Community hub
Recent from talks
Knowledge base stats:
Talk channels stats:
Members stats:
Eleanor of Arborea
Eleanor of Arborea or Eleanor De Serra Bas (Sardinian: Elianora de Arbarée / Elianora De Serra Bas, Italian: Eleonora d'Arborea / Eleonora De Serra Bas; 1347 – June 1404) was one of the most powerful and important, and one of the last, judges of the Judicate of Arborea in Sardinia, and Sardinia's most famous heroine. She is also known for updating of the Carta de Logu, promulgated by her father Marianus IV and revisited by her brother Hugh III.
Eleanor was born in Molins de Rei (Catalonia, Crown of Aragon), around 1347, to Marianus IV De Serra Bas, judge of Arborea, and Timbors of Rocabertí, a Catalan noble. Sister to Hugh and Beatrix of Arborea, she lived her first years in Oristano, at the castle of Goceano. When Peter III of Arborea died without an heir, the Corona de Logu of the Judgedom (an assembly of notables, prelates, city and village officials) elected Eleanor's father Marianus IV, Peter's brother, who ruled the Judgedom between 1347 and 1376.
Before 1376, Eleanor married the forty-year-old Brancaleone Doria, from an influential Genoan house. The marriage was designated to be part of the designed alliance between the houses of Arborea and Doria, the last of which already held many possessions on Sardinia in an anti-Aragonese function. After the marriage, she resided in Castelgenovese (modern-day Castelsardo), where she gave birth to her sons Fredrick and Marianus.
It now seems certain that in 1382 Eleanor gave a loan of 4,000 gold florins to Nicolò Guarco, doge of the Republic of Genoa, and that the latter for his part undertook to repay the sum within ten years; otherwise, he would have paid double. In addition the condition was signed that, if in the meantime Fredrick (Eleonor's eldest son) had reached puberty, the daughter of Doge Bianchina would have had to marry him and, in the event that this marriage could not be celebrated (due to death or other fortuitous event), the act would have become null.
A similar loan to a powerful family of Genoa, and this clause of the contract, indicate a dynastic design by Eleonor who, by granting this credit, together kept the prestige of her lineage high and recognized the importance of the interests of the Ligurians. In addition, she laid the foundations for an alliance that would allow her to have recourse to logistical and connection resources (through the powerful Dorian fleet) in most of the Mediterranean ports. In essence, she entered the game of European politics on an equal footing.
The murder in 1383 of Marianus IV's son—Eleanor’s brother—Hugh III and his daughter Benedetta immediately posed problems of succession. This sudden and violent death could have various reasons and could benefit various interests. The claimants to the Arborean throne were the children of the late judge's sisters, Beatrix and Eleanor. But Beatrix had died in 1377 and her heir was too far away. Eleanor, closer and more present than her, worked hard to ensure the election by the Corona de Logu of her very young son. Recent studies, based on a letter from Aimery VI of Narbonne, husband of Beatrix, to King Peter IV of Aragon, in which he claimed the Arborean throne for his son William II, immediately after the death of Hugh III), ascertain that Eleanor was the third child of Marianus and Timbora.
The external reasons for the murder were those of the Aragonese and the enemies of Arborea; the internal ones could be identified in the discontent of the classes of owners and merchants, in reaction to the authoritarian attitude of Hugh III and for the vexatious contributions (necessary to keep the German, Provençal and Burgundian mercenaries).
In this climate of crisis and discontent, with Aragon already openly willing to conquer the entire island, in 1383 Eleanor wrote a report to the king on the conditions of Sardinia and asked him to recognize her son Fredrick as the legitimate successor of Hugh. She then sent her husband Brancaleone to deal directly with the sovereign. At the same time she sent a letter to the queen, asking her to intercede with her spouse in favor of her son so that she could end the disorder that reigned on the island.
Hub AI
Eleanor of Arborea AI simulator
(@Eleanor of Arborea_simulator)
Eleanor of Arborea
Eleanor of Arborea or Eleanor De Serra Bas (Sardinian: Elianora de Arbarée / Elianora De Serra Bas, Italian: Eleonora d'Arborea / Eleonora De Serra Bas; 1347 – June 1404) was one of the most powerful and important, and one of the last, judges of the Judicate of Arborea in Sardinia, and Sardinia's most famous heroine. She is also known for updating of the Carta de Logu, promulgated by her father Marianus IV and revisited by her brother Hugh III.
Eleanor was born in Molins de Rei (Catalonia, Crown of Aragon), around 1347, to Marianus IV De Serra Bas, judge of Arborea, and Timbors of Rocabertí, a Catalan noble. Sister to Hugh and Beatrix of Arborea, she lived her first years in Oristano, at the castle of Goceano. When Peter III of Arborea died without an heir, the Corona de Logu of the Judgedom (an assembly of notables, prelates, city and village officials) elected Eleanor's father Marianus IV, Peter's brother, who ruled the Judgedom between 1347 and 1376.
Before 1376, Eleanor married the forty-year-old Brancaleone Doria, from an influential Genoan house. The marriage was designated to be part of the designed alliance between the houses of Arborea and Doria, the last of which already held many possessions on Sardinia in an anti-Aragonese function. After the marriage, she resided in Castelgenovese (modern-day Castelsardo), where she gave birth to her sons Fredrick and Marianus.
It now seems certain that in 1382 Eleanor gave a loan of 4,000 gold florins to Nicolò Guarco, doge of the Republic of Genoa, and that the latter for his part undertook to repay the sum within ten years; otherwise, he would have paid double. In addition the condition was signed that, if in the meantime Fredrick (Eleonor's eldest son) had reached puberty, the daughter of Doge Bianchina would have had to marry him and, in the event that this marriage could not be celebrated (due to death or other fortuitous event), the act would have become null.
A similar loan to a powerful family of Genoa, and this clause of the contract, indicate a dynastic design by Eleonor who, by granting this credit, together kept the prestige of her lineage high and recognized the importance of the interests of the Ligurians. In addition, she laid the foundations for an alliance that would allow her to have recourse to logistical and connection resources (through the powerful Dorian fleet) in most of the Mediterranean ports. In essence, she entered the game of European politics on an equal footing.
The murder in 1383 of Marianus IV's son—Eleanor’s brother—Hugh III and his daughter Benedetta immediately posed problems of succession. This sudden and violent death could have various reasons and could benefit various interests. The claimants to the Arborean throne were the children of the late judge's sisters, Beatrix and Eleanor. But Beatrix had died in 1377 and her heir was too far away. Eleanor, closer and more present than her, worked hard to ensure the election by the Corona de Logu of her very young son. Recent studies, based on a letter from Aimery VI of Narbonne, husband of Beatrix, to King Peter IV of Aragon, in which he claimed the Arborean throne for his son William II, immediately after the death of Hugh III), ascertain that Eleanor was the third child of Marianus and Timbora.
The external reasons for the murder were those of the Aragonese and the enemies of Arborea; the internal ones could be identified in the discontent of the classes of owners and merchants, in reaction to the authoritarian attitude of Hugh III and for the vexatious contributions (necessary to keep the German, Provençal and Burgundian mercenaries).
In this climate of crisis and discontent, with Aragon already openly willing to conquer the entire island, in 1383 Eleanor wrote a report to the king on the conditions of Sardinia and asked him to recognize her son Fredrick as the legitimate successor of Hugh. She then sent her husband Brancaleone to deal directly with the sovereign. At the same time she sent a letter to the queen, asking her to intercede with her spouse in favor of her son so that she could end the disorder that reigned on the island.