Vegueria
Encyclopedia
The vegueria was the feudal
administrative territorial jurisdiction of the Principality of Catalonia
(to the Crown of Aragon
) during the Middle Ages
and into the Modern Era until the Nueva Planta decrees
of 1716. The vegueria was headed by a veguer and its office was called a vigeriate .
Vegueries were also in place during the Crown of Aragon dominion of Sardinia, and –briefly– during the same in the Duchy of Athens
.
, when vicar
s (Latin: vicarii, singular vicarius) were installed beneath the counts in the Marca Hispanica
. The office of a vicar was a vicariate (Latin: vicariatus) and his territory was a vicaria. All these Latin terms of Carolingian administration evolved in the Catalan language
even as they disappeared in the rest of Europe. The Catalan terms were even subsequently Latinised: vicarius → vigerius.
The original functions of the vigeriate were feudal and it was probably initially hereditary. The veguer was appointed by his feudal lord, the count, and was accountable to him. He was the military commander of his vegueria (and thus keeper of the publicly-owned castles), the chief justice of the same district, and the man in charge of the public finances (the fisc
) of the region entrusted to him. As time wore on, the functions of the veguer became more and more judicial in nature. He held a cort del veguer or de la vegueria with its own seal. The cort had authority in all matter save those relating to the feudal aristocracy. It commonly heard pleas of the crown, civil, and criminal cases. The veguer did, however, retain some military functions as well: he was the commander of the militia and the superintendent of royal castles. His job was law and order and the maintenance of the king's peace: in many respects an office analogous to that of the sheriff
in England
.
(1285) there were seventeen, and by the time of James the Just
there were twenty one. These administrative divisions remained until 1716. Some of the larger vegueries included one or more sotsvegueries (subvigueries), which had a large degree of autonomy.
While Catalonia continued to use vegueries as subdivisions of counties, elsewhere in the Iberian peninsula
there were the merináticos (Kingdom of Aragon
) and the corregimiento
s (Kingdom of Castile
) whose functions were similar to those of the Catalan vegueries.
When the Kingdom of Sicily
became a Catalan-run state, it was not subdivided into vegueries, since a similar Italian institution was already entrenched there: that of the capitania
and the capità. The capità had similar to identical functions as the veguer. When the Catalans briefly conquered Athens, they subdivided that duchy into three vegueries: Athens, Thebes
, and Livadia
. In the Duchy of Neopatria
which the Catalans conquered in 1319, the institution of the capità appeared instead of the vigeriate, but the captaincies (Siderocastron, Neopatras, and Salona) were similar to identical in function to the vegueries of Athens. In Athens, the offices of captain and veguer were often held by the same individual as capitaneus seu vigerius and variants. Once the Aragonese crown had finally subdued most of the Kingdom of Sardinia
to their rule by the end of the fourteenth century, they had subdivided its government into vegueries. All the veguerias of the Catalan possessions were, by the Usages of Barcelona
, constrained to be held for only three years by any individual, though in practice some kings ignored this. In Athens, a vicar general
on the Italian model was instituted above the veguers.
s, a historical Castilian
administrative division.
The veguerias of Catalonia at the time of James the Just were:
Later, during the fourteenth and fifteenth centuries, a few more vegueries were created:
Spain has been distributed into 50 provinces
. The four Catalan provinces are somewhat bigger than the vegueries organization and, in modern times, there have been a few attempts to implement a smaller subdivision than that of the province, and this has been tried by means of re-instating smaller administration unit which would use the historical name of vegueria.
Despite these attempts, to date the province continues to be the building block in Catalonia.
During the brief years of the Spanish Second Republic, the Catalan autonomous government divided Catalonia into nine regions, which, in turn, were subdivided into comarques
. This brief organization (as follows below) is cited as a model for the latter-day attempts to implement a smaller administration unit than that of the province:
Under the 2006 Statute of Autonomy of Catalonia
, the four diputacions provincials (provincial government of the provinces) which make up Catalonia are to be superseded by seven consells de vegueries (veguerial government), which will also take over many of the functions of the comarques. As of May 2011, the final boundaries of the new vegueries have not been formally approved. They were expected to be similar to the 9 regions of the Republican Generalitat, as follows:
Some associations and town councils involved have asked for a Penedès vegueria to be created, as it was in the past (13th century — 1716). This would include the Alt Penedès, Baix Penedès, Garraf and Anoia, comarcas which the current proposal split between the Àmbit metropolità
, Camp de Tarragona
and Comarques Centrals
. The city of Tarragona
asks the government and the parliament to use the historical and official name Vegueria of Tarragona
, used between the 13th century and 1716.
The previous Catalan regional government (2006-2010) hinted plans to formally re-establish the vegueries in 2011 and use them as the "building blocks" of the region.
