The County of Urgell ( ca, Comtat d'Urgell, ; la, Comitatus Urgellensis) is one of the historical

Catalan counties The Catalan counties ( ca, Comtats Catalans, ) were the administrative Christian divisions of the eastern Carolingian '' Hispanic Marches'' and the southernmost part of the March of Gothia in the Pyrenees created after their rapid conquest by the ...

, bordering on the counties of

Pallars Pallars is a historical and natural region of Catalonia. Located in the Pre-Pyrenees and Pyrenees area, most of its territory is mountainous. The Noguera Pallaresa river is named after this region. Geography The physiography of the Pallars nat ...

and

Cerdanya Cerdanya () or often La Cerdanya ( la, Ceretani or ''Ceritania''; french: Cerdagne; es, Cerdaña), is a natural comarca and historical region of the eastern Pyrenees divided between France and Spain. Historically it was one of the counties ...

History

The county of Urgell was carved by the

Franks The Franks ( la, Franci or ) were a group of Germanic peoples whose name was first mentioned in 3rd-century Roman sources, and associated with tribes between the Lower Rhine and the Ems River, on the edge of the Roman Empire.H. Schutz: Tools ...

out of a former section of the Mark of

Toulouse Toulouse ( , ; oc, Tolosa ) is the prefecture of the French department of Haute-Garonne and of the larger region of Occitania. The city is on the banks of the River Garonne, from the Mediterranean Sea, from the Atlantic Ocean and fr ...

when the

Alt Urgell Alt Urgell () is a ''comarca'' (county) in Catalonia, Spain, a modern representation of part of the historic County of Urgell The County of Urgell ( ca, Comtat d'Urgell, ; la, Comitatus Urgellensis) is one of the historical Catalan counties, ...

area became part of the

Carolingian Empire The Carolingian Empire (800–888) was a large Frankish-dominated empire in western and central Europe during the Early Middle Ages. It was ruled by the Carolingian dynasty, which had ruled as kings of the Franks since 751 and as kings of the L ...

between 785 and 790.L'Enciclopèdia: Comtat d'Urgell
/ref> The original territory was made up of the Alt Urgell, also known as Urgellet from the end of the 12th century onwards, with the see at

La Seu d'Urgell La Seu d'Urgell (; es, Seo de Urgel, formerly in ca, Urgell}) is a town located in the Catalan Pyrenees in Spain. La Seu d'Urgell is also the capital of the comarca Alt Urgell, head of the judicial district of la Seu d'Urgell and the seat of ...

. From 839 onwards it would include 129 villages, the valleys of the Valira river, namely

Andorra , image_flag = Flag of Andorra.svg , image_coat = Coat of arms of Andorra.svg , symbol_type = Coat of arms , national_motto = la, Virtus Unita Fortior, label=none (Latin)"United virtue is stro ...

and

Sant Joan Fumat Sant may refer to: People * Alfred Sant (born 1948), Maltese politician * Andrew Sant (born 1950), English-born Australian poet * David Sant (born 1968), Catalan director, actor and writer * Indira Sant (1914–2000), Indian poet * James Sant ...

, the Segre riverine area as well as the valleys located between El Pont de Bar and Oliana. Its maximal extension territory was between the

Pyrenees The Pyrenees (; es, Pirineos ; french: Pyrénées ; ca, Pirineu ; eu, Pirinioak ; oc, Pirenèus ; an, Pirineus) is a mountain range straddling the border of France and Spain. It extends nearly from its union with the Cantabrian Mountains to ...

and the taifa of Lleida, that is, the current comarques of Alt Urgell or Urgellet, Noguera,

Solsonès Solsonès () is a comarca (county) in Catalonia, Spain. It is part of historic county of Urgell Modern-day Urgell (), also known as ''Baix Urgell'' (''baix'' meaning "lower", by contrast with Alt Urgell "Higher Urgell"), is a ''comarca'' ( ...

, Pla d'Urgell, Baix Urgell and the still independent country of

. The historical capital was first

la Seu d'Urgell La Seu d'Urgell (; es, Seo de Urgel, formerly in ca, Urgell}) is a town located in the Catalan Pyrenees in Spain. La Seu d'Urgell is also the capital of the comarca Alt Urgell, head of the judicial district of la Seu d'Urgell and the seat of ...

and later

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. The municipality includes an exclave to the east. Balaguer also has a sister city i ...

