ABSTRACT
The Holy Land and the Crusades continued to be a point of reference in the thoughts and ambitions of many men and women in the Hispanic territories of the Crowns of Aragon and Navarre during the thirteenth century. This chapter examines how the Holy Land was perceived through its principal agents, the Templars and Hospitallers, who were understood a priori to be the most direct representatives of the Holy Land. In terms of political practice and ideology, the Holy Land was a key issue in the consolidation of the image of the king, who would not only lead the Crusades but was also expected to play a leading role in them in relation to the pope during a period of incipient international relations. The vicissitudes of the Guelph-Ghibelline conflict in relation to the Kingdom of Sicily, conditioned the diplomatic activities concerning a reactivation of the Crusades at this point in time.
