Ermengol IV of Urgell
Encyclopedia
Ermengol IV (1056–1092), called el de Gerb or Gerp, was the Count of Urgell from 1066 to his death. He was the son of Ermengol III
and Clemencia, daughter of Bernard II of Bigorre.
Ermengol inherited Urgell when he was only ten years old and ruled under the tutelage of the countess dowager, Sancha, third wife of his father, until he was twelve. During this brief minority, the nobility took the opportunity to plunder and occupy the comital demesne. It was not until 1075 that Ermengol was in control of his county and his nobles.
Ermengol was an active count. During his reign, Urgell profited economically by receiving exiles from Lleida
and Fraga
. In 1076, having brought the nobles to submission, he began a Reconquista
of his own, taking the basin of the river Sió
with the villages of Agramunt
and Almenara
that year and Linyola
and Belcaire
in 1091. He conquered Calassanç and built a castle at Gerb
, Spain, where he died, in an effort to pave the way to the recapture of Balaguer
, which occurred during the reign of his son, Ermengol V
, in 1102.
Armengol was a firm supporter of the contemporary Gregorian reform
of the Church, which he introduced to Urgel.
In 1077, Ermengol married Lucy, daughter of Bernard I of La Marche. With her, he had his son and heir, the aforementioned Ermengol. In 1079, he remarried to Adelaide Bertrand, daughter of William Bertrand of Provence
. She bore him one son, William, who inherited Forcalquier
, and a daughter who died young.
Ermengol III of Urgell
Ermengol III , called el de Barbastre, was the Count of Urgell from 1038 to his death. He was the son of Ermengol II and Constance, daughter of the Count of Besalú....
and Clemencia, daughter of Bernard II of Bigorre.
Ermengol inherited Urgell when he was only ten years old and ruled under the tutelage of the countess dowager, Sancha, third wife of his father, until he was twelve. During this brief minority, the nobility took the opportunity to plunder and occupy the comital demesne. It was not until 1075 that Ermengol was in control of his county and his nobles.
Ermengol was an active count. During his reign, Urgell profited economically by receiving exiles from Lleida
Lleida
Lleida is a city in the west of Catalonia, Spain. It is the capital city of the province of Lleida, as well as the largest city in the province and it had 137,387 inhabitants , including the contiguous municipalities of Raimat and Sucs. The metro area has about 250,000 inhabitants...
and Fraga
Fraga
Fraga is the major town of the comarca of Bajo Cinca in the province of Huesca, Aragon, Spain. It is located by the river Cinca.King Alfonso I of Aragon died at its walls in 1134 while trying to conquer it...
. In 1076, having brought the nobles to submission, he began a Reconquista
Reconquista
The Reconquista was a period of almost 800 years in the Middle Ages during which several Christian kingdoms succeeded in retaking the Muslim-controlled areas of the Iberian Peninsula broadly known as Al-Andalus...
of his own, taking the basin of the river Sió
Sió
Sió is an artificial channel in central Hungary. It is the outlet of Lake Balaton. It flows out of the lake in the city Siófok. It flows along the city Szekszárd, and a few km east of this city it flows into the river Danube. The river Sió flows through the Hungarian counties Somogy, Fejér and Tolna....
with the villages of Agramunt
Agramunt
Agramunt is a municipality in the comarca of the Urgell in Catalonia, Spain. It is situated in the north of the comarca, near the border with the Noguera....
and Almenara
Almenara
Almenara can refer to:* Almenara, Minas Gerais, a city in Brazil* Almenara de Adaja, a municipality in Valladolid province, Spain* Almenara de Tormes, a municipality in Salamanca province, Spain* Puebla de Almenara, a municipality in Cuenca province, Spain...
that year and Linyola
Linyola
Linyola is a small municipality in the comarca of Pla d'Urgell in Catalonia, Spain.Notable individuals associated with Linyola:*Josep Maria Fusté , former FC Barcelona midfielder, was born here.*Bojan Krkić , AS Roma striker, was born here....
and Belcaire
Belcaire
Belcaire is a commune in the Aude department, part of the ancient Languedoc province and the present-day Languedoc-Roussillon region in southern France.-Population:-References:*...
in 1091. He conquered Calassanç and built a castle at Gerb
Gerb
A gerb is a type of firework which produces a jet of sparks, usually lasting between 15 and 60 seconds. It is a thick-walled tube filled with pyrotechnic composition and possessing a choke, which is a narrowing in the tube...
, Spain, where he died, in an effort to pave the way to the recapture of Balaguer
Balaguer
Balaguer is the capital of the comarca of Noguera, in the province of Lleida, Catalonia, Spain.It is located by the river Segre, a tributary to the Ebre....
, which occurred during the reign of his son, Ermengol V
Ermengol V of Urgell
Ermengol V , called El de Mollerussa , was the Count of Urgell from 1092 to his death. He was the son of Ermengol IV and his first wife, Lucy of La Marche....
, in 1102.
Armengol was a firm supporter of the contemporary Gregorian reform
Gregorian Reform
The Gregorian Reforms were a series of reforms initiated by Pope Gregory VII and the circle he formed in the papal curia, circa 1050–80, which dealt with the moral integrity and independence of the clergy...
of the Church, which he introduced to Urgel.
In 1077, Ermengol married Lucy, daughter of Bernard I of La Marche. With her, he had his son and heir, the aforementioned Ermengol. In 1079, he remarried to Adelaide Bertrand, daughter of William Bertrand of Provence
William Bertrand of Provence
William Bertrand , known as William V or Bertrand I or II, was the count and margrave of Provence from 1051 to his death...
. She bore him one son, William, who inherited Forcalquier
Forcalquier
Forcalquier is a commune in the Alpes-de-Haute-Provence department in southeastern France.Forcalquier is located between the Lure and Luberon mountain ranges, about south of Sisteron and west of the Durance river...
, and a daughter who died young.