — the birth of the Kingdom of Mallorca
16. Bellver Castle — Europe's only circular Gothic castle — built for the kings of Mallorca in the 14th century
17. Fornalutx — Consistently voted 'Spain's prettiest village' — a stone hamlet in the Tramuntana mountains

Practical information

The mainland portion follows the AP-7 motorway and coastal roads. A ferry from Dénia or Valencia to Mallorca takes 4–8 hours (Balearia or Trasmediterránea). Car hire on Mallorca is recommended. Several castles on this route are free to visit (Miravet, Siurana). The Parador at Cardona occupies the castle. Mediterranean cuisine varies dramatically along the route: escudella in Catalonia, paella in Valencia, ensaimada in Mallorca.

Terrain: Catalan interior valleys → Ebro river delta → Valencia's coastal plain → Alicante's rocky coast → Balearic island mountains