Sunifred II, Count of Barcelona
Encyclopedia
Sunyer was count of Barcelona, Girona
and Ausona from 911 to 947.
and younger brother of the previous Count of Barcelona, Wilfred II Borrel. He worked jointly with his brother in the government of the Counties held by their father after his death in 897. He did not reign independently until his brother's death in (911).
. In exchange for the total renunciation of all claims on the County of Barcelona
, Sunyer gave up his claim on Besalú.
Sunyer was apparently married by 917, and later appears with wife Richilda, speculated, based on the introduction of novel names into the family, to have been daughter of the Count of Rouergue. They had four sons and a daughter: Ermengol, Miró, Borrell
, Adelaide (also called Bonafilla), and Wifred.
He abandoned defensive stance adopted by his predecessors and took up the fight actively against the Moorish
states to the south. Battles were fought at Lleida
and Tarragona
. At the same time, he managed to retain diplomatic relations with Córdoba
who had increasingly lost control of its northern provinces.
In 912, Muhammad al-Tawil
, the Wāli
of Huesca
and Lleida
attacked and destroyed the Barcelonian army under Sunyer in the Tàrrega
valley. However in 914 Sunyer's counterattack successfully pushed them back again, killing al-Tawil. He subsequently repopulated the county of Penedès
, which had been the scene of many conflicts between the Frankish and Muslim empires, as far as Olèrdola
(929).
During the intervening period, 936 to 937, he led an expedition against the Muslims
. As a result of this successful campaign many of the enemy forces were killed including the Qadi
of Valencia and the Moors temporarily abandoned Tarragona
(which became a no-man's land), while Tortosa
was forced to pay a tribute to the count. This gain was short-lived. In 940, Abd ar-Rahman III sent envoys and a fleet to Barcelona, forcing Sunyer into a subservient alliance and to abandon a marriage pact he had reached with king García Sánchez I of Pamplona, who was to marry or had already married Sunyer's daughter.
In 947 he retired to monastic life and ceded the government of his realms to his sons; Borrell II and Miró I. He died in the Monastery of La Grassa (in Conflent
) in 950.
Girona
Girona is a city in the northeast of Catalonia, Spain at the confluence of the rivers Ter, Onyar, Galligants and Güell, with an official population of 96,236 in January 2009. It is the capital of the province of the same name and of the comarca of the Gironès...
and Ausona from 911 to 947.
Origins
He was the son of Wilfred the HairyWilfred the Hairy
Wilfred or Wifred, called the Hairy, was Count of Urgell , Cerdanya , Barcelona , Girona , Besalú , and Ausona ....
and younger brother of the previous Count of Barcelona, Wilfred II Borrel. He worked jointly with his brother in the government of the Counties held by their father after his death in 897. He did not reign independently until his brother's death in (911).
Family Conflict
However on the death of his uncle, Count Radulf I of Besalú, in 913 or 920, a conflict emerged between Sunyer and his brother Count Miró II of Cerdanya over the succession of the County of BesalúCounty of Besalú
The 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...
. In exchange for the total renunciation of all claims on the County of 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...
, Sunyer gave up his claim on Besalú.
Sunyer was apparently married by 917, and later appears with wife Richilda, speculated, based on the introduction of novel names into the family, to have been daughter of the Count of Rouergue. They had four sons and a daughter: Ermengol, Miró, Borrell
Borrell II, Count of Barcelona
Borrell II was Count of Barcelona, Girona, and Ausona from 945 and Count of Urgell from 948.Borrell is first seen acting as count during the reign of his father Marquis Sunyer in 945 at the consecration of the nunnery church of Sant Pere de les Puelles in Barcelona, and succeeded Sunyer along with...
, Adelaide (also called Bonafilla), and Wifred.
Politics
Sunyer made important efforts with domestic politics, protected the church and strengthened its institutions and gave it more land and income. He also continued to encourage the repopulation of the county of Ausona.He abandoned defensive stance adopted by his predecessors and took up the fight actively against the Moorish
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...
states to the south. Battles were fought at 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 Tarragona
Tarragona
Tarragona is a city located in the south of Catalonia on the north-east of Spain, by the Mediterranean. It is the capital of the Spanish province of the same name and the capital of the Catalan comarca Tarragonès. In the medieval and modern times it was the capital of the Vegueria of Tarragona...