. The county of Urgell was extinguished and absorbed by the

Crown of Aragon The Crown of Aragon ( , ) an, Corona d'Aragón ; ca, Corona d'Aragó, , , ; es, Corona de Aragón ; la, Corona Aragonum . was a composite monarchy ruled by one king, originated by the dynastic union of the Kingdom of Aragon and the County of ...

in 1413 as a part of the

Principality of Catalonia The Principality of Catalonia ( ca, Principat de Catalunya, la, Principatus Cathaloniæ, oc, Principat de Catalonha, es, Principado de Cataluña) was a medieval and early modern state in the northeastern Iberian Peninsula. During most of it ...

, after the revolt of the last count,

James II of Urgell James II (in Catalan ''Jaume II d'Urgell'' or ''Jaume el Dissortat'' "James the unlucky", in Spanish ''Jayme II el desafortunado'') (1380 – 1 June 1433) was the Count of Urgell (1408–1413), Viscount of Àger, and lord of Antillón, Alcolea ...

, against the king Ferdinand I of Aragon.

First dynasty

Sunifred II of Urgell Sunifred II (''c''. 898–948) was Count of Urgell. He was the son of Wilfred the Hairy of Urgell Modern-day Urgell (), also known as ''Baix Urgell'' (''baix'' meaning "lower", by contrast with Alt Urgell "Higher Urgell"), is a ''comarca'' (c ...

(897-948) died without descendants and the county went to his nephew Borrell II,

Count of Barcelona The Count of Barcelona ( ca, Comte de Barcelona, es, Conde de Barcelona, french: Comte de Barcelone, ) was the ruler of the County of Barcelona and also, by extension and according with the Usages of Barcelona, usages and Catalan constitutions, of ...

Girona Girona (officially and in Catalan , Spanish: ''Gerona'' ) is a city in northern Catalonia, Spain, at the confluence of the Ter, Onyar, Galligants, and Güell rivers. The city had an official population of 103,369 in 2020. Girona is the capit ...

and

Osona Osona () is a comarca situated in Catalonia, Northeast Spain. Its capital is Vic. Its population in 2001 was 129,543. Osona covers roughly the same area as the historic Catalan county of Osona. The name Osona comes from ''Ausetans'', a group of ...

. In his testament Borrell II, who died in 992, gave Barcelona, Girona and Osona to

Ramon Borrell Ramon Borrell ( ca, Ramon Borrell, es, Ramón Borrell; 972–1017) was count of Barcelona, Girona and Ausona from 992. He was the son of Borrell II of Barcelona and Letgarda of Rouergue, and was associated with his father in ruling the counties ...

(992-1017), while Urgell went to Ermengol I (992-1010), so that the Count of Urgell title became separated from the

House of Barcelona The House of Barcelona was a medieval dynasty that ruled the County of Barcelona continuously from 878 and the Crown of Aragon from 1137 (as kings from 1162) until 1410. They descend from the Bellonids, the descendants of Wifred the Hairy. Th ...

. Thus the first dynasty of Urgell began with Ermengol I. The first dynasty is also known as Barcelona-Urgell. *

Ermengol I Ermengol (or Armengol) I (974–1010), called ''el de Córdoba'', was the Count of Urgell from 992 to his death. He was the second son of Borrell II of Barcelona and his first wife, Letgarda. He was the second of the counts of Urgell and famous mai ...

(992 - 1010), son of

Borrell II, Count of Barcelona Borrell II (died 993) was Count of Barcelona, Girona and Ausona from 945 and Count of Urgell from 948. Borrell was first seen acting as Count during the reign of his father Sunyer II in 945 at the consecration of the nunnery church of Sant Pe ...

Ermengol II Ermengol (or Armengol) II (died 1038), called the Pilgrim, was the Count of Urgell from 1011 to his death. He was the son of Ermengol I, Count of Urgell and one of his wives. He was a child when he succeeded his father and was put under the regenc ...

