Damian J. Smith - Innocent III and the Crown of Aragon: The Limits of Papal Authority

First published 2004 by Ashgate Publishing

Published 2016 by Routledge
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Copyright 2004 Damian J. Smith

Damian Smith has asserted his moral right under the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act, 1988, to be identified as the author of this work.

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British Library Cataloguing in Publication Data

Smith, Damian J.

Innocent III and the crown of Aragon the limits of papal authority. (Church, faith and culture in the medieval West)

1. Innocent, III, Pope 2. Papacy History To 1309 3. Popes Temporal power 4. Church Authority 5. Aragon (Spain) History James I, 12131276 6. Aragon (Spain) Church history

I. Title
946.5'502

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data

Smith, Damian J.
Innocent III and the crown of Aragon : the limits of papal authority I by Damian J. Smith.

p. cm. - (Church, faith and culture in the Medieval West)

Includes bibliographical references (p. ) and index.
ISBN 07546-34922 (alk. paper)

1. Innocent III, Pope, 1160 or 611216. 2. Aragon (Spain)Foreign relationsCatholic Church. 3. Catholic ChurchForeign relationsSpainAragon. 4. Aragon (Spain)History. I. Title. II. Series.

BX1236.S65 2004
282'.092dc22

2004003906

ISBN 9780754634928 (hbk)

This is a small study. If it has any merits, they owe much to those who unselfishly helped me along the way. I have fond memories of Monday afternoon classes with Miss Bolton and the late Professor Michael Wilks, who together taught me about Innocent III. The book is based on a thesis that was diligently and kindly supervised by Dr John Edwards. I received advice, which set me on my way, from Mr Peter Rycraft and Dr Peter Linehan. Professor Paul Freedman has been generosity personified in providing me with papal letters from his own archival visits to Catalonia. At Birmingham, Drs Ignacio Alvarez, Aengus Ward and Patrick Quinn directed me in matters Hispanic and linguistic. My initial investigations in the archives of Catalonia were facilitated by a letter of introduction provided by the Most Reverend Maurice Couve de Murville, retired Archbishop of Birmingham. In Barcelona, I received the friendship and help of Dr Victor Faras and Dr Montserrat Cabr. I cannot possibly mention all the many archivists in Catalonia, Aragon and Madrid who guided me but I cannot recall one occasion when they were less than courteous and accommodating. I thank them collectively. I also wish to remember Professor Joan Busqueta and his team at Lleida, who made my stay there so enjoyable. In my later travels, I was often accompanied by Dr Martn Alvira Cabrer, who played host to me in Madrid and, on a very memorable trip in Aragon, showed his great expertise not only as historian and palaeographer, but also as rally driver, mountaineer and explorer in arctic conditions. I am greatly in his debt. The staff of the Centre for Cathar studies and members of the Austrian historical institute at Vienna were considerate organizers of relevant conferences in Carcassonne and Rome respectively. Financially I benefited from grants from the University of Birmingham, the Leverhulme Trust and the Generalitat de Catalunya. The original thesis was examined by Professors Robert Swanson, Bernard Hamilton and Nicholas Brooks and I have tried to improve it in response to their wise counsel. I also thank Mr John Doran and Professor Constance Rousseau, both of whom read through parts of the text. I am also grateful to Professor Jocelyn Hill garth, who, at short notice, decided upon the title. As always, Dr John Smedley at Ashgate has been very patient and helpful. By custom last, but in reality very much first, I thank my family, knowing that they would not wish for any thanks.