John was the eldest son of
Peter IV and his third wife,
Eleanor, who was the daughter of
Peter II of Sicily. He was born in
Perpignan, capital of the
Rousillon, which at that time was part of the
Principality of Catalonia, in the
Crown of Aragon. He was a man of insignificant character, with a taste for verse. He was a Francophile and married
Violant of Bar against the wishes of his father, who had wanted him to marry a princess of
Sicily. His last marriage was happy. His wife frequently participated in government, since the king was often ill. Once on the throne, John abandoned his father's relatively Anglophile policy and made an alliance with France. He continued Aragon's support for the Pope of the Avignon line,
Clement VII, in the
Western Schism. John also made an alliance with Castile, and confirmed in 1388 a treaty with
Navarre fixing borders between these kingdoms. In 1389–90, the Aragonese battled the troops of the
Count of Armagnac,
John III, who was attempting to conquer the lands of the vassal
Kingdom of Majorca. The attack went from
Empordà to
Girona. The invaders were defeated in 1390 by Aragonese troops commanded by John's brother
Martin. During 1388–90, John gradually lost all lands of the Duchies of
Athens and
Neopatras in Greece. In 1391, John promulgated legislation on Jews in different cities of the Kingdom of Aragon. Also in 1391, his administration faced a revolt in the vassal kingdom of
Sicily, where the population had proclaimed
Louis II of Naples as king. John was a protector of culture of Barcelona. He established in 1393 the
Consistory of Barcelona (
jocs florals), imitating the same office in Toulouse. Aragon had been attempting to subjugate
Sardinia since the reign of
James II, and gradually the Aragonese had conquered most of the island. However, in the 1380s, the remaining independent principality
Arborea became a fortress of rebellion and the Aragonese were rapidly driven back by
Eleanor de Bas-Serra. The Aragonese continued in John's reign to attempt to suppress rebels in Sardinia and regain lost territories. However, during John's reign, practically the whole of Sardinia was lost. John's reign was characterized by disastrous financial administration. He died during a hunt in forests near
Foixà by a fall from his horse. Leaving no sons, he was succeeded by his younger brother
Martin. ==Family and children==