Background
He was born in Naples, the second son of James II and Blanche of Anjou. During the reign of his father, he was the procurator general of the Crown.
He was born in Naples, the second son of James II and Blanche of Anjou. During the reign of his father, he was the procurator general of the Crown.
His reign saw the incorporation of the County of Urgell, Duchy of Athens, and Duchy of Neopatria into the Crown of Aragon. He is reputed to have been so liberal in the expenses during the wedding, that the local counsels imposed restrictions on how much he could spend. In 1323–1324, he undertook the conquest of Sardinia.
In 1329, he began a long war with the Republic of Genoa.
The city of Sassari surrendered in 1323, but rebelled three more times and was contested by Genoa. She was the sister of Alfonso XI of Castile.