Collioure’s Medieval History (900 to 1500)
Counts of Roussilon in Collioure, 900 AD
After the Greeks, Phoecians, Romans, Visigoths and Arabs sejourns in Collioure over a thousand years, French Collioure really began began with the First Count of Roussilon, Guifred, under the Franks in the 9th century AD.
Kings of Aragon in Collioure, 1172 AD
The medieval town of Collioure really begun from 1172, however, when Collioure became part of the Kingdom of Aragon when the last count of the independent county of Roussillon left his land to the count of Barcelona, who was also the king of Aragon. To protect its strategic interests work began on the Château Royal de Collioure.
Under the Aragonese kings, we can say that Collioure begun to absorb the Catalan influence so famous today and the Kings of Aragon made Collioure their summer residence because of its strategic location as it was the go-to maritime link between the two sides of the Pyrenees when the mountains were practically impassable and dangerous.
Being such a strategic port, Collioure begun to grow as a trading post and, in 1207, Peter II of Aragon awarded the towns with more trading right and tax breaks on goods - think free trade and duty-free shopping! This similarly attracted the Knights Templar who grew their presence and influence from this period.
In 1212, a relative named Nunyo Sang, who was related to the future King James I of Aragon, was tasked with administrating Roussillon and Cerdagne, and he ruled Collioure for many years and provided stability and he began the building of Collioure’s harbour by the castle.
Then, in 1258, the Treaty of Corbeil was signed, which basically drew a line between France and Aragon and lasted for 400 years – from Corbières to Collioure.
James 1 was a pretty enlightened ruler (for the time). He was very open to learning, international trade and he made a Majorca hotspot for learning, with universities, schools and large Jewish and Christian communities. He also welcomed skilled workers in drapery experts, leather and Collioure was key part of the economy of Perpignan in the form of shipping, taxes and tolls.
As a result, business in the town boomed, and Collioure grew rapidly to over 3000 people in the thirteenth century. Indeed, this attracted the Templars in 1207, the Hospitallers in 1208 and the Dominicans in 1280.
When James I of Aragon died in 1276, his realm was split between his sons: Peter III got Aragon and James II got the Balearic Islands, Cerdagne and Roussillon and chose Perpignan as the capital.
Kingdom of Majorca in Collioure, 1304 AD
This kicked off the short-lived golden era of the Kingdom of Majorca and Collioure flourished. In the summer of 1304, kings, queens, princes, princesses and nobles gathered inside the Dominican Monastery which still lies on the southern end of Collioure (now occupied by Les Celliers des Dominicans and Le Jardin de Collioure restaurant).
Here at the Dominican Monastery, Ramon Costa, the Bishop of Elne, officiated the wedding of Prince Sanç of Majorca to Marie of Anjou and Marie’s brother, Sanga, to Robert I of Anjou, who was going to be the king of Naples.
These weddings, pushed by Charles II of Naples, were the latest drama in an ongoing scrap between Anjou and Aragon that had been bubbling away. Even though times were good, the two brothers – Peter III and James I waged war with each other and brutal civil war ensured.
By 1344, long story short, the Peter III, King of Aragon defeated his brother and grabbed Roussillon, Cerdanya and the Balaerics and united them all as the Principality of Catalonia with Perpignan as Capital and Collioure as the largest port. James III died in hiding in Montpellier in 1349 whilst still scheming how to get his throne back.
By the fourteenth century, Collioure had become well known for the trade and shipping of textiles, wine, salted fish, oil and iron from the forges at Vallespir – shipping across the Mediterranean and Middle East.
In return, Eastern sailors from Syria and further beyond arrived with sugar, cotton, gold, silver and dyes to trade. Slaves were also traded and often sold at Collioure to joined the soldiers in the garrison.
Collioure Windmill, 1337
The historic windmill of Collioure, dates back to 11 February 1337, when the Knight Raymond de Toulouse, acting on behalf of the King of Majorca, granted Jacques Ermengald of Collioure the right to operate this windmill.
Originally used to grind grain, it fell into disrepair by the 19th century but was meticulously restored in 2001 and now produce high-quality olive oil using traditional methods and local olives like Picual and Hojiblanca.
You can walk up there via a short scenic hike through olive and almond groves from Fort St-Elme or a steep path from the Musée d'Art Moderne and the windmill operates as an olive oil mill and opens for visitors from April to September.
Pope Benedict XIII in Collioure
In 1408, the last Avignon pope, Benedict XIII, sailed into Collioure. Since 1378, the famous Papal Schism had split the Catholic Church in two, and Spanish-born Benedict, fleed from his palace in Avignon when French troops arrived to lay siege and, thanks to the support from the King of Aragon, landed in Collioure on 2 July 1408.
Benedict XIII remained in Collioure for most of that summer trying to plot a way through the impasse until 23 August 1408 when Charles III of Navarre arrived to meet him and Benedict received support from Navarre, Aragon and Castile and other regions.
With firm support and protection, Benedict relocated to the Kings of Majora Palace in Perpignan where he tried to grow his support base across Europe from November to July 1409, but got nowhere and retreated to Barcelona.
By 1415, with the Schism still splitting Europe, the German Emperor Sigismund called for a European summit in Perpignan, hoping to get Benedict to quit. So, in August 1415, Envoys from England, France, Hungary, Castile and Navarre – including Ferdinand 1 of Aragon – convened in Perpignan to try to hammer out a deal that went on for months.
Yes, once more, Benedict XIII said “no deal” and retreat to his hometown of Peniscola for good in November 1415. The talks kept going in Perpignan, but he was clearly on his way out.
On 6 January 1416, finally, the Benedict-loyal Council in Perpignan wrote an edict giving up Benedict's claim and the Council of Constance elected a new pope in his place in July 1417.
On 1 November 1417, the Catholic church reunited as one big happy family and the famous schism was over with Benedict looking on from Spain, powerless, until he died in 1423.
King Louis XI of France & Collioure
The short-lived Kingdom of Majorca was to come to an end in 1458 when King Alphonse died and King John II of Aragon cut a deal with Louis XI of France, who then sent an army to take Perpignan and Collioure.
Thus, the first time we can really say that the French ruled Collioure was from 1460, when the King of Aragon, Joan II, needed help to deal with a Catalan revolt. Desperate, he invited King Louis XI of France and The French army set up camp in the strongholds of Roussillon and Cerdagne.
Even then, the Catalan culture and identity was strong and the French suffered numerous revolts and uprising during their short rule most notably led by the self-styled Lord of Collioure, Guillaiume d’Oms.
But, Louis XI sent more troops to put down Collioure and they even briefly renamed Collioure as Saint-Michel. But, it was a short 30-year rule, not helped by frequent attacks by the Ottoman Empire and barbary pirates from North Africa who joined up to attack Collioure, led by the infamous Barbarossa brothers.