However, the 2010 Catalan regional election produced a new legislature which has put these plans on hold.
Feudalism
Feudalism was a set of legal and military customs in medieval Europe that flourished between the 9th and 15th centuries, which, broadly defined, was a system for ordering society around relationships derived from the holding of land in exchange for service or labour.Although derived from the...
administrative territorial jurisdiction of 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....
(to 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...
) during the Middle Ages
Middle Ages
The Middle Ages is a periodization of European history from the 5th century to the 15th century. The Middle Ages follows the fall of the Western Roman Empire in 476 and precedes the Early Modern Era. It is the middle period of a three-period division of Western history: Classic, Medieval and Modern...
and into the Modern Era until the Nueva Planta decrees
Nueva Planta decrees
The Nueva Planta decrees were a number of decrees signed between 1707 and 1716 by Philip V—the first Bourbon king of Spain—during and shortly after the end of the War of the Spanish Succession which he won....
of 1716. The vegueria was headed by a veguer and its office was called a vigeriate .
Vegueries were also in place during the Crown of Aragon dominion of Sardinia, and –briefly– during the same in the Duchy of Athens
Duchy of Athens
The Duchy of Athens was one of the Crusader States set up in Greece after the conquest of the Byzantine Empire during the Fourth Crusade, encompassing the regions of Attica and Boeotia, and surviving until its conquest by the Ottoman Empire in the 15th century....
.
Origins and functions
The origins of the vegueria go back to the era of the Carolingian EmpireCarolingian Empire
Carolingian Empire is a historiographical term which has been used to refer to the realm of the Franks under the Carolingian dynasty in the Early Middle Ages. This dynasty is seen as the founders of France and Germany, and its beginning date is based on the crowning of Charlemagne, or Charles the...
, when vicar
Vicar
In the broadest sense, a vicar is a representative, deputy or substitute; anyone acting "in the person of" or agent for a superior . In this sense, the title is comparable to lieutenant...
s (Latin: vicarii, singular vicarius) were installed beneath the counts in 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....
. The office of a vicar was a vicariate (Latin: vicariatus) and his territory was a vicaria. All these Latin terms of Carolingian administration evolved in the Catalan language
Catalan language
Catalan is a Romance language, the national and only official language of Andorra and a co-official language in the Spanish autonomous communities of Catalonia, the Balearic Islands and Valencian Community, where it is known as Valencian , as well as in the city of Alghero, on the Italian island...
even as they disappeared in the rest of Europe. The Catalan terms were even subsequently Latinised: vicarius → vigerius.
The original functions of the vigeriate were feudal and it was probably initially hereditary. The veguer was appointed by his feudal lord, the count, and was accountable to him. He was the military commander of his vegueria (and thus keeper of the publicly-owned castles), the chief justice of the same district, and the man in charge of the public finances (the fisc
Fisc
Under the Merovingians and Carolingians, the fisc applied to the royal demesne which paid taxes, entirely in kind, from which the royal household was meant to be supported, though it rarely was...
) of the region entrusted to him. As time wore on, the functions of the veguer became more and more judicial in nature. He held a cort del veguer or de la vegueria with its own seal. The cort had authority in all matter save those relating to the feudal aristocracy. It commonly heard pleas of the crown, civil, and criminal cases. The veguer did, however, retain some military functions as well: he was the commander of the militia and the superintendent of royal castles. His job was law and order and the maintenance of the king's peace: in many respects an office analogous to that of the sheriff
Sheriff
A sheriff is in principle a legal official with responsibility for a county. In practice, the specific combination of legal, political, and ceremonial duties of a sheriff varies greatly from country to country....
in England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
.
Prime
At the end of the twelfth century in Catalonia, there were twelve vegueries. By the end of the reign of Peter the GreatPeter III of Aragon
Peter the Great was the King of Aragon of Valencia , and Count of Barcelona from 1276 to his death. He conquered Sicily and became its king in 1282. He was one of the greatest of medieval Aragonese monarchs.-Youth and succession:Peter was the eldest son of James I of Aragon and his second wife...
(1285) there were seventeen, and by the time of James the Just
James II of Aragon
James 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...
there were twenty one. These administrative divisions remained until 1716. Some of the larger vegueries included one or more sotsvegueries (subvigueries), which had a large degree of autonomy.
While Catalonia continued to use vegueries as subdivisions of counties, elsewhere in the Iberian peninsula
Iberian Peninsula
The Iberian Peninsula , sometimes called Iberia, is located in the extreme southwest of Europe and includes the modern-day sovereign states of Spain, Portugal and Andorra, as well as the British Overseas Territory of Gibraltar...
there were the merináticos (Kingdom of Aragon
Kingdom of Aragon
The 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...
