THE KINGDOM OF NAVARRE (711-1515 A.D.)
Garcia Ximenes, first legendary king. Elected after the battle of Guadalete (711) to defend the country against the Moors, from whom he recovers considerable territory. From him the Navarrese writers derive a series of kings who reigned during the eighth and ninth centuries, but they seem, like Garcia Ximenes himself, to be purely fictitious personages. During this period the district seems to have been subjected either to Asturias or the Frankish empire, probably the latter.
778 Charlemagne invades Navarre and seizes Pamplona. On his return to France, after failing before Saragossa, his rearguard under Roland is attacked by troops from Spanish Gascony, including Navarre and other Spanish states, both Christian and Moor, and totally destroyed in the pass of Roncesvalles.
806 Pepin, son of Charlemagne, receives the submission of the Navarrese and organises the government of the country.
836 Sancho Iñigo, count (called by some, king) of Navarre.
885 Garcia I.
891 Moorish invasion. Garcia I is slain. Fortuño Garces rules during the minority of Garcia’s son, Sancho Garces Abarca.
905 Sancho (I) Garces Abarca.
907 Pamplona besieged by the Moors during Sancho’s absence in Gascony. Sancho relieves it after a rapid winter march across the Pyrenees and wins a great victory. Many victories won by Sancho over the Moors and the kingdom extended southwards.
920 Sancho retires to a monastery.
921 Abd ar-Rahman III invades Navarre and routs the combined forces of Navarre and Leon at the Val-de-Junquera. The Navarrese under Sancho defeat Abd ar-Rahman’s forces on their return from a raid into Gascony.
925 Garcia (II), El Tembloso (the Trembler).
951 The king of Navarre in alliance with Fernan Gonsalez, count of Castile, unsuccessfully supports Sancho, prince of Leon, against the latter’s brother, Ordoño III of Leon.
956 Castile invaded by Garcia, and Fernan taken prisoner.
970 Sancho (II), El Mayor (The Great). This king was the most powerful sovereign of Christian Spain at this period. Besides being master of Navarre, Sobrarbe, and
1026 Aragon he conquered Castile after the murder of his brother-in-law, the Count Garcia
1034 and won the eastern portion of Leon as far as the river Cea from Bermudo III. His second son Ferdinand married Bermudo’s sister and heiress, and eventually became sovereign of Leon and Castile (1037). The lordship of Ribagorza was also among Sancho’s acquisitions.
1035 Garcia III inherits Navarre and a small district on the south bank of the Ebro, while the rest of the dominions of Sancho the Great are divided among the latter’s other sons. Ramiro, to whom Aragon had fallen, invades Navarre as Garcia is on a pilgrimage to Rome, but is driven back. Garcia then aids Ferdinand, who has succeeded
1037 to Castile, to triumph over Bermudo III of Leon. But when the latter’s defeat and death give Ferdinand the kingdom of Leon, Garcia turns against his brother and allies himself with the emirs of Saragossa and Tudela.
1054 Battle of Atapuerca. Garcia and his allies defeated and Garcia slain by Ferdinand, who annexes the Navarrese possessions south of the Ebro. Sancho III.
1076 Murder of Sancho by his brother Raymond and his sister Ermesinda. The murderers expelled from the kingdom. The kings of Aragon and Leon dispute for the crown of Navarre. The king of Leon annexes Rioja. The king of Aragon becomes king of Navarre under the name of Sancho (IV) Ramirez.
1094 Pedro (Pedro I of Aragon).
1104 Alfonso (Alfonso I of Aragon). On his death without issue the Navarrese refuse to recognise his will bequeathing his kingdom to the knightly orders of St. John and the Temple, and elect
1134 Garcia (IV) Ramirez, a member of the old royal house of Navarre, while the Aragonese prefer Alfonso’s brother, Ramiro (I) the Monk. Alfonso (VII) Raymond of Castile and Leon, who assumes the title of emperor of all Spain, receives the homage of Garcia and Ramiro. Garcia becomes a feudatory of Ramiro. Alliance between Garcia and Alfonso, count of Portugal, against Alfonso Raymond. Alfonso Raymond invades Navarre. Garcia acknowledges his supremacy.
1140 Alfonso Raymond makes alliance with Aragon for the partition of Navarre and again invades it, while Garcia invades Aragon. After both have won successes, Alfonso and Garcia make peace.
1150 Sancho (V) the Wise. This king’s reign is occupied with obscure and frequent hostilities with the neighbouring states of Aragon, Barcelona, and Castile.
1176 The kings of Castile and Navarre refer their differences to Henry II of England. His
1179 decision is not acted upon, but a later peace between them embraces the same terms.
