House of Santcliment


The House of Santcliment was an aristocratic and noble Spanish Catalan House established by Tomàs de Santcliment, lord of Mequinenza between 1230 and 1244. He was granted authority by James I of Aragon over the castles of Cinca, Malda, and Maldanell as a reward for his participation in the conquest of Valencia. He bought the castle of Alcarrás from Guillem de Cardona in 1249.

History

Branch of Lleida

In the fourteenth century the members of this branch resided on Carrer Major of Lleida and lorded over territories that include Alcarràs, Montagut, Sarroca de Lleida, Llardecans, and Vilanova de Remolins. The house also owned large estates in Flix and La Palma d'Ebre.
Francesc de Santcliment, was one of the notable figures in the Lleida branch of the House of Santcliment. He served under Peter IV of Aragon, who sent him as ambassador to Avignon in 1336 and as a defender of the Aran Valley against the bishop of Comminges. Francesc founded the family chapel in the cathedral of Lleida. One of his children, Pere, was chancellor of the University of Lleida, canon, and then bishop of Lleida. His other son Francesc was paer in 1380 and veguer in 1413. The son of Francesc, Bernat de Santcliment, carried out a long lawsuit against the chapter of Lleida due to a dispute over a property near Montagut, which he lost. He also fought in the war against John II of Aragon in 1467 and was paer. By the sixteenth century, this branch was already in decline after losing Alcarrás, Sarroca, and Llardecans.

Branch of Barcelona

Pere de Santcliment was the first prominent member of the Santcliment branch in Barcelona. He was mentioned by James I of Aragon as "our scribe." The members of this branch continued to serve as notari major of the chancery under Peter III of Aragon. The court positions held by the House helped this Barcelona branch amass fortune. The Santcliments continued to invest in the purchase of lands in addition to their small lordship near the Catalan capital in order to ensure their relevance to the group of distinguished citizens. The Barcelona branch of the Santcliment had a rich heritage and their legacy can be traced in their properties in and around Barcelona and these include: the torre de Bell-lloc in Sant Andreu de Palomar, consisting of mills and farms; the Torre Vella in Badalona and the casa de la Murtra near Santa Coloma. In addition, the Santcliment was granted land holdings after the conquest of Sardinia and a member of this house was part of Spain's campaign to control the island.

Prominent members