) and the corregimiento
Corregimiento
Corregimiento is a term used in Colombia to define a subdivision of Colombian departments. According to the Colombian Constitution of 1991 and Decree 2274 of October 4, 1991, Corregimiento is an internal part of a Department or province, which includes a population core...
s (Kingdom of Castile
Kingdom of Castile
Kingdom of Castile was one of the medieval kingdoms of the Iberian Peninsula. It emerged as a political autonomous entity in the 9th century. It was called County of Castile and was held in vassalage from the Kingdom of León. Its name comes from the host of castles constructed in the region...
) whose functions were similar to those of the Catalan vegueries.
When the Kingdom of Sicily
Kingdom of Sicily
The Kingdom of Sicily was a state that existed in the south of Italy from its founding by Roger II in 1130 until 1816. It was a successor state of the County of Sicily, which had been founded in 1071 during the Norman conquest of southern Italy...
became a Catalan-run state, it was not subdivided into vegueries, since a similar Italian institution was already entrenched there: that of the capitania
Captaincy
A captaincy is a historical administrative division of the former Spanish and Portuguese colonial empires. Each was governed by a captain general.-In the Portuguese Empire:...
and the capità. The capità had similar to identical functions as the veguer. When the Catalans briefly conquered Athens, they subdivided that duchy into three vegueries: Athens, Thebes
Thebes, Greece
Thebes is a city in Greece, situated to the north of the Cithaeron range, which divides Boeotia from Attica, and on the southern edge of the Boeotian plain. It played an important role in Greek myth, as the site of the stories of Cadmus, Oedipus, Dionysus and others...
, and Livadia
Livadia
Livadia can refer to:* Livadiya , a suburb of Yalta, Crimea, Ukraine, where the Livadia Palace is situated.* Livadiya, Primorsky Krai, a suburb of Nakhodka, Russia, near Mount Livadia* Livadeia , a city in Boeotia, Greece....
. In the Duchy of Neopatria
Duchy of Neopatria
The Duchy of Neopatria or Neopatras was one of the Crusader States set up in Greece after the conquest of the Byzantine Empire during the Fourth Crusade...
which the Catalans conquered in 1319, the institution of the capità appeared instead of the vigeriate, but the captaincies (Siderocastron, Neopatras, and Salona) were similar to identical in function to the vegueries of Athens. In Athens, the offices of captain and veguer were often held by the same individual as capitaneus seu vigerius and variants. Once the Aragonese crown had finally subdued most of the Kingdom of Sardinia
Kingdom of Sardinia
The Kingdom of Sardinia consisted of the island of Sardinia first as a part of the Crown of Aragon and subsequently the Spanish Empire , and second as a part of the composite state of the House of Savoy . Its capital was originally Cagliari, in the south of the island, and later Turin, on the...
to their rule by the end of the fourteenth century, they had subdivided its government into vegueries. All the veguerias of the Catalan possessions were, by the Usages of Barcelona
Usages of Barcelona
The Usages of Barcelona were the customs that form the basis for the Catalan Constitutions. They are the fundamental laws, furs , and basic rights of the Catalonia, dating back to their codification in the twelfth century....
, constrained to be held for only three years by any individual, though in practice some kings ignored this. In Athens, a vicar general
Vicar general
A vicar general is the principal deputy of the bishop of a diocese for the exercise of administrative authority. As vicar of the bishop, the vicar general exercises the bishop's ordinary executive power over the entire diocese and, thus, is the highest official in a diocese or other particular...
on the Italian model was instituted above the veguers.
Historical vegueries
Catalan vegueries have change their limits along the history and there has not always been the same number of them. Their history was terminated in 1716, when the vegueries were replaced by 12 corregimientoCorregimiento
Corregimiento is a term used in Colombia to define a subdivision of Colombian departments. According to the Colombian Constitution of 1991 and Decree 2274 of October 4, 1991, Corregimiento is an internal part of a Department or province, which includes a population core...
s, a historical Castilian
Kingdom of Castile
Kingdom of Castile was one of the medieval kingdoms of the Iberian Peninsula. It emerged as a political autonomous entity in the 9th century. It was called County of Castile and was held in vassalage from the Kingdom of León. Its name comes from the host of castles constructed in the region...
administrative division.
The veguerias of Catalonia at the time of James the Just were:
- TortosaTortosa-External links:* *** * * *...
- TarragonaTarragonaTarragona 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...
- MontblancMontblanc, TarragonaMontblanc s the capital of the Catalan comarca Conca de Barberà, in the Spanish province of Tarragona.The Prades Mountains are located in the vicinity of this municipality.-History:The area around Montblanc has been inhabited for thousands of years...
