The Crown of Aragon has been considered an empire which ruled in the Mediterranean for hundreds of years, with the power to set rules over the entire sea (for instance, the Llibre del Consolat del Mar or Book of the Consulate of the Sea, written in Catalan, is one of the oldest compilation of maritime laws in the world).
Aragoniens krone var på sit højeste en af Europas stormagter, med evnen til at sætte regler for hele Middelhavet (som eksempel er Llibre del Consolat del Mar, skrevet på catalansk, en af verdens ældste samlinger af havret).