County of Ribagorza
Encyclopedia
The County of Ribagorza or Ribagorça was originally the independent creation of a local Basque dynasty, later absorbed into the Kingdom of Navarre
, and then into the Crown of Aragon
. Historically it had a strong connexion with the counties of Sobrarbe
and Pallars
. Its territory was the valleys of the rivers Ésera
, Isábena
, and Noguera Ribagorzana. The seat of its counts was at Benabarre
. Other notable towns include Benasque
, Graus
and Pont de Suert. Today the western portion of the county roughly corresponds to the Aragonese
comarca
of Ribagorza, with its administrative centre in Graus
; the eastern portion roughly corresponds to the Catalan
comarca of Alta Ribagorça
.
The first history of the region was written in the early fifteenth century and preserved in a fragmentum historicum ex cartulario Alaonis
(historical fragment from a cartulary of Alaon).
Kingdom of Navarre
The Kingdom of Navarre , originally the Kingdom of Pamplona, was a European kingdom which occupied lands on either side of the Pyrenees alongside the Atlantic Ocean....
, and then into 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...
. Historically it had a strong connexion with the counties of Sobrarbe
Sobrarbe
Sobrarbe is one of the Comarcas of Aragon, Spain. It is located in the northern part of the province of Huesca, part of the autonomous community of Aragon in Spain...
and Pallars
County of Pallars
The 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...
. Its territory was the valleys of the rivers Ésera
Ésera
The Ésera or Éssera is a tributary of the Cinca in the High Aragon. It is part of the valley of the Ebro and its drainage basin. Its etym is Celtic and it is cognate with several European rivers: Isar, Jizera, Isère, Isel, IJssel, and Eisack....
, Isábena
Isábena
Isábena or Isàvena is a municipality located in the province of Huesca, Aragon, Spain. According to the 2004 census , the municipality has a population of 278 inhabitants.The town rises at the feet of the rocky Morrón de Güell mountain range....
, and Noguera Ribagorzana. The seat of its counts was at Benabarre
Benabarre
Benabarre or Benavarri is a town in the Aragonese county of Ribagorza, in the province of Huesca, Spain.Traditionally, Benabarre was the capital of the historic County of Ribagorza, which was more expansive in territory than today, and included the comarca of Alta Ribagorça, now in the province...
. Other notable towns include Benasque
Benasque
Benasque or Benasc is a town in the comarca of Ribagorza, province of Huesca, . It is the main town in the Benasque Valley, located in the heart of the Pyrenees and surrounded by the highest peaks in that range.-Language:...
, Graus
Graus
Graus is a village in the Spanish province of Huesca, located in the Pyrenees at the confluence of rivers Esera and Isabena. It is the administrative capital of the region. It is one of the areas of Aragon in which is still preserved the Aragonese language....
and Pont de Suert. Today the western portion of the county roughly corresponds to the Aragonese
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...
comarca
Comarca
A comarca is a traditional region or local administrative division found in parts of Spain, Portugal, Panama, Nicaragua, and Brazil. The term is derived from the term marca, meaning a "march, mark", plus the prefix co- meaning "together, jointly".The comarca is known in Aragonese as redolada and...
of Ribagorza, with its administrative centre in Graus
Graus
Graus is a village in the Spanish province of Huesca, located in the Pyrenees at the confluence of rivers Esera and Isabena. It is the administrative capital of the region. It is one of the areas of Aragon in which is still preserved the Aragonese language....
; the eastern portion roughly corresponds to the Catalan
Catalonia
Catalonia is an autonomous community in northeastern Spain, with the official status of a "nationality" of Spain. Catalonia comprises four provinces: Barcelona, Girona, Lleida, and Tarragona. Its capital and largest city is Barcelona. Catalonia covers an area of 32,114 km² and has an...
comarca of Alta Ribagorça
Alta Ribagorça
Alta Ribagorça is one of the comarques of Catalonia, Spain. Its capital is Pont de Suert. The highest peak is the Comaloformo in the massif of Bessiberri. Northeast of the region is the western part of the National Aiguas Tortas and Lake of San Mauricio...
.
The first history of the region was written in the early fifteenth century and preserved in a fragmentum historicum ex cartulario Alaonis
Fragmentum historicum ex cartulario Alaonis
The Fragmentum historicum ex cartulario Alaonis , also called the Crónica de Alaón renovada , is a short, anonymous chronicle of the County of Ribagorza...