- BarcelonaBarcelonaBarcelona 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...
(with VallèsVallèsEl Vallès is a historical county in Catalonia, Spain, located in the center of the Catalan Pre-coastal range. It is nowadays represented by two separate administrative divisions which are part of the Barcelona Province, named comarques...
sotsvegueria) - OsonaOsonaCounty of Osona was one of the Catalan counties of the Marca Hispanica in the Early and High Middle Ages. It was based around the capital city of Vic and the corresponding diocese, whose territory was roughly the current comarca of Osona....
- BerguedàBerguedàBerguedà is a comarca in the interior of Catalonia, Spain, lying partly in the Pyrenees and partly in Catalonia's Depressió Central.-Geography:...
(with ManresaManresaManresa is the capital of the Comarca of Bages, located in the geographic centre of Catalonia, Spain, and crossed by the river Cardener. It is an industrial area with textile, metallurgical, and glass industries. The houses of Manresa are arranged around the basilica of Santa María de la Seo....
sotsvegueria) - BagesBagesBages is a comarca in the center of Catalonia, Spain. It includes two subcomarques, el Moianès and el Lluçanès.Industries include the mining of potash at Súria and Sallent, and the manufacture of textiles along the rivers Llobregat and Cardener...
(with Moianés sotsvegueria) - Vilafranca del PenedèsVilafranca del PenedèsVilafranca del Penedès, or simply Vilafranca, is the capital of the comarca of the Alt Penedès in Catalonia, Spain. The Spanish spelling of the name, Villafranca del Penedés, is no longer in official use...
(with IgualadaIgualadaIgualada is a municipality of the province of Barcelona in Catalonia . It is located on the left bank of the Anoia river, and at the western end of the Igualada-Martorell-Barcelona railway. Igualada is the capital and central market of the Anoia comarca, a rich agricultural and wine-producing...
and PieraPieraThe municipality of Piera covers a large portion of the southeastern corner of the comarca of Anoia in Catalonia, on the left bank of the Anoia river. The agricultural land, mostly non-irrigated, is used for the cultivation of cereals, grapes, olives and almonds. The town itself hosts a number of...
sotsvegueries) - GironaGironaGirona 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...
- BesalúBesalúBesalú is a town in the comarca of Garrotxa, in Catalonia, Spain.The town's importance was greater in the early Middle Ages, as capital of the county of Besalú, whose territory was roughly the same size as the current comarca of Garrotxa but sometime extended as far as Corbières, Aude, in France....
- Campodron
- La Ral
- RipollèsRipollèsRipollès is a comarca in Catalonia, Spain. It is located in the Ribes and Camprodon river valleys. , its population is 25,744, about 40% of whom live in the capital, Ripoll....
- TàrregaTàrregaTàrrega 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....
- LleidaLleidaLleida 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...
(with BalaguerBalaguerBalaguer 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....
sotsvegueria) - CerveraCerveraCervera is the capital of the comarca of Segarra, in the province of Lleida, Catalonia, Spain. The title Compte de Cervera is a courtesy title, formerly part of the Crown of Aragon, that has been revived for Felipe, Prince of Asturias....
(with AgramuntAgramuntAgramunt 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 Prats del Rei sotsvegueries) - Ribagorça
- Pallars
- CamarasaCamarasaCamarasa is a municipality in the comarca of the Noguera in Catalonia, Spain. It is situated at the confluence of the Segre and Noguera Pallaresa rivers....
- RossellóCounty of RoussillonThe County of Roussillon was one of the Catalan counties in the Marca Hispanica during the Middle Ages. The rulers of the county were the Counts of Roussillon, whose interests lay both north and south of the Pyrenees.-Visigothic county:...
(with VallespirVallespirVallespir is a historical Catalan comarca of Northern Catalonia, part of the French Département of Pyrénées-Orientales. The capital of the comarca is Ceret, and it borders Conflent, Rosselló, Alt Empordà, Garrotxa and Ripollès...
sotsvegueria) - 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...
(with CapcirCapcirCapcir is a historical Catalan comarca of Northern Catalonia, now part of the French Département of Pyrénées-Orientales. The capital of the comarca was Formiguera, and it borders the historical comarques of Conflent and Alta Cerdanya...
sotsvegueria) - CerdanyaCounty of CerdagneThe County of Cerdanya was one of the Catalan counties formed in the last decades of the 8th century by the Franks in the Marca Hispanica. The original Cerdanya consisted of the valley of the upper Segre. Today Cerdanya is a Catalan comarca.-Origins:...
