Catalan counties

From Wikipedia the free encyclopedia

The Catalan counties (Catalan: Comtats Catalans, IPA: [kumˈtats kətəˈlans]) were those surviving counties of the Hispanic March and the southernmost part of the March of Gothia that were later united to form the Principality of Catalonia.

In 778, Charlemagne led the first military Frankish expedition into Hispania to create the Hispanic March, a military buffer zone between the Emirate of Córdoba of Al-Andalus and the Frankish Empire. The territory that he subdued would in later centuries be the kernel of Catalonia (not yet known like that since the first written mention of Catalonia is in 1113). In 781, Charlemagne made his 3-year-old son Louis the Pious (778 – 840) king of Aquitaine, who was sent there with regents and a court in order to secure the southern border of his kingdom against the Arabs and Moors and to expand southwards into Muslim territory.

These counties were originally feudal entities ruled by a small military elite. Counts were appointed directly by and owed allegiance to the Carolingian (Frankish) emperor. The appointment to heirs could not be taken for granted. However, with the rise of the importance of the Bellonids and strong figures among them such as, Sunifred (fl. 844–848) and Wilfred the Hairy (c.870-897), and the weakening of Carolingian royal power, the appointment of heirs eventually become a formality. This trend resulted in the counts becoming de facto independent of the Carolingian crown under Borrell II in 987, starting since, to call themselves and to be known as dei gratia comes (counts by the grace of god) and dux catalanensis (Catalan dukes) or even Hispaniae subjogator (attorney of Hispania) and Propugnator et murus christiani populi (wall and defender of the Christian folk).

The many counties (aside from the counties of County of Pallars, County of Urgell and County of Empuries) were to be soon absorbed into the County of Barcelona. The Count of Barcelona Ramon Berenguer IV, married the heiress to the Aragonese throne Petronilla of Aragon in 1150, uniting as equals the Kingdom of Aragon and the County of Barcelona. Thus, their son, Alfonso II of Aragon, became the first king of the Crown of Aragon.

Creation

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The Hispanic March counties between the late 8th and 12th centuries that would become the Principality of Catalonia

The reconquista from the Moors by the Franks began in 785.[1] In 785, Rostany (or Rostaing) was made Count of Girona, the first, of what would later become the Catalan counties, to be established. Besalú and Empúries were originally part of Girona. When Urgell and Cerdanya were conquered by Carolingian forces around 798, they were also made counties of the Hispanic March and Borrell was made count. He took a very active part in the subsequent conquest of Osona in 799 and the successful siege of Barcelona in 801. He was made count of Osona in 799, perhaps as a reward for his services. In 801, in the greatest military triumph of his long career, Louis the Pious, son of Charlamagne, took Barcelona from its Muslim rulers, making it the greatest city of the Hispanic March's littoral. The county of Barcelona was established and Bera was made its count. In 812, Count dilo of Girona (which included Besalú and Empúries) died and the county also passed to Bera.

In 804 and 805, Borrell participated in the expeditions to Tortosa, but not in the subsequent campaigns of 808 and 809. On Borrell's death in 820, Osona was given to Rampon and Urgell and Cerdanya went to Aznar Galíndez. Also in 820, Bera went into political disfavour and lost the countships of Barcelona and Girona, which also went to Rampon.

Around 813, Empúries became a separate county under Ermenguer, and in 817, it was united to the County of Roussillon. From 835 to 844, Sunyer I was count of Empúries and Peralada while Alaric I was count of Roussillon and Vallespir.

Besalú was made a separate county in 878 for Radulf on the condition that it pass to the heirs of Wilfred the Hairy on his death. It went to Miro I the Younger in 912.

Barcelona soon overshadowed the other counties in importance, especially during the reign of Wilfred the Hairy in the late 9th century. At that time, the power of the Carolingian Empire was waning and the neglected Hispanic March counties were practically independent of its royal authority. In the early 11th 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 counts refused to pay homage to the new dynasty. Over the next century, most of the counties were absorbed or became vassals of the County of Barcelona. In 1137, the Count of Barcelona Ramon Berenguer IV married the heiress of the Kingdom of Aragon, Petronella, uniting the County of Barcelona and its vassals with the Kingdom of Aragon to create the Crown of Aragon. Several of the later Aragonese kings re-created some of the counties as appanages for younger sons.

