Catalan counties
Encyclopedia
The Catalan counties were the administrative divisions of the eastern Carolingian
Marca Hispanica
created after its Frankish
conquest. The various counties roughly defined what came to be known as the Principality of Catalonia
.
In 778, Charlemagne
led his first expedition into Hispania
. The territory that he subjugated to his rule was the kernel of Catalonia. In 781, he created his son Louis the Pious
King of Aquitaine with the mandate to defend and extend the southern border against the Moors
. In 785, Rostaing was made Count of Girona
, the first of the established Catalan counties. In 797, in the greatest military triumph of his long career, the young Louis took Barcelona
, the greatest city of the Catalan littoral. In 798, Urgell, Osona, and Cerdanya were established under Borrell. In 801, the greatest of the counties, Barcelona, was established under Bera
.
Barcelona soon overshadowed the other counties in importance, especially through the reign of Wilfred the Hairy
in the late ninth century. At that time, the power of the Carolingians was waning and the neglected Hispanic march was practically independent of royal authority. In the early eleventh century, Berenguer Ramon I, Count of Barcelona
, was able to submit to Sancho III of Navarre
as his suzerain, even though he was still legally a vassal of Robert II of France
. With the accession of Robert's father, Hugh Capet, the first non-Carolingian king, in 987, most of the Catalan counts had refused to do homage to the new dynasty. In the next century, most of the Catalan counties would come into the hands of the counts of Barcelona. They, in their own turn, would marry the heiress of Aragon
, Petronilla, and unite their county to that kingdom, creating the Crown of Aragon
. Several of the later kings re-created some Catalan counties as appanages for younger sons.
Carolingian
The Carolingian dynasty was a Frankish noble family with origins in the Arnulfing and Pippinid clans of the 7th century AD. The name "Carolingian", Medieval Latin karolingi, an altered form of an unattested Old High German *karling, kerling The Carolingian dynasty (known variously as the...
Marca Hispanica
Marca Hispanica
The Marca Hispanica , also known as Spanish March or March of Barcelona was a buffer zone beyond the province of Septimania, created by Charlemagne in 795 as a defensive barrier between the Umayyad Moors of Al-Andalus and the Frankish Kingdom....
created after its Frankish
Franks
The Franks were a confederation of Germanic tribes first attested in the third century AD as living north and east of the Lower Rhine River. From the third to fifth centuries some Franks raided Roman territory while other Franks joined the Roman troops in Gaul. Only the Salian Franks formed a...
conquest. The various counties roughly defined what came to be known as the Principality of Catalonia
Principality of Catalonia
The Principality of Catalonia , is a historic territory in the northeastern Iberian Peninsula, mostly in Spain and with an adjoining portion in southern France....
.
In 778, Charlemagne
Charlemagne
Charlemagne was King of the Franks from 768 and Emperor of the Romans from 800 to his death in 814. He expanded the Frankish kingdom into an empire that incorporated much of Western and Central Europe. During his reign, he conquered Italy and was crowned by Pope Leo III on 25 December 800...
led his first expedition into Hispania
Hispania
Another theory holds that the name derives from Ezpanna, the Basque word for "border" or "edge", thus meaning the farthest area or place. Isidore of Sevilla considered Hispania derived from Hispalis....
. The territory that he subjugated to his rule was the kernel of Catalonia. In 781, he created his son Louis the Pious
Louis the Pious
Louis the Pious , also called the Fair, and the Debonaire, was the King of Aquitaine from 781. He was also King of the Franks and co-Emperor with his father, Charlemagne, from 813...
King of Aquitaine with the mandate to defend and extend the southern border against the Moors
Moors
The description Moors has referred to several historic and modern populations of the Maghreb region who are predominately of Berber and Arab descent. They came to conquer and rule the Iberian Peninsula for nearly 800 years. At that time they were Muslim, although earlier the people had followed...
. In 785, Rostaing was made Count of Girona
Count of Girona
The Counts of Girona were:*Rostany *Odilon *Bera *Rampo *Bernard I , first reign*Berengar *Bernard I , second reign*Sunifred I *Wilfred I *Odalric...
, the first of the established Catalan counties. In 797, in the greatest military triumph of his long career, the young Louis took Barcelona
Barcelona
Barcelona is the second largest city in Spain after Madrid, and the capital of Catalonia, with a population of 1,621,537 within its administrative limits on a land area of...