(with RibesRibesRibes is a genus of about 150 species of flowering plants native throughout the temperate regions of the Northern Hemisphere. It is usually treated as the only genus in the family Grossulariaceae. Seven subgenera are recognized....
and Baridà sotsvegueries)
Later, during the fourteenth and fifteenth centuries, a few more vegueries were created:
- Urgell
- BalaguerBalaguerBalaguer 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....
- AgramuntAgramuntAgramunt 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....
- LluçanèsLluçanèsLluçanès is a natural comarca, transitioning between the Plain of Vic and Berguedà, in the pre-Pyrenees. Although not an officially recognized comarca of Catalonia, it has a strong historical, natural and social personality.-Corresponding Municipalities:...
Attempts to reinstate vegueries in Catalonia in modern times
Starting in 18221822 territorial division of Spain
The 1822 territorial division of Spain was a rearrangement of the territory of Spain into various provinces, enacted briefly during the Trienio Liberal of 1820–1823...
Spain has been distributed into 50 provinces
Provinces of Spain
Spain and its autonomous communities are divided into fifty provinces .In other languages of Spain:*Catalan/Valencian , sing. província.*Galician , sing. provincia.*Basque |Galicia]] — are not also the capitals of provinces...
. The four Catalan provinces are somewhat bigger than the vegueries organization and, in modern times, there have been a few attempts to implement a smaller subdivision than that of the province, and this has been tried by means of re-instating smaller administration unit which would use the historical name of vegueria.
Despite these attempts, to date the province continues to be the building block in Catalonia.
Republican Generalitat 1931
Comarques of Catalonia
This is a list of the comarques of Catalonia . A comarca is roughly equivalent to a US "county" or a UK "district". However, in the context of Catalonia, the term "county" can be a bit misleading, because in medieval Catalonia, the most important rulers were counts, notably the Counts of Barcelona...
. This brief organization (as follows below) is cited as a model for the latter-day attempts to implement a smaller administration unit than that of the province:
- 1st region, the capital was BarcelonaBarcelonaBarcelona 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...
and comprised the comarques: Baix LlobregatBaix LlobregatBaix Llobregat is a comarca on the coast of Catalonia, Spain. Its capital is Sant Feliu de Llobregat.-Municipalities:Populations are from 2002.* Abrera - pop. 9,166* Begues - pop. 5,023* Castelldefels - pop. 52,405...
, el BarcelonèsBarcelonèsBarcelonès is the most economically important comarca of Catalonia, Spain. Its capital is Barcelona, which is also the capital of Catalonia.- Municipalities :Population figures are for 2009 .-External links:* *...
, el MaresmeMaresmeMaresme is a comarca located along the Catalan Mediterranean coast in Spain, between the comarques of Barcelonès and Selva , and also bordering with Vallès Oriental ....
, Vallès OccidentalVallès OccidentalVallès Occidental is a comarca in Catalonia, Spain. It is unique among the comarques in that the two cities Sabadell and Terrassa share the role of comarcal capital...
and el Vallès OrientalVallès OrientalVallès Oriental is a comarca in Catalonia, Spain. Its capital is Granollers. Along with Vallès Occidental it forms the grand comarca of Vallès.- Municipalities :*Aiguafreda - pop. 2,308*L'Ametlla del Vallès - pop. 7,319...
. - 2nd region, the capital was GironaGironaGirona 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 the comarques: l'Alt EmpordàAlt EmpordàAlt Empordà is a comarca in Catalonia, Spain, one of two into which Empordà was divided by the comarcal division of Catalonia in 1936.- Municipalities :Populations are as of 2001.*Agullana - pop. 668*Albanyà - pop. 99*L'Armentera - pop. 742...
, el Baix EmpordàBaix EmpordàBaix Empordà is a comarca in Catalonia, Spain, one of the two into which Empordà was divided in the comarcal division of 1936. It is popularly known as L'Empordanet .- Geography :...
, la GarrotxaGarrotxaGarrotxa is a comarca in Catalonia, Spain. Its population in 2001 was 47,747, more than half of them in the capital city of Olot. It is roughly equivalent to the historical comarca of Besalú.-Geography:...
, el GironèsGironèsGironès is a comarca in eastern Catalonia, Spain, bordering Selva, Baix Empordà, Alt Empordà, Pla de l'Estany and Garrotxa. , more than half of the comarca's 175,148 inhabitants live in the capital, Girona, which is also the capital of the province of Girona.-Municipalities:Populations are as of...
, and la SelvaSelvaSelva is a coastal comarca in Catalonia, Spain, located between the mountain range known as the Serralada Transversal or Puigsacalm and the Costa Brava . Unusually, it is divided between the provinces of Girona and Barcelona, with Fogars de la Selva being part of Barcelona province, and all other...