Catalan Counties and Viscounties

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Catalan Counties Catalan Viscounties

Appointed rulers

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Hereditary Rulers

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Catalan Counties under Bellonid dynasty

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Partitions of the Catalan counties under Bellonid/Barcelona domain

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County of
Roussillon

(878-1172)
(Bellonid line)
County of
Empúries

(905-1402)
(Barcelona line
from 1325)
       County of
Barcelona

(878-1410)
(Barcelona line)
County of
Besalú

(988-1118)
County of
Cerdanya

(1st creation)
(897-1118)
      
County of
Urgell

(992-1413)[2]
County of
Forcalquier

(1129-1209)
       Barcelona joined by
the Kingdom of Aragon

(1137)
County of
Provence

(1127-1267)[3]
             
County of
Cerdanya

(2nd creation)
(1162-1344)[4]
Inherited by the
Kingdom of Naples
      
      
      
Annexed to the
Aragonese House
of Trastámara
Annexed to the Aragonese House of Trastámara

Table of rulers

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Catalan Counties under House of Pallars/Bigorre

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(Note: According to some authors, the county of Pallars (and by extension Ribagorça) aren't exactly part of the Catalan group of counties[16] )

Partitions of the Catalan counties under Bigorre/Pallars dynasty domain

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County of Pallars
(872-1011)
       County of
Ribagorça

(920-1017)
County of
Upper Pallars

(Pallars Sobirà)
(1011-1487)
[17]
      
County of
Lower Pallars

(Pallars Jussà)
(1011-1192)
Annexed to the
Taifa of Zaragoza
(1017-1018),
Pamplona
(1018-1035)
and Aragon
(from 1035)
Annexed to Aragon
(from 1192)

Table of rulers

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Successor families in the County of Upper Pallars

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In 1229, Countess Guillema of Upper Pallars sold her domains to her husband Roger I (grandson of Bernard III, Count of Comminges), with whom she had no children. The rights were transmitted to the children of Roger's other marriage, and as so with no close family connection with the Pallarese dynasty. However, if the Bigorre family anf the Comminges family share an ancestor in the Ducal House of Gascony, they may have a distant relation.

In 1327, after the death of countess Sybilla, her inheritance went to her children, from the Mataplana family, which was dispossessed of the county in 1491.

The House of Trastámara and successors

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House of Trastámara (1412-1516) and the Catalan Civil War (1462-1472)

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Martin died without legitimate descendants (interregnum 31 May 1410 – 24 June 1412). By the Compromise of Caspe of 1412 the County of Barcelona and the rest of the dominions of the Crown of Aragon passed to a branch of the House of Trastamara.

Name Portrait Reign Notes
Ferdinand I the Honest 3 September 1412 – 2 April 1416 He was the nephew of Martin I and the first Count of Barcelona of the House of Trastámara.
Alphonse IV the Magnanimous 2 April 1416 – 27 June 1458 He was the son of Ferdinand I.
John II the Faithless or the Just 27 June 1458 – 1462 He was the brother of Alphonse IV. The Catalans confronted him during the Catalan Civil War and in 1462 transferred the title of count to another Trastamara House pretender
During the Catalan Civil War, a war between the Catalan government and the king|John II, the Catalan authorities transferred the title of Count of Barcelona to a succession of 3 foreign sovereigns.
Henry I the Impotent
(House of Trastámara)
1462 - 1463 He was the Ferdinand I grandson and thus also from the Trastámara House.
Peter IV of Portugal
(House of Aviz)
1463 – 1466 He was the greatgrandson of Peter III.
René I
(House of Valois-Anjou)
1466 – 1472 He was the grandson of John the Hunter. He was also the Count of Provence.
After the Catalan Civil War, the House of Trastámara was restituted as tenants of the Count of Barcelona title and thus sovereigns of the Principality of Catalonia.
John II the Faithless or the Just 1472 – 20 January 1479 He was the brother of Alphonse IV. The Catalans confronted him during the Catalan Civil War and afterward reinstated him as Count of Barcelona.
Ferdinand II 20 January 1479 – 23 January 1516 He was the son of John II.
Joanna 23 January 1516 – 12 April 1555 She was the daughter of Ferdinand II. Her rule was nominal as it was his son Charles who co-ruler.