, the greatest city of the Catalan littoral. In 798, Urgell, Osona, and Cerdanya were established under Borrell. In 801, the greatest of the counties, Barcelona, was established under Bera
Bera, Count of Barcelona
Bera was the first count of Barcelona from 801 until his deposition in 820.He was also the count of Girona and Besalú from 812 or 817 and count of Razès and Conflent from 790 until his deposition.-Origins:...
.
Barcelona soon overshadowed the other counties in importance, especially through the reign of Wilfred the Hairy
Wilfred the Hairy
Wilfred or Wifred, called the Hairy, was Count of Urgell , Cerdanya , Barcelona , Girona , Besalú , and Ausona ....
in the late ninth century. At that time, the power of the Carolingians was waning and the neglected Hispanic march was practically independent of royal authority. In the early eleventh century, Berenguer Ramon I, Count of Barcelona
Berenguer Ramon I, Count of Barcelona
Berengar Raymond I the Crooked, also called the Hunchback was the count of Barcelona, Girona, and Ausona from 1018 to his death.He was the son of Raymond Borrell, count of Barcelona, Girona, and Ausona and his wife Ermesinde of Carcassonne...
, was able to submit to Sancho III of Navarre
Sancho III of Navarre
Sancho III Garcés , called the Great , succeeded as a minor to the Kingdom of Navarre in 1004, and through conquest and political maneuvering increased his power, until at the time of his death in 1035 he controlled the majority of Christian Iberia, bearing the title of rex Hispaniarum...
as his suzerain, even though he was still legally a vassal of Robert II of France
Robert II of France
Robert II , called the Pious or the Wise , was King of France from 996 until his death. The second reigning member of the House of Capet, he was born in Orléans to Hugh Capet and Adelaide of Aquitaine....
. With the accession of Robert's father, Hugh Capet, the first non-Carolingian king, in 987, most of the Catalan counts had refused to do homage to the new dynasty. In the next century, most of the Catalan counties would come into the hands of the counts of Barcelona. They, in their own turn, would marry the heiress of Aragon
Aragon
Aragon is a modern autonomous community in Spain, coextensive with the medieval Kingdom of Aragon. Located in northeastern Spain, the Aragonese autonomous community comprises three provinces : Huesca, Zaragoza, and Teruel. Its capital is Zaragoza...
, Petronilla, and unite their county to that kingdom, creating the Crown of Aragon
Crown of Aragon
The Crown of Aragon Corona d'Aragón Corona d'Aragó Corona Aragonum controlling a large portion of the present-day eastern Spain and southeastern France, as well as some of the major islands and mainland possessions stretching across the Mediterranean as far as Greece...
. Several of the later kings re-created some Catalan counties as appanages for younger sons.
Counties
- County of Barcelona
- County of Berga
- County of BesalúCounty of BesalúThe County of Besalú was one of the landlocked medieval Catalan counties near the Mediterranean coastline. It was roughly coterminous with the modern comarca of Garrotxa and at various times extended as far north as Corbières, Aude, now in France. Its capital was the village of Besalú...
- County of Cerdanya
- County of ConflentCounty of ConflentThe County of Conflent or Confluent was one of the Catalan counties of the Marca Hispanica in the ninth century. Usually associated with the County of Cerdanya and the county of Razès, and was located to the west of Roussillon...
- County of EmpúriesCounty of EmpúriesThe County of Empúries was a medieval county centred on the town of Empúries and enclosing the Catalan region of Peralada. It corresponds to the historic comarca of Empordà....
- County of Girona
- County of ManresaCounty of ManresaThe County of Manresa is a term which refers to the western extremity of the County of Osona, divided into the Moianès and Bages. Through the Reconquista, Manresa was extended as far as Anoia, Segarra, and Urgell....
- County of Osona
- County of PallarsCounty of PallarsThe County of Pallars or Pallás was a de facto independent petty state, nominally within the Carolingian Empire and then West Francia during the ninth and tenth centuries, perhaps one of the Catalan counties, originally part of the Marca Hispanica in the ninth century...
- County of Pallars JussàCounty of Pallars JussàThe County of Pallars Jussà or Jusá, meaning Lower Pallars, was a county in the Hispanic March during the eleventh and twelfth centuries, long after the march had ceased to be effectively administered by the Kings of France. It was a division of the County of Pallars, which had been de facto, and...
- County of Pallars SobiràCounty of Pallars SobiràThe County of Pallars Sobirà or Sobirá, meaning Upper Pallars, was a county in the Hispanic March during the eleventh and twelfth centuries, long after the march had ceased to be effectively administered by the Kings of France. It was a division of the County of Pallars, which had been de facto,...
- County of Ribagorça
- County of Rosselló
- County of Urgell