(Pla de l'EstanyPla de l'EstanyPla de l'Estany is a comarca in Catalonia, Spain. Its name means "plain of the lake", the lake in question being the Lake of Banyoles. Banyoles is also the name of the capital of the comarca and home to over half of its people...
, newly created in 1987, was back then included in this region). - 3rd region, the capital was TarragonaTarragonaTarragona 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...
and the comarques: l'Alt CampAlt CampAlt Camp is a comarca in Catalonia, Spain.It is one of the three comarques into which Camp de Tarragona was divided in the comarcal division of 1936.- Municipalities :Populations are for 2001.*Aiguamúrcia - pop. 648*Alcover - pop. 3966...
, l'Alt PenedèsAlt PenedèsAlt Penedès is a comarca in Catalonia, northern Spain. The capital is Vilafranca del Penedès.-Municipalities:*Avinyonet del Penedès - pop. 1334*Les Cabanyes - pop. 603*Castellet i la Gornal - pop. 1562*Castellví de la Marca - pop. 1497...
, el Baix PenedèsBaix PenedèsBaix Penedès is a comarca in Catalonia, Spain. The area has been settled since the times of the Iberians, with ancient ruins remaining in Banyeres at Can Canyís, in the capital el Vendrell at the village of Guàrdies and in Calafell at the villages of Toixoneres and la Ciutadella .- Municipalities...
, el GarrafGarrafGarraf is a comarca in the province of Barcelona, Catalonia, northern Spain.It is named after the Garraf Massif.-Municipalities:*Canyelles - pop. 3,127*Cubelles - pop. 10,617*Olivella - pop. 2,179*Sant Pere de Ribes - pop. 26,108...
and el TarragonèsTarragonèsTarragonès is a comarca in Catalonia, Spain. It is one of the three comarques formed in the 1936 comarcal division of Camp de Tarragona. It lies on the Mediterranean coast, between the comarques of Baix Penedès to the northeast and Baix Camp to the south. Over 60% of the population live in the...
. - 4th region, the capital was ReusReusReus is the capital of the comarca of Baix Camp, in the province of Tarragona, in Catalonia, Spain. The area has always been an important producer of wines and spirits, and gained continental importance at the time of the Phylloxera plague...
and the comarques: Baix CampBaix CampBaix Camp is a comarca of Catalonia in northeastern Spain. It is one of the three comarques into which Camp de Tarragona was divided in the comarcal division of 1936....
, la Conca de BarberàConca de BarberàConca de Barberà is a comarca in the province of Tarragona, Catalonia, Spain.-Municipalities:*Barberà de la Conca - pop. 434*Blancafort - pop. 412*Conesa - pop. 123*Espluga de Francolí - pop. 3,687*Forès - pop. 60*Llorac - pop. 128...
, el PrioratPrioratPriorat is a comarca in Catalonia, Spain. The central part of the comarca, "Priorat històric," produces the famous and prestigious wine of the Denominación de Origen Calificada Priorat. Wines from elsewhere in the comarca are denominated as Montsant...
and la Ribera d'EbreRibera d'EbreRibera d'Ebre is a comarca in Catalonia, Spain. The name in Catalan refers to its location on the banks of the river Ebre, usually referred to in English by its Spanish name, "Ebro.- Municipalities :Populations are from 2001.* Ascó - pop. 1,617...
. - 5th region, the capital was TortosaTortosa-External links:* *** * * *...
and the comarques: Baix EbreBaix EbreBaix Ebre is a comarca , on the coast in southern Catalonia, Spain.- Municipalities :Populations are for 2001.* L'Aldea - pop. 3590* Aldover - pop. 814* Alfara de Carles - pop. 377* L'Ametlla de Mar - pop. 5835* L'Ampolla - pop. 2133...
, el MontsiàMontsiàMontsià is the southernmost comarca of Catalonia in Spain. Its capital and largest city is Amposta.-History:The Montsià was first established as a separate administrative comarca in 1936 and was named after the Serra del Montsià mountain range...
and la Terra AltaTerra AltaTerra Alta is a sparsely populated inland comarca in Catalonia, Spain. Its capital is Gandesa. It is also known as Castellania, a name dating back to its medieval status as a fiefdom held by the Order of Knights of the Hospital of St. John of Jerusalem under the Crown of Aragon.- Municipalities...
. - 6th region, the capital was VicVicVic is the capital of the comarca of Osona, in the Barcelona Province, Catalonia, Spain. Vic's location, only 69 km far from Barcelona and 60 km from Girona, has made it one of the most important towns in central Catalonia.-History:...
and the comarques: Baixa Cerdanya, OsonaOsona (comarca)Osona is a comarca situated in central Catalonia, Spain. Its capital is Vic. Its population is 129,543. Osona covers roughly the same area as the historic Catalan county of Osona. The name Osona comes from Ausetans, a group of Iberian people that had their capital in Ausa ; the Romans called the...
and el RipollèsRipollèsRipollès is a comarca in Catalonia, Spain. It is located in the Ribes and Camprodon river valleys. , its population is 25,744, about 40% of whom live in the capital, Ripoll....