The Houses of Habsburg and Bourbon 1516-1808

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Name Portrait Reign Notes
Charles I (emperor) 14 March 1516 – 12 April 1555 (as regent)
12 April 1555 – 16 January 1556 (as sole ruler)
He was the son of Queen Joanna and Philip I of Castile. Till the death of her mother, in 1555, he was regent but the de facto ruler. From 155 to 1556, he was the sole ruler. As he was not the Count (till her mother died) and had good relations with Catalan authorities, they awarded him the title of Prince of Catalonia.[24]
Philip I 16 January 1556 – 13 September 1598 He was the son of Charles I.
Philip II 13 September 1598 – 31 March 1621 He was the son of Philip I.
Philip III 31 March 1621 – 1641 He was the son of Philip II. He wanted to reduce the Catalan sovereignties, and the Catalan authorities confronted him during the Reapers' War. The title of Count of Barcelona was transferred by the Catalan Courts to the House of Bourbon in France.
Louis I
(Louis XIII of France)
27 September 1601 – 14 May 1643
1641–1643 During the Reapers' War, the States-General (Braços Generals) of the Principality of Catalonia on 21 January 1641 declared the French king Louis XIII Count of Barcelona as Louis I.[25][26]
Louis II
(Louis XIV of France)
5 September 1638 – 1 September 1715
1643–1652 and 1697 He inherits the title of Count of Barcelona from his father during the Reapers' War. In 1652 he renounces the title in favor of Philip III in exchange for the Roussillon.
Philip III 1641 – 17 September 1665 He was the son of Philip II. He was reinstated as Count of Barcelona.
Charles II 17 September 1665 – 1 November 1700 He was the son of Philip III. In 1697 the Duke of Vendôme briefly re-conquers Catalan capital city of Barcelona, and Louis XIV of France was reinstated as Count of Barcelona for some months. On January 9, 1698, Catalonia is returned to Charles II after signing the Treaty of Rijswijk.
Philip IV 1700 – 1705 Philip was a great-grandson of Philip III, and Charles was a cousin of thesame king. Charles II's testament in favor of the former destabilized Western Europe because it meant too much power for the Kingdom of France. The rest of the European powers tried to impose another pretender to the Crown of Spain: the Archduke Charles of Austria. The Catalans were caught in the middle of this major conflict: the Spanish Succession War. They initially supported Philip of Anjou but afterward shifted their allegiance towards Archduke Charles, who was committed to maintaining the composite monarchy system and thus respect the Catalan Constitutions. In 1714, Philip owned the Spanish possessions of the Habsburgs.
Charles III 1705 – 1714

House of Bourbon (Spanish branch) 1714-1808

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In 1714, Catalonia, which had backed the Habsburg pretender to the Spanish crown Archduke Charles of Austria, was defeated in the War of the Spanish Succession by the Bourbon forces supporting Philip of Anjou's claim to the Spanish crown. Through the Nueva Planta decrees, the new Bourbon king of Spain Philip V abolished the Catalan Constitutions and merged the Crown of Aragon and the Crown of Castile to form the Kingdom of Spain. The Principality of Catalonia became another province and thus the title of the Count of Barcelona was emptied of real political power.

Since then, the numbering of the Counts of Barcelona, which had followed that of the Crown of Aragon, followed that of the former Crown of Castille. That is the reason why Philip of Anjou was called by the Catalan authorities 'Felip IV' in 1702 but called himself 'Felipe V' when he seized the title of the Count of Barcelona in 1714, after defeating the Habsburg pretender and his Catalan backers.

House of Bonaparte 1808-1813

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In 1808 Charles IV and his son Ferdinand resign from their Crown of Spain titles and transfer them to Emperor Napoleon, who kept for himself the title of Count of Barcelona. By 1812, once he had full military control over the Principality of Catalonia, he separated it from the Crown of Spain and annexed it to the French Empire.

Name Portrait Reign Notes
Napoleon I, Emperor 1808–1813 Napoleon annexed Catalonia to the French Empire as 4 new departments. In 1813, after much fighting, it was returned to Spain.

House of Bourbon (Reannexation to Spain) 1813-1931; 1975-present day

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After the Napoleonic Wars, Barcelona returned to Spanish domain. During the 2nd Spanish Republic and Francoist Dictatorship the Bourbons remained in exile and retained their dynastic titles, including 'Count of Barcelona'. Although on 26 July 1947, Spain was declared a kingdom, no monarch was designated until 1969, when Franco established Juan Carlos of Bourbon as his official heir-apparent. With the death of Franco on 20 November 1975, Juan Carlos became the King of Spain.