(1010 - 1038) *

Ermengol III Ermengol (or Armengol) III (10321065), called ''el de Barbastro'', was the count of Urgell from 1038 to his death. He was the son of Ermengol II, Count of Urgell and his wife Velasquita "Constance", probably the daughter of Bernard I, Count of Besa ...

(1038 - 1065) *

Ermengol IV Ermengol (or Armengol) 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 Adelaide, whose family is not known, even if some scholars made her daughter of Guillem ...

(1065 - 1092) *

Ermengol V Ermengol (or Armengol) V (1078 — 1102), called ''El de Mollerussa'' ("He of Mollerussa"), was the Count of Urgell from 1092 to his death. He was the son of Ermengol IV and his first wife, Lucy (''Lucía'') of Pallars. He spent most of his life in ...

(1092 - 1102) * Ermengol VI (1102 - 1154) *

Ermengol VII Ermengol VII (or Armengol VII) (died 1184) was the Count of Urgell from 1154 to his death. He was called ''el de Valencia''. The son of Ermengol VI and his first wife, Arsenda of Cabrera, in 1157, Ermengol VII married Dulce, daughter of Roger II ...

(1154 - 1184) *

Ermengol VIII Ermengol (or Armengol) VIII (1158 – 1208), known as ''el de Sant Hilari'', was the Count of Urgell from 1184 to his death. He was a son of Ermengol VII and Dulce, daughter of Roger III of Foix. In 1178, he married Elvira of Subirats, with whom he ...

(1184 - 1209) *

Aurembiaix Aurembiaix (or Aurembiax) (1196–1231) was the Countess of Urgell from 1208, the last of her dynasty. She was the only child of Ermengol VIII and Elvira of Subirats. In 1206, Ermengol asked Peter II of Aragon to defend the right of his daughter ...

(1209 - 1231) The title was disputed by

Peter I Peter I may refer to: Religious hierarchs * Saint Peter (c. 1 AD – c. 64–88 AD), a.k.a. Simon Peter, Simeon, or Simon, apostle of Jesus * Pope Peter I of Alexandria (died 311), revered as a saint * Peter I of Armenia (died 1058), Catholicos ...

and

Guerau IV de Cabrera Guerau IV de Cabrera (1196–1229) was a claimant to the County of Urgel during the time that James I of Aragon was King of Aragon. His uncle, Ponç III of Cabrera, married the daughter of Ermengol VII of Urgell, Ermengol VII named Marquesa in 1194. ...

during Aurembiaix's time.

Second dynasty

In 1231 Countess

died without descendants and the first dynasty became extinguished. After a period of dynastic squabbles

Jaume I James I the Conqueror ( es, Jaime el Conquistador, ca, Jaume el Conqueridor; 2 February 1208 – 27 July 1276) was King of Aragon and Lord of Montpellier from 1213 to 1276; King of Majorca from 1231 to 1276; and Valencia from 1238 to 1276 ...

acknowledged Ponç IV of Cabrera as the successor to the County of Urgell. The second dynasty is also known as Cabrera-Urgell. * Ponç I (Ponç IV of Cabrera) (1236 - 1243) *

Ermengol IX Ermengol IX (1243) was a medieval Catalan nobleman. After his father's death in 1243, the eight-year-old boy succeeded as Count of Urgell. However, he, too died during the same year, a situation in which he was the only Count of Urgell to die duri ...

(1243) * Àlvar I (1243 - 1267) *

Ermengol X Ermengol X (1254–1314) was the Count of Urgel and Viscount of Àger from 1268 to 1314. He was the son of Álvaro of Urgell and his second wife, Cecilia, daughter of Roger-Bernard II of Foix. Ermengol inherited Urgel at the age of fourteen upon t ...

(1267 - 1314)

Third dynasty

Blason Pierre d'Aragon, Comte d'Urgel (selon Gelre)

Ermengol X d'Urgell named his niece

Teresa d'Entença Teresa d'Entença (c. 1300 – 20 October 1327) was the eldest daughter of Gombau d'Entença and his wife Constança d'Antillón. She was Countess of Urgell in her own right; however, control over her estate passed to her husband, Alfonso IV of Ar ...

as successor to the county. She was married to Alfons el Benigne, son of

James II of Aragon James II (Catalan: ''Jaume II''; Spanish: ''Jaime II;'' 10 April 1267 – 2 or 5 November 1327), called the Just,, an, Chaime lo Chusto, es, Jaime el Justo. was the King of Aragon and Valencia and Count of Barcelona from 1291 to 1327. He ...