. At the same time, he managed to retain diplomatic relations with Córdoba
Caliphate of Córdoba
The Caliphate of Córdoba ruled the Iberian peninsula and part of North Africa, from the city of Córdoba, from 929 to 1031. This period was characterized by remarkable success in trade and culture; many of the masterpieces of Islamic Iberia were constructed in this period, including the famous...
who had increasingly lost control of its northern provinces.
In 912, Muhammad al-Tawil
Muhammad al-Tawil of Huesca
Muhammad ibn Abd al-Malik al-Tawil was a muwallad Wāli of Huesca in the late-ninth and early-tenth centuries. Acting autonomously from his nominal masters the Emirs of Córdoba, he carried out his own foreign policy and warfare with both Christian and Muslim regional rivals, including the Counts of...
, the Wāli
Wali
Walī , is an Arabic word meaning "custodian", "protector", "sponsor", or authority as denoted by its definition "crown". "Wali" is someone who has "Walayah" over somebody else. For example, in Fiqh the father is wali of his children. In Islam, the phrase ولي الله walīyu 'llāh...
of Huesca
Huesca
Huesca is a city in north-eastern Spain, within the autonomous community of Aragon. It is also the capital of the Spanish province of the same name and the comarca of Hoya de Huesca....
and 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...
attacked and destroyed the Barcelonian army under Sunyer in the Tàrrega
Tàrrega
Tàrrega is a village and municipality located in the Urgell comarca, province of Lleida, Catalonia. According to the 2009 census , the village has a population of 16.539 inhabitants....
valley. However in 914 Sunyer's counterattack successfully pushed them back again, killing al-Tawil. He subsequently repopulated the county of Penedès
Penedès
Penedès is a natural and historical region of the autonomous community of Catalonia, Spain. It is located in the south of the Principality of Catalonia between the pre-coastal mountain range and the Mediterranean sea...
, which had been the scene of many conflicts between the Frankish and Muslim empires, as far as Olèrdola
Olèrdola
Olèrdola is a municipality in the comarca of the Alt Penedès in Catalonia, Spain. It is situated on the northern side of the Garraf massif, and the highest point of the municipality is the Puig de l'Àliga at 468 m....
(929).
During the intervening period, 936 to 937, he led an expedition against the Muslims
Islam
Islam . The most common are and . : Arabic pronunciation varies regionally. The first vowel ranges from ~~. The second vowel ranges from ~~~...
. As a result of this successful campaign many of the enemy forces were killed including the Qadi
Qadi
Qadi is a judge ruling in accordance with Islamic religious law appointed by the ruler of a Muslim country. Because Islam makes no distinction between religious and secular domains, qadis traditionally have jurisdiction over all legal matters involving Muslims...
of Valencia and the Moors temporarily abandoned Tarragona
Tarragona
Tarragona is a city located in the south of Catalonia on the north-east of Spain, by the Mediterranean. It is the capital of the Spanish province of the same name and the capital of the Catalan comarca Tarragonès. In the medieval and modern times it was the capital of the Vegueria of Tarragona...
(which became a no-man's land), while Tortosa
Tortosa
-External links:* *** * * *...
was forced to pay a tribute to the count. This gain was short-lived. In 940, Abd ar-Rahman III sent envoys and a fleet to Barcelona, forcing Sunyer into a subservient alliance and to abandon a marriage pact he had reached with king García Sánchez I of Pamplona, who was to marry or had already married Sunyer's daughter.
In 947 he retired to monastic life and ceded the government of his realms to his sons; Borrell II and Miró I. He died in the Monastery of La Grassa (in Conflent
Conflent
Conflent is a historical Catalan comarca of Northern Catalonia, now part of the French Département of Pyrénées-Orientales. In the Middle Ages it comprised the County of Conflent....
) in 950.