(historical fragment from a cartulary of Alaon).
List of counts
- Raymond IRaymond I of Pallars and RibagorzaRaymond I was the first independent Count of Pallars and Ribagorza from 872 until his death. Early speculation made him a scion of the Counts of Toulouse, but he is certainly the "Regimundo comite, filio Luponi comiti . . . in pago Paliarensi" of a 920 document....
(872–920), son of Lupe, Count of BigorreCounty of BigorreThe County of Bigorre was a small feudatory of the Duchy of Aquitaine in the ninth through fifteenth centuries. Its capital was Tarbes.The county was constituted out of the dowry of a Faquilène, an Aquitainian princess, for her husband Donatus Lupus I, the son of Lupus III of Gascony... - Bernard I Humfred (I) (920–950/955), son of Raymond I, jointly with brother Miro
- Miro (920–?), son of Raymond I, jointly with brother Bernard I
- Raymond II (950/955–970), son of Bernard I
- Humfred (II) (970–979), son of Raymond II
- Arnold (979–990), son of Raymond II
- Isarn (990–1003), son of Raymond II
- Tota (1003–1010), daughter of Raymond II
- Partitioned following intervention by Sancho García of Castile
- William Isarn (1010–1018), illegitimate son of Isarn
- Mayor García of Castile (1010–1025), sister of Sancho García and granddaughter of Raymond II, until 1019/20 jointly with her husband
- Raymond III of Pallars, (1010–1025), descendant of Raymond I, husband of Mayor García, co-claimant until their 1019/20 divorce, then counterclaimant
- Sancho, King of NavarreSancho III of NavarreSancho 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...
(1018–1035), ruler first of William Isarn's portion, then of entire county by conquest and submission, he married Mayor Sánchez of CastileMayor of CastileMayor of Castile was queen of Navarre. She was originally called Muniadona and is variously called Munia Mayor . In Spanish, she is called Muniadona de Castilla...
, niece and eventual heiress of Mayor García and descendant of Raymond II - GonzaloGonzalo of Sobrarbe and RibagorzaGonzalo Sánchez was made Count of Sobrarbe and Ribagorza, two small Pyrenean counties, before 1035 by his father, Sancho III of Navarre. He succeeded to these domains after his father's death in that year and ruled them as vassal of his brother García Sánchez III until his death...
(1035–1045), son of Sancho I, ruled as regulus (petty king) or rex (king) - Absorbed into the territories of his brother Ramiro I of AragonRamiro I of AragonRamiro I was de facto the first King of Aragon from 1035 until his death. Apparently born before 1007, he was the illegitimate son of Sancho III of Navarre by his mistress Sancha de Aybar...
on Gonzalo's death, on occasion created as an appanageAppanageAn apanage or appanage or is the grant of an estate, titles, offices, or other things of value to the younger male children of a sovereign, who would otherwise have no inheritance under the system of primogeniture...
.- Sancho Ramírez, illegitimate son of Ramiro I
- Peter (1322–1381), a younger son of James II of AragonJames II of AragonJames II , called the Just was the King of Sicily from 1285 to 1296 and King of Aragon and Valencia and Count of Barcelona from 1291 to 1327. In 1297 he was granted the Kingdom of Sardinia and Corsica...
. - Alfonso (1381–1412), son of Peter
- Alfonso (1412–1425), son of Alfonso, following his death the county reverted to the crown of AragonKingdom of AragonThe Kingdom of Aragon was a medieval and early modern kingdom in the Iberian Peninsula, corresponding to the modern-day autonomous community of Aragon, in Spain...
- Alfonso (1469–1485), illegitimate son of John II of AragonJohn II of AragonJohn II the Faithless, also known as the Great was the King of Aragon from 1458 until 1479, and jure uxoris King of Navarre from 1425 until his death. He was the son of Ferdinand I and his wife Eleanor of Alburquerque...
- John (1485–1512), illegitimate son of predecessor Alfonso
- Alfonso (1512–1533), son of John
- Martin (1533–1565 and 1573–1581), son of Alfonso
- John Alfonso (1565–1573), son of Martin
- Ferdinand (1581–1592), son of Martin
- Francis (1592–1598), son of Martin