2. THE CROWN OF ARAGÓN -
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THE KINGDOM OF ARAGÓN AND THE COUNTY OF BARCELONA Until the early 11 th century the County of Aragón had belonged to the kingdom of Navarra. But Ramiro I declared himself ruler of the Kingdom of Aragón and little by little his sucessors expanded into the Ebro valley. The other key region in the east was the County of Barcelona, which became independent under Count Borrell II and gradually took control of the other catalan countries. Under king Alfonso I El Batallador,Aragón achieved control over central part of the Ebro valley and established its capital at Zaragoza. Alfonso I had no children and tried unsuccessfully to leave his territories to the military orders. But Navarra and Aragón chose separate rulers. In Aragón, his successor Ramiro II arranged for his daughter Petronila to marry Ramón Berenguer IV, Count of Barcelona, leading to the creation of the Crown of Aragón. Their son, Alfonso II of Aragón inherited both teritories becoming its first king. The Crown of Aragón was a federation. Its territories had the same king, but they each had their own cortes and completely separate laws and institutions.
2. THE CROWN OF ARAGÓN THE CONQUEST OF THE EBRO VALLEY
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After his conquest of Zaragoza, Alfonso I of Aragón captUred other towns such as Tudela and Calatayud. The territory ruled by the Counts of Barcelona had been known as Old Cataluña. Now the Counts occupied the land around Tarragona, which was the beginning of a new frontier area called New Cataluña. Ramón Berenguer IV’s conquest of towns like Tortosa and Lleida and the occupation of the Ebro delta completed New Cataluña. His son Alonso II conquered territory in the south of Aragón and founded the city of Teruel. The kings of Aragón played an important role in south-west France, where they gained the allegiance of many feudal lords. But this influence ended with the defeat of Pedro II in the Battle of Muret.