ABSTRACT
ThereignofPeterIV,'theCeremonious',hasspecialimportanceastheperiod(thoughalongone,from1336to1387) duringwhichthekingofAragonbegantoarticulatemore clearlyaconceptionoftheoverallintegrityofthelandsof theCrownofAragon.Thismarksasignificantstepbeyond thelimitedintentionofjamesII'sPrivilegeofUnion.The youngPeterhadwitnessed,beforecomingtothethrone, thestruggleforSardinia;hisreignbeganwiththeassertionofhisauthorityinM~jorca;bytheendofhislifehe waslayingdownplansforthereincorporationofSicilytoo intohisdominions.WritingtohisheirJohnin1380,Peter insistedthat:
Hillgarthcommentsthat'thisexceptionallyclearperception ofthemaritimevocationofCataloniaandoftheinterconnectionoftheislandsofthewesternandcentralMediterranean ...isproofofapoliticalvisionacquired,painfully,overa longreign'.~Theattentionofhistorianshasfocusedso
heavilyonthefoundersoftheAragonesecommonwealth inthethirteenthandearlyfourteenthcenturythatPeter's roleasthefigurewhotried,withvaryingsuccess,toimpose anunprecedenteddegreeofunityonhisdisparatelands cantooeasilybepassedby.