Name Portrait Reign Notes
John III
(Juan III)
1977–1993 claimed the title from 1941; officially granted by his son Juan Carlos I as a courtesy in exchange for renouncing his claim to the Spanish throne

Timeline

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Corona d'AragóJaume II d'UrgellPere II d'UrgellCecília IJaume I d'UrgellTeresa d'EntençaErmengol XÀlvar IErmengol IXPonç IPere I»1231AurembiaixErmengol VIIIErmengol VIIErmengol VIErmengol VErmengol IVErmengol IIIErmengol IIErmengol IBorrell IISunifred II d'UrgellGuifré I el PelósLlista de comtes de BarcelonaNunó ISanç IPere I de CerdanyaRamon Berenguer IV el SantRamon Berenguer IIIBernat I de CerdanyaGuillem II de CerdanyaGuillem I de CerdanyaRamon I de CerdanyaGuifré II de CerdanyaOliba CabretaMiró III de CerdanyaMiró III de CerdanyaSunifred II de CerdanyaMiró II de CerdanyaGuifré I el PelósLlista de comtes de BarcelonaBernat III de BesalúBernat II de BesalúGuillem II de BesalúGuillem I de BesalúBernat I de Besalú (Tallaferro)Oliba CabretaMiró II de BesalúSunifred II de CerdanyaGuifré II de BesalúMiró I de BesalúRadulf I de BesalúGuifré I el PelósLlista de comtes de BarcelonaGuifré I el PelósCorona d'AragóJoan II el GranAlfons IV el MagnànimFerran d'AntequeraMartí I l'HumàJoan el CaçadorPere III el CerimoniósAlfons III el BenigneJaume II el JustAlfons II el FrancPere II el GranJaume I el ConqueridorPere I el CatòlicAlfons I el CastRamon Berenguer IV el SantRamon Berenguer IIIBerenguer Ramon IIRamon Berenguer II el Cap d'EstopesRamon Berenguer I el VellBerenguer Ramon I el CorbatRamon BorrellBorrell IISunyer IGuifré IIGuifré I el PelósCorona d'AragóJaume IV de MallorcaJaume III de MallorcaSanç I de MallorcaJaume II de MallorcaAlfons el FrancJaume II de MallorcaJaume I el ConqueridorNunó ISanç de Barcelona i d'AragóAlfons I el CastGirard II de RossellóGausfred III de RossellóGirard I de RossellóGuislabert II de RossellóGausfred II de RossellóGuislabert I de RossellóGausfred I de RossellóGausbert I de RossellóBencióSunyer IIMiró I de RossellóCorona d'AragóMartí I l'HumàJoana de RocabertíPere III d'EmpúriesJoan II d'EmpúriesJoan I d'EmpúriesPere II d'EmpúriesJoan I d'EmpúriesRamon Berenguer I d'EmpúriesPere I d'EmpúriesHug VI d'EmpúriesMarquesa d'EmpúriesPonç VI d'EmpúriesPonç V d'EmpúriesHug V d'EmpúriesPonç IV d'EmpúriesHug IV d'EmpúriesPonç III d'EmpúriesHug III d'EmpúriesPonç II d'EmpúriesHug II d'EmpúriesPonç I d'EmpúriesHug I d'EmpúriesGausfred I d'EmpúriesGausbert I d'EmpúriesBencióSunyer IICounty of UrgellCounty of CerdagneCounty of BesalúCounty of GironaCounty of BarcelonaCounty of RoussillonCounty of EmpúriesCatalan counties
Guifré I el PelósSalomó I d'UrgellSunifred IGalí I AsnarAsnar I GalíBorrell I d'UrgellGuifré I el PelósSalomó I d'UrgellSunifred IGalí I AsnarAsnar I GalíBorrell I d'UrgellGuifré I el PelósGuifré I el PelósBernat de GòtiaOtgerHumfridOdalricGuifré I de GironaSunifred IBernat de SeptimàniaBerenguer de TolosaBernat de SeptimàniaRampóBeràOdilóRostanyGuifré I el PelósBernat de GòtiaHumfridOdalricAleranGuillem de SeptimàniaSunifred IBernat de SeptimàniaBerenguer de TolosaBernat de SeptimàniaRampóBeràMiró I de RossellóBernat de GòtiaHumfridOdalricAleranGuillem de SeptimàniaSunyer IBernat de SeptimàniaBerenguer de TolosaGaucelmSunyer IIHumfridOdalricAleranGuillem de SeptimàniaSunyer IAlaric ISunyer IBerenguer de TolosaGaucelmErmenguerCategoria:Comtats catalans

