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Birth:          1136 Huesca, Spain
Death:          15 Oct 1173 Barcelona

Notes
m 1150/1151
some records show marriage date of 11 Aug 1137. This could be a contract date? Yes
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Petronilla_of_Aragon
Petronilla (29 June[1]/11 August[2] 1136 – 15 October 1173), whose name is also 
spelled Petronila or Petronella (Aragonese Peyronela or Payronella,[3] and Catalan: 
Peronella), was the Queen of Aragon from the abdication of her father in 1137 until 
her own abdication in 1164. She was the daughter and successor of Ramiro II by his 
queen, Agnes. She was the last ruling member of the Jiménez dynasty in Aragon, and 
by marriage brought the throne to the House of Barcelona.
[edit]

Petronilla came to the throne through special circumstances. Her father, Ramiro, was 
bishop of Barbastro-Roda when his brother, Alfonso I, died without an heir in 1134, 
and left the crown to the three religious military orders. His decision was not 
respected: the aristocracy of Navarre elected a king of their own, restoring their 
independence, and the nobility of Aragon raised Ramiro to the throne. As king, he 
received a papal dispensation to abdicate from his monastic vows in order to secure 
the succession to the throne. King Ramiro the Monk, as he is known, married Agnes of 
Aquitaine in 1135; their only child, Petronilla, was born the next year in Huesca. Her 
marriage was a very important matter of state. The nobility had rejected the 
proposition of Alfonso VII of Castile to arrange a marriage between Petronilla and his 
son Sancho and to educate her at his court. When she was just a little over one year 
old, Petronilla was betrothed in Barbastro on 11 August 1137 to Raymond Berengar IV, 
Count of Barcelona, who was twenty-three years her senior.[4] At El Castellar on 13 
November, Ramiro abdicated, transferred authority to Ramon Berenguer and returned 
to monastic life.[4] Ramon Berenger de facto ruled the kingdom using the title of 
"Prince of the Aragonese" (princeps Aragonensis).

In August 1150, when Petronilla was fourteen, the betrothal was ratified at a wedding 
ceremony held in the city of Lleida.[5] Petronilla consummated her marriage to Ramon 
Berenguer in the early part of 1151, when she reached the age of 15. The marriage 
produced five children: Peter (1152–57), Raymond Berengar (1157–96), Peter (1158–
81), Dulce (1160–98) and Sancho (1161–1223). While she was pregnant with the first, 
on 4 April 1152, she wrote up a will bequeathing her kingdom to her husband in case 
she did not survive childbirth.[6]

While her husband was away in Provence (1156–57), where he was regent (since 
1144) for the young Count Raymond Berengar II, Petronilla remained in Barcelona. 
Accounting records show her moving between there and Vilamajor and Sant Celoni 
while presiding over the court in Raymond Berengar's absence.[7]

Widowhood[edit]

After her husband's death in 1162, Petronilla received the prosperous County of 
Besalú and the Vall de Ribes for life. Her eldest son was seven years old when, on 18 
July 1164, Petronilla abdicated the throne of Aragon and passed it to him. When 
Raymond Berenguer inherited the throne from his mother, he changed his name to 
Alfonso out of deference to the Aragonese. The second son named Peter then 
changed his name to Raymond Berenguer.

Petronilla died in Barcelona in October 1173 and was buried at Barcelona Cathedral; 
her tomb has been lost. After her death, Besalú and Vall de Ribes reverted to the 
direct domain of the Count of Barcelona, her son Alfonso, who by 1174 had bestowed 
Besalú on his wife, Sancha.[8] In the Ribes, the local bailiff, Ramon, had carved out 
for himself "a virtually independent administrative authority" there. He had conducted 
an inventory for Petronilla after Raymond Berenguer's death, and his son and 
namesake was in power in 1198.[9]

Historical significance[edit]

In 1410, after the death of King Martin without living legitimate descendants, the 
House of Barcelona became extinct in the legitimate male line. Two years later, 
Fernando of Trastámara was enthroned per the Compromise of Caspe. Although 
Fernando triumphed mainly for political and military reasons, the theoretical basis of 
his candidacy was inheritance in the female line, for which Petronilla served as the 
precedent. He was the closest relative of the late king, but they were related through 
women. His chief opponent, Count James II of Urgell, was related to Martin more 
distantly, but in the male line. In Catalonia there were indications that women were 
forbidden to hold comital office, but in Aragon there was no legislation on the subject. 
In both places there were a few cases of women who had passed on their right to their 
sons, most importantly Petronilla.

There is a long debate whether Petronilla was the true ruler of Aragon. Some claim 
that Ramiro II gave the kingdom of Aragon to his son-in-law and that the presence of 
Petronilla was secondary. According to Jerónimo de Zurita, there was a clause in the 
pact with Ramon Berenguer stating that if Petronilla died, Aragon would pass to the 
children of Ramon Berenguer through a future second marriage. In any case, there is 
insufficient documentation to make a completely conclusive statement about the 
question and the Compromise of Caspe confirmed the legitimacy of female 
transmission.[10

Parents
SANCHEZ Ramiro II "the Monk" (24 Apr 1086 - 16 Aug 1157)
OF AQUITAINE Agnes (Maud) (Matilda) (ABT 1105 - ABT 1159)

Siblings
OF ARAGON Petronilla (Petronel) I (1136 - 15 Oct 1173)

Marriage To ____ Raymond (Ramon) Berenguer IV (1113 - 6 Aug 1162)
    m. Aug 1150 Lleida, Aragon

Notes

Parents
BERENGER Raymond (Raimund) III (IV) "el Grande" (11 Nov 1082 - 19 Jun 1131)
DI GIEVAUDUN (MILHAUD) Douce (Dulce) Aldonza (1090 - 1127)

Children by ____ Raymond (Ramon) Berenguer IV 1113 - 6 Aug 1162
____ Alfonso II "The Chaste" (Mar 1157 - 25 Apr 1196)
____ Dulce (Aldonza) (ABT 1159 - 1 Sep 1198)

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