Quick Facts
Byname:
James the Just
Spanish:
Jaime el Justo
Born:
c. 1264
Died:
Nov. 3, 1327, Barcelona, Aragon [Spain]
Britannica AI Icon
Adding us as a Preferred Source tells Google you trust our content, so our articles show up more often in your Google Search, Discover feed, and AI Overviews.
verifiedCite
While every effort has been made to follow citation style rules, there may be some discrepancies. Please refer to the appropriate style manual or other sources if you have any questions.
Select Citation Style
Feedback
Corrections? Updates? Omissions? Let us know if you have suggestions to improve this article (requires login).
Thank you for your feedback

Our editors will review what you’ve submitted and determine whether to revise the article.

James II

king of Aragon and Sicily
Also known as: Jaime el Justo, James I, James the Just

James II (born c. 1264—died Nov. 3, 1327, Barcelona, Aragon [Spain]) was the king of Aragon from 1295 to 1327 and king of Sicily (as James I) from 1285 to 1295.

At the death of his father, Peter III, on Nov. 11, 1285, James inherited Sicily, and his elder brother became Alfonso III of Aragon, Catalonia, and Valencia. When his brother died (1291) he inherited Aragon and resigned Sicily (1295), marrying Blanche, daughter of Charles II of Naples, in an endeavour to make peace with the Angevins. Sardinia and Corsica were both assigned to him in compensation for Sicily, but he was able to occupy Sardinia only (1324). He was succeeded by his son Alfonso IV.

This article was most recently revised and updated by Encyclopaedia Britannica.
Discover the fascinating events that shaped the world, straight from our editors.
By clicking “Sign Up”, you consent to the Britannica Privacy Policy and Terms of Use.