. - 7th region, the capital was ManresaManresaManresa is the capital of the Comarca of Bages, located in the geographic centre of Catalonia, Spain, and crossed by the river Cardener. It is an industrial area with textile, metallurgical, and glass industries. The houses of Manresa are arranged around the basilica of Santa María de la Seo....
and the comarques: l'Anoia, el BagesBagesBages is a comarca in the center of Catalonia, Spain. It includes two subcomarques, el Moianès and el Lluçanès.Industries include the mining of potash at Súria and Sallent, and the manufacture of textiles along the rivers Llobregat and Cardener...
, el BerguedàBerguedàBerguedà is a comarca in the interior of Catalonia, Spain, lying partly in the Pyrenees and partly in Catalonia's Depressió Central.-Geography:...
and el SolsonèsSolsonèsSolsonès is a comarca in Catalonia, Spain. It is part of historic county of Urgell. Over 60% of its people live in the capital, Solsona.- Municipalities :Populations are for 2001.* Castellar de la Ribera - pop. 153* Clariana de Cardener - pop. 151...
. - 8th region, the capital was LleidaLleidaLleida 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 the comarques: les GarriguesGarriguesLes Garrigues is a comarca in Catalonia, Spain. Its capital is Les Borges Blanques. Its symbol is an olive branch, Les Garrigues being the center of olive cultivation in all of Catalonia...
, la NogueraNogueraNoguera has multiple meanings:* Noguera is one of the Comarques of Catalonia .* Noguera Pallaresa and Noguera Ribagorçana are rivers tributary to the river Segre, in Catalonia, Spain.* Noguera de Albarracín, a town in Aragon, Spain....
, l'UrgellUrgell (comarca)Modern-day Urgell is a comarca in Catalonia, Spain, forming only a portion of the region historically known as Urgell, one of the Catalan counties.-Municipalities:Populations are for 2001.*Agramunt - pop. 4,759*Anglesola - pop. 1,219...
, la SegarraSegarraSegarra is a comarca in Catalonia, Spain, situated on a high plain. Historically, the name referred to a larger area than the current comarca. It has a continental climate, with cold winters and hot summers, and between 350 and 450 mm of rainfall per year. It is a grain-growing region, with some...
and el SegriàSegriàSegrià is a comarca in the west of Catalonia, Spain, bordering Aragon. , over two thirds of its population live in the capital city of Lleida, which is also Catalonia's largest municipality, and remains the most populated comarca in the Lleida province. It takes its name from the river Segre.-...
(el Pla d'UrgellPla d'UrgellPla d'Urgell is a comarca in the interior of Catalonia, Spain.- Municipalities :* Barbens - pop. 795* Bell-lloc d'Urgell - pop. 2,068* Bellvís - pop. 2,137* Castellnou de Seana - pop. 697* Fondarella - pop. 721* Golmés - pop. 1,433...
, newly created in 1987, was back then included in this region). - 9th region, the capital was TrempTrempTremp is a municipality in Catalonia, Spain, the capital of the comarca of the Pallars Jussà. It is the largest municipality in Catalonia in terms of area , accounting for nearly a quarter of the total area of the comarca....
and the comarques: l'Alt UrgellAlt UrgellAlt Urgell is a comarca in Catalonia, Spain, a modern representation of part of the historic County of Urgell , seat of the Counts of Urgell and the historic region of Urgellet.- Municipalities :...
, el Pallars JussàPallars JussàPallars Jussà is a comarca in Catalonia, Spain. It was established as a comarca in 1936, out of the old county of Pallars. The name means "Lower Pallars"; to the northeast and into the mountains is Pallars Sobirà. Its capital and largest municipality is Tremp.-Municipalities:Populations are...
, el Pallars SobiràPallars SobiràEl Pallars Sobirà is a comarca in the mountainous northwest of Catalonia, Spain. The name means "Upper Pallars", distinguishing it from the more populous Pallars Jussà to its southwest...
and la Vall d'Aran (l'Alta RibagorçaAlta RibagorçaAlta 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...
, newly created in 1987, was back then included in this region).
