Count of Barcelona

The Count of Barcelona (Catalan: Comte de Barcelona, Spanish: Conde de Barcelona, Latin: Comites Barcinonenses) was the ruler of Catalonia for much of Catalan history, from the 9th until the 15th century.

The Spanish March.

The County of Barcelona was created by Charlemagne after he had conquered lands north of the river Ebro. These lands, called the Marca Hispanica, were partitioned into various counties, of which the Count of Barcelona, usually holding other counties simultaneously, eventually obtained the primacy over the region.

As the county became hereditary in one family, the bond of the counts to their Frankish overlords loosened, especially after the Capetian dynasty supplanted the Carolingians.

In the 12th century the Counts formed a dynastic union with the Kingdom of Aragon, merging the two realms under a single ruler. In 1258, the king of France relinquished his feudal authority over the County in the Treaty of Corbeil.

Barcelona remained, as a part of the Principality of Catalonia, part of the Crown of Aragon when the latter around 1500 entered into a union with the Crown of Castile, thereby forming the Spanish Monarchy. Catalonia maintained its own laws, institutions, taxes and privileges until they were removed after the War of the Spanish Succession in the 18th century.

Count of Barcelona remained one of the many hereditary titles of the Spanish monarchy.

In the 20th century, the title regained some prominence when Juan de Borbón, the exiled heir to the Spanish throne, adopted the title of Count of Barcelona. In doing so, he claimed a historical royal title without claiming to be the current king of Spain, especially after his son Juan Carlos became the prospective successor of the then-ruler of Spain, Francisco Franco. In 1977, after Juan Carlos had become King upon Franco's death in 1975, he officially awarded the title of Count of Barcelona to his father, who had renounced his rights to the throne. Juan held that title until his death in 1993, when it reverted to the King who has held it ever since. Juan de Borbón's widow used the title Countess of Barcelona until her death in 2000.

List of Counts of Barcelona

Non-dynastic, 801-878

NamePortraitReignNotes
Berà, Count of Barcelona 801-820son of Guilhèm I of Razès, brother of Bello of Razès, also Count of Razès and Conflent (790-820), Girona, Besalú, Ausona (812/817-820), deposed.
Rampon
(Rampó)
820-826also Count of Girona and Besalú
Bernard I
(Bernat I)
826-832son of William of Gellone, also margrave of Septimania (834-835) and Imperial Chamberlain (829-830), deposed.
Berenguer 832-835also Count of Toulouse.
Bernard I
(Bernat I)
836-844restored, executed on orders of Charles the Bald.
Sunifred 844-848son or son-in-law of Belló of Carcassone, also Count of Ausona, Besalú, Girona, Narbonne, Agde, Béziers, Lodève, Melgueil, Cerdanya, Urgell, Conflent and Nîmes.
William
(Guillem)
848-850son of Bernard I, also Count of Toulouse (844-850), rebelled and was killed.
Aleran 850-852also Count of Empúries and Roussillon and Margrave of Septimania.
Odalric 852-858son of Hunfrid, Margrave of Istria, also Count of Girona, Roussillon, Empúries and Margrave of Septimania.
Humfrid 858-864son of Hunfrid II, Duke of Rhaetia, also Count of Girona, Empúries, Roussillon, and Narbonne and Margrave of Gothia.
Bernard II
(Bernat II)
865-878son of Bernard of Poitiers also Count of Girona and Margrave of Gothia and Septimania, rebelled.

House of Sunifred, 878-1162

Name Portrait Birth Marriages Death
Wilfred I the Hairy
(Guifré el Pelós)
878 –897
c.840
Girona
Disputed filiation
Guinidilda of Empúries
877
10 children
897
Tremp
aged 46–47
Wilfred II Borrell I
(Guifré II Borrell)
897 –26 April 911
c.874
Girona
First son of Wilfred I
and Guinidilda of Empúries
Garsenda of Toulouse
898
1 child
26 April 911
Barcelona
aged 36–37
Sunyer
26 April 911 –947
c.890
Girona
Sixth son of Wilfred I
and Guinidilda of Empúries
Aimilda
914
1 child

Richilde of Toulouse
925
5 children
15 October 950
Lagrasse
aged 59–60
Miro I
947 –966
c.926
Barcelona
Second son of Sunyer
and Richilde of Toulouse
Unmarried966
aged 39–40
Borrell II
947 –992
(joint rule 947-966)
c.927
Barcelona
Third son of Sunyer
and Richilde of Toulouse
Luitgarde of Toulouse
968
5 children
992
aged 64–65
Ramon Borrell
988 –8 September 1017
(joint rule 988-992)
26 May 972
Girona
Son of Borrell II
and Luitgarde of Toulouse
Ermesinde of Carcassonne
993
2 children
8 September 1017
Barcelona
aged 45
Ermesinde of Carcassonne
993 –1021
1035 -1039
(joint rule 993-1017);
(regent 1017-1021, 1035-1039)
972
Carcassonne
Daughter of Roger I of Carcassonne
and Adelaide of Melgueil
Ramon I Borrell III
993
2 children
1 March 1058
Sant Quirze de Besora
aged 85–86
Berenguer Ramon I the Crooked
El Corbat
8 September 1017 –31 March 1035
(under regency of Ermesinde of Carcassonne 1017-1021)
1004
Son of Ramon Borrell
and Ermesinde of Carcassonne
Sancha of Castile
1021
2 children

Guisla of Lluçá
1027
3 children
31 March 1035
Barcelona
aged 30–31
Ramon Berenguer I the Old
El Vell
31 March 1035 –26 June 1076
(under regency of Ermesinde of Carcassonne 1035-1039)
1023
Girona
Son of Berenguer Ramon I
and Sancha of Castile
Élisabeth de Nîmes
1039
3 children

Blanche de Narbonne
16 March 1051
(annulled 1052)
no children