. The third and last dynasty is also known as Aragon-Urgell. *

Jaume I of Urgell James I (1321 – 15 November 1347), the eighteenth Count of Urgell, was the fourth son of Alfonso IV King of Aragon and Teresa d'Entença & Cabrera, 17th Countess of Urgell. Biography James was born in Zaragoza in 1321. His older brother, ...

(1336 - 1347) * Pere II of Urgell (1347 - 1408) *

Jaume II of Urgell James II (in Catalan ''Jaume II d'Urgell'' or ''Jaume el Dissortat'' "James the unlucky", in Spanish ''Jayme II el desafortunado'') (1380 – 1 June 1433) was the Count of Urgell (1408–1413), Viscount of Àger, and lord of Antillón, Alcolea de ...

(1408 - 1413)

Diocese of Urgell

There is also a

Roman Catholic Roman or Romans most often refers to: * Rome, the capital city of Italy *Ancient Rome, Roman civilization from 8th century BC to 5th century AD * Roman people, the people of ancient Rome *'' Epistle to the Romans'', shortened to ''Romans'', a let ...

diocese of Urgell The Diocese of Urgell is a diocese in Catalonia (Spain) and Andorra in the historical County of Urgell,

. The

diocese In church governance, a diocese or bishopric is the ecclesiastical district under the jurisdiction of a bishop. History In the later organization of the Roman Empire, the increasingly subdivided provinces were administratively associ ...

is of ancient origin and traditions of the

early Christian Early Christianity (up to the First Council of Nicaea in 325) spread from the Levant, across the Roman Empire, and beyond. Originally, this progression was closely connected to already established Jewish centers in the Holy Land and the Jewis ...

church lingered. Felix of Urgel's tendencies towards the

heretical Heresy is any belief or theory that is strongly at variance with established beliefs or customs, in particular the accepted beliefs of a church or religious organization. The term is usually used in reference to violations of important religi ...

position of

adoptionism Adoptionism, also called dynamic monarchianism, is an early Christian nontrinitarian theological doctrine, which holds that Jesus was adopted as the Son of God at his baptism, his resurrection, or his ascension. How common adoptionist views ...

was attacked by

Alcuin of York Alcuin of York (; la, Flaccus Albinus Alcuinus; 735 – 19 May 804) – also called Ealhwine, Alhwin, or Alchoin – was a scholar, clergyman, poet, and teacher from York, Northumbria. He was born around 735 and became the student ...

in ''Contra Felicem''.Steven Runciman, ''The Medieval

Manichee Manichaeism (; in New Persian ; ) is a former major religionR. van den Broek, Wouter J. Hanegraaff ''Gnosis and Hermeticism from Antiquity to Modern Times''SUNY Press, 1998 p. 37 founded in the 3rd century AD by the Parthian prophet Mani (A ...

'', Cambridge, Cambridge University Press, 1947.

was ceded to the

bishop of Urgell The Diocese of Urgell is a diocese in Catalonia (Spain) and Andorra in the historical County of Urgell,

by the count

Ermengol VI of Urgell Ermengol (or Armengol) VI (10961154), called ''el de Castilla'' ("the one from Castile"), was the Count of Urgell from 1102 to his death. He was the son and successor of Ermengol V and María Pérez, daughter of Count Pedro Ansúrez, Lord of Vallad ...

in the twelfth century. The

bishop of Urgell The Diocese of Urgell is a diocese in Catalonia (Spain) and Andorra in the historical County of Urgell,

, who since 2003 has been

Joan Enric Vives Sicília Joan may refer to: People and fictional characters *Joan (given name), including a list of women, men and fictional characters *:Joan of Arc, a French military heroine *Joan (surname) Weather events *Tropical Storm Joan (disambiguation), multiple ...

, is simultaneously joint head of state of

alongside the President of the French Republic.

References

* Bolòs, Jordi, ''Atles del comtat d'Urgell (v788-993)'', Barcelona, Rafael Dalmau, Barcelona, 2006. {{ISBN, 84-232-0700-5. History of Catalonia