References

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  1. ^ Lewis, Archibald Ross. The Development of Southern French and Catalan Society, 718–1050. University of Texas Press: Austin, 1965.
  2. ^ Between 1231 and 1327, Urgell was in possession of the House of Cabrera.
  3. ^ Not originally part of the group of the Catalan counties, Provence was inherited by the House of Barcelona through marriage.
  4. ^ From 1276 united with Kingdom of Majorca
  5. ^ Fidel Fita i Colomer: Boletín de la Real Academia de la Historia, tomo 40 (1902): Principado de Cataluña - Razón de este nombre: Ya en las cortes del año 1064, que son las primeras de la colección académica, aparece en el Usaje 65 con el nombre de Principado la demarcación del territorio al que entonces se aplicaba, es decir al de la vieja Cataluña ó al de los tres condados de Barcelona, Ausona y Gerona, que regían como soberanos D. Ramon Berenguer I y su mujer Doña Almodis
  6. ^ Albertí, Elisenda (2007). Dames, reines, abadesses, 18 personalitats femenines a la Catalunya medieval. Archived from the original on 2014-11-08. Retrieved 2014-11-08. {{cite book}}: |website= ignored (help)
  7. ^ William II was engaged with Lucie de La Marche in 1054, but the marriage agreement was not fulfilled.
  8. ^ Fernández-Xesta Vázquez, Ernesto (2020). Algunos datos, teorías e hipótesis genealógicas relativas a diferentes personajes pertenecientes al linaje de los Vizcondes de Cabrera. Paratge. pp. 215–240.
  9. ^ Between 1159 and 1162, Alfonso was engaged with Mafalda of Portugal, but the agreement was not fulfilled,
  10. ^ The origins of Elvira have been subject to recent scholarly reevaluation. She was once identified as daughter of Manrique Pérez de Lara, but Canal Sánchez-Pagín showed that Ermengol's wife was Elvira Pérez, daughter of Pedro Alfonso of Asturias. However, Sánchez de Mora has presented evidence that Aurembiaix was close kin to the Lara family and suggests that a documented countess Elvira Nuñez de Lara, daughter of Nuño Pérez de Lara, was in fact a second wife of Ermengol, to whom he married after the death of Elvira Pérez, and that Aurembiaix was her daughter. Sánchez de Mora, pp. 300-305.
  11. ^ She abdicated for her son in 1209, but as he was a minor until 1220, she can be considered the de facto ruler until 1220
  12. ^ Aurembiaix was engaged with James I of Aragon in 1209, but the marriage contract was not fulfilled.
  13. ^ James was engaged with Aurembiaix, Countess of Urgell in 1209, but the marriage agreement was not fulfilled.
  14. ^ Alfonso III died while Eleanor was travelling to Aragon
  15. ^ John was engaged with Jeanne-Blanche of France in 1370-1371, but the marriage agreement was not fulfilled.
  16. ^ Whether Pallars is referred to as a part of Catalonia or not depends on the author. Lewis, passim, treats it as independent of Catalonia proper.
  17. ^ Upper Pallars came to be inherited by the House of Comminges (1229-1330) and the Mataplana family (1330-1487)
  18. ^ Textos navarros del Codice de Roda, cap. 27, pag. 55, nota 27 (Regemundus)
  19. ^ Martínez Díez, Gonzalo. (2007). Sancho III el Mayor : Rey de Pamplona, Rex Ibericus. Marcial Pons Ediciones de Historia. ISBN 978-84-15817-42-0. OCLC 847412670.
  20. ^ c. "#ES Enciclopèdia.cat: Bernat Ramon I de Pallars Jussà".
  21. ^ Araldicasardegna: Alagón
  22. ^ #ES Enciclopèdia.cat: Valença I de Pallars-Jussà
  23. ^ #ES Valença I de Pallars-Jussà
  24. ^ Testamento de Carlos V, ISBN 84-276-0606-0
  25. ^ Grau, Jaume. Pau Claris. Una vida amb misteris (in Catalan). Sàpiens [Barcelona], núm. 121, octubre 2012, p.54-57. ISSN 1695-2014
  26. ^ Gelderen, Martin van; Skinner, Quentin (2002). Republicanism: Volume 1, Republicanism and Constitutionalism in Early Modern Europe: A Shared European Heritage. Cambridge University Press. p. 284. ISBN 978-1-139-43961-9

Sources

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