Current proposals
When Franco died and Spain returned to a democratic system, the Spanish regions entered a process of intense devolution, from the central government, but also internally. In Catalonia, the comarcas were reinstated in 1987, although the veguerias have yet to be formally reclaimed.Under the 2006 Statute of Autonomy of Catalonia
Statute of Autonomy of Catalonia
The Statute of Autonomy of Catalonia provides Catalonia's basic institutional regulations. It defines the rights and obligations of the citizens of Catalonia , the political institutions of the Catalan nationality, their competences and relations with the rest of Spain, and the financing of the...
, the four diputacions provincials (provincial government of the provinces) which make up Catalonia are to be superseded by seven consells de vegueries (veguerial government), which will also take over many of the functions of the comarques. As of May 2011, the final boundaries of the new vegueries have not been formally approved. They were expected to be similar to the 9 regions of the Republican Generalitat, as follows:
- Àmbit metropolità de BarcelonaÀmbit metropolità de BarcelonaÀmbit metropolità de Barcelona is one of the seven territories defined by the Regional Plan of Catalonia . It is located in the central coast of Catalonia, Spain, in Barcelona and its influence area...
: former 1st region, Alt Penedès and Garraf. - Alt PirineuAlt Pirineu i AranAlt Pirineu i Aran is one of the seven vegueries defined by the Regional Plan of Catalonia. It is located in the Catalan High Pyrenees ....
: former 9th region and Cerdanya, without Val d'AranVal d'AranThe Val d'Aran is a valley in the Pyrenees mountains and a comarca in the northwestern part of the province of Lleida, in Catalonia, northern Spain. Most of the valley constitutes the only part of Spain, and of Catalonia, on the north face of the Pyrenees, hence the only part of Catalonia whose...
. - Camp de TarragonaCamp de TarragonaCamp de Tarragona is a natural and historical region of Catalonia, Spain. It includes a central plain, surrounded by the Serralada Prelitoral mountain chain on the west and in the north, with the Mediterranean sand beaches of the Costa Daurada on the east and limited in the south by the Coll de...
: former 3rd region and 4th region. - Comarques CentralsComarques CentralsComarques Centrals is one of the seven territories defined by the Regional Plan of Catalonia. It is located in the central part of Catalonia and will be formed by five comarques: Anoia, Bages, Berguedà, Osona and Solsonès.-References:...
: former 7th region and Osona. The proposed boundaries of this vegueria are contested by some. - Comarques GironinesComarques GironinesComarques Gironines is one of the seven territories defined by the Regional Plan of Catalonia. It is located in the north-east of Catalonia and will be formed by seven comarques: Gironès, Selva, Pla de l'Estany, Garrotxa, Ripollès, Alt Empordà and Baix Empordà....
: former 2nd and Ripollès. Also contested. - Ponent or LleidaPonentPonent, Lleida or Terres de Lleida is one of the seven territories defined by the Regional Plan of Catalonia and is not clear what name will have ....
: former 8th region. - Terres de l'EbreTerres de l'EbreTerres de l'Ebre is one of the seven territories defined by the Regional Plan of Catalonia. It is located in the south-west of Catalonia, in the southern part of river Ebre, and will be formed by four comarques: Baix Ebre, Montsià, Terra Alta and Ribera d'Ebre.The northern coastal limit of the...
: former 5th region and Ribera d'Ebre.
Some associations and town councils involved have asked for a Penedès vegueria to be created, as it was in the past (13th century — 1716). This would include the Alt Penedès, Baix Penedès, Garraf and Anoia, comarcas which the current proposal split between the Àmbit metropolità
Àmbit metropolità de Barcelona
Àmbit metropolità de Barcelona is one of the seven territories defined by the Regional Plan of Catalonia . It is located in the central coast of Catalonia, Spain, in Barcelona and its influence area...
, Camp de Tarragona
Camp de Tarragona
Camp de Tarragona is a natural and historical region of Catalonia, Spain. It includes a central plain, surrounded by the Serralada Prelitoral mountain chain on the west and in the north, with the Mediterranean sand beaches of the Costa Daurada on the east and limited in the south by the Coll de...
and Comarques Centrals
Comarques Centrals
Comarques Centrals is one of the seven territories defined by the Regional Plan of Catalonia. It is located in the central part of Catalonia and will be formed by five comarques: Anoia, Bages, Berguedà, Osona and Solsonès.-References:...
. The city of 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...
asks the government and the parliament to use the historical and official name Vegueria of Tarragona
Vegueria of Tarragona
The Vegueria of Tarragona was a historical territorial entity of Catalonia that agglutinated the counties of Tarragona. In all the moments of validity of this territorial division, the capital of the Vegueria of Tarragona has been the city of Tarragona...
, used between the 13th century and 1716.
The previous Catalan regional government (2006-2010) hinted plans to formally re-establish the vegueries in 2011 and use them as the "building blocks" of the region.
However, the 2010 Catalan regional election produced a new legislature which has put these plans on hold.