1191 Berengaria, daughter of Sancho V, marries Richard I of England.
1194 Sancho (VI) the Infirm. He makes alliance with Castile and Leon against the Moors.
1195 Battle of Alarcon. Alfonso VIII of Castile defeated by Yakub Al-mansur. Quarrels amongst the allies. Sancho concludes an alliance with the Almohads. Alfonso of Leon takes Guipuzcoa, Alava, and Biscay. Alliance of Navarre, Leon, Aragon, Castile, and Portugal against the Moors, which leads to the defeat of a Moorish army under Muhammed an-Nasir in the
1212 Battle of Las Navas de Tolosa.
1234 Thibaut I (Theobald or Teobaldo), count of Champagne, elected king.
1239 Seventh Crusade led by Thibaut to Syria. On the defeat of a portion of the army he and the other French princes desert their comrades and return to Spain.
1253 Thibaut II.
1270 Eighth Crusade. Thibaut accompanies St. Louis to the Holy Land and dies on his way home. Henry Crassus.
1274 Joan or Jeanne I succeeds at the age of four. The country reduced to anarchy by disputes between native factions and foreign princes respecting the disposal of her hand.
1284 Joan marries Philip IV of France.
1305 Louis Hutin (Louis X of France) succeeds Joan.
1316 Philip I (V of France) succeeds, to the prejudice of the daughter of Louis Hutin.
1322 Charles I (IV of France), brother of Philip I. The Navarrese protest against this reassertion of the Salic law and on Charles’ death the crown passes to Louis Hutin’s daughter,
1328 Joan II, with her husband, Philip II (count of Évreux), who at their coronation sign a convention securing the independence of Navarre. Massacre of the Jews.
1334 War with Castile.
1343 Philip joins Alfonso XI of Castile in besieging Algeciras and dies during the siege.
1349 Charles (II) the Bad. His endeavours to recover the lordships of Brie and Champagne and his murder of the constable of France lead to his imprisonment by the French king. He escapes and is subsequently pardoned.
1361 Return of Charles to Navarre. He promises to aid Pedro the Cruel of Castile against Aragon.
1366 Alliance of Charles with Edward the Black Prince of Wales to restore Pedro the Cruel. Charles plays fast and loose with the rival kings of Castile and seizes Salvatierra and Logroño for himself.
1370 On the accession of Henry II Charles invades Castile.
1371 Claims of Navarre to Champagne, Brie, etc., ceded to France in exchange for Montpellier. Charles makes peace with Henry II.
1377 Charles accused of plotting to acquire domains in Gascony. His French possessions declared forfeited. The Castilians invade Navarre and besiege Pamplona. Charles makes alliance with the English and on their approach the Castilians retreat.
1385 Charles accused of plotting to poison the French royal family. The last remains of his French possessions are seized.
1387 Charles (III) the Noble.
1403 Dukedom of Nemours granted to the king of Navarre.
1425 Blanche, daughter of Charles the Noble, succeeds with her husband Juan of Aragon. He interferes constantly in the internal troubles of Castile, while Blanche governs peaceably during his absence.
1432 Juan appointed regent of Aragon in the absence of Alfonso V.
1442 Charles of Viana succeeds to Navarre as regent on the death of his mother Blanche. The kingdom is distracted by two parties, the Beaumonts, partisans of Charles, and the Agramonts, partisans of his father Juan.
1447 Juan marries Juana Henriquez and appoints his wife co-regent of Navarre. She quarrels with Charles.
1452 Revolt of Charles. Birth of his half-brother Ferdinand (the Catholic). Battle of Aybar. Juan defeats and captures Charles. Charles is released and returns to Navarre, but finding his enemies too strong for him he withdraws to Naples.
1458 Juan succeeds to the throne of Aragon as Juan II. Misunderstanding between father and son continues till
1460 Charles negotiates for the hand of Isabella of Castile which was desired for his half-brother Ferdinand of Aragon. Charles is arrested by his father when Catalonia revolts in his favour, and Juan is obliged to
1461 recognise him as his heir. The prince dies immediately afterwards.
1464 Blanche, Charles’ eldest sister, dies, probably poisoned at the instigation of her father by her sister Eleanor, countess of Foix. The country continues to be distracted by the wars of the Beaumonts and Agramonts.
1479 Eleanor de Foix becomes queen on the death of Juan and dying immediately afterwards is succeeded by her grandson, Francis Phœbus de Foix.
1483 Catherine de Foix. Ferdinand and Isabella endeavour to secure her hand and kingdom for their eldest son, but she marries Jean d’Albret.
1512 Ferdinand the Catholic demands the cession of six Navarrese fortresses and a free passage through Navarre to facilitate his invasion of Guienne. Treaty of alliance between France and Navarre signed at Blois. Ferdinand’s general, the duke of Alva, takes Pamplona and occupies the whole of upper Navarre. Ferdinand’s English allies refuse to co-operate with him for the reduction of the rest of the country, and on their withdrawal Jean d’Albret with a French army besieges Alva in Pamplona, but for lack of provisions is compelled to retreat.
1513 Treaty between Ferdinand and Louis XII of France by which the latter abandons Navarre. Ferdinand restores order and conciliates the Navarrese towns by confirming their privileges.
1515 The cortes of Burgos formally incorporates Navarre into the kingdom of Castile.