The legitimation ceremony of Frederick of Aragon-Rizzari
614 years ago, on June 1, 1410, in the Tinell Hall of the Palau Reial in Barcelona, the legitimation ceremony of Frederick of Aragon-Rizzari, natural son and only male descendant of the late Martin the Younger and the King Martin I, known as ‘the Human’. This ceremony was of great importance, since Frederick would become the heir to the throne of Aragon and Catalonia.
The origin of Frederick of Aragon-Rizzari
Frederick of Aragon-Rizzari was born in 1402 as a result of an extramarital relationship between Martin the Younger and the Palermo noblewoman Tarsia Rizzari. During the first years of his life, Frederick lived at the court of the Catalan-Sicilian kings of Palermo. However, in 1407, he was claimed by Martin I and separated from his mother. Despite family ties, the Barcelona chancellery was obsessively legitimist and the Catalan-Aragonese throne had never been occupied by a king of illegitimate origin or descendant of illegitimate parents.
The preparation and legitimation of Federico
Since his arrival at court in 1407, Martin I was in charge of training Frederick to govern the Crown and prepare his legitimation. However, the unexpected death of Martin the Younger in 1409 during the Sardinian campaign further complicated the situation. Despite this, Martin I continued with the preparations and deployed a legal argument to legitimize Frederick as heir to the throne. The legitimation ceremony was scheduled for June 1, 1410, but the day before, May 31, Martin I died unexpectedly and mysteriously.
The mystery surrounding the death of Martin I
The death of Martin I was officially attributed to his ailments and his advanced age. However, from the beginning, suspicions arose about the circumstances of his death. Catalan romantic historiography pointed to the supporters of Fernando de Trastámara as responsible, since Federico’s legitimation harmed both Fernando and Jaime de Urgell, the two best-placed candidates for the throne. However, modern research has not been able to determine with certainty the authorship of his death.
The legacy of Federico de Aragón-Rizzari
Despite the interruption of the legitimation ceremony, the legacy of Federico de Aragón-Rizzari lives on in the history of Aragon and Catalonia. His position as heir to the throne and his role in the royal succession have been the subject of study and debate over the centuries. The figure of Federico represents a crucial moment in the history of the Catalan-Aragonese monarchy and his legacy remains relevant today.