Peter I, Count of Urgell
| Peter I | |
|---|---|
 |
|
| jure uxoris Count of Urgell | |
| Reign | 1229-1231 |
| Predecessor | Aurembiaix |
| Successor | James I |
| Co-Ruler | Aurembiaix |
| Lord of Balearic Islands | |
| Reign | 1236-1258 |
| Born | 23 February 1187 Coimbra, Kingdom of Portugal |
| Died | 2 June 1258 (aged 71) Balearic Islands, Crown of Aragon |
| Burial | Palma de Mallorca, Spain |
| Spouse | Aurembiaix, Countess of Urgell |
| Issue |
Rodrigo de Urgel (illegitimate) Fernando Pedro de Urgel (illegitimate) |
| House | House of Burgundy |
| Father | Sancho I of Portugal |
| Mother | Dulce of Aragon |
| Religion | Roman Catholicism |
Peter I (Portuguese: Pedro, pronounced: [ˈpedɾu]) (February 23, 1187 - June 2, 1258) was the second son of King Sancho I of Portugal and his wife Dulce, infanta of Aragon, and would eventually become Count of Urgell and Lord of the Balearic Islands.
Peter was born at Coimbra.
After the death of his father, Peter took the side of his sisters Mafalda, Sancha and Theresa, in their quarrel with his elder brother, now King Afonso II, over inheritance of the castles of Seia, Alenquer and Montemor-o-Novo, Peter got the protection of his sister Theresa, then Queen of León, from whose territory he launched several inconclusive attacks on the Portuguese border province of Trás-os-Montes e Alto Douro, but eventually had to concede defeat and perpetual exile from Portugal.
Peter then left León to become a mercenary in the service of Yusuf II, the Almohad Caliph of Morocco, commanding a troop of Christian exiles and adventurers. As such, he was in 1220 involved with the arrival in Morocco of Berard of Carbio and four other Franciscan missionaries. Prior to setting out to the Muslim lands, the Franciscans had met with Peter's sister, who told them that she had "a little piece of Morocco in her heart" and asked them to give Peter her love. Once arrived, the Franciscans started preaching in Marrakesh and strongly denouncing Islam and Muhammad. The Caliph declared them "mad" and charged Peter and his Christian soldiers with escorting them out of his kingdom. However, the Franciscans managed to avoid Peter and his men, and repeated their act, highly sacrilegious in Muslim terms, in the market-place of Marrakesh - leading to their being decapitated by the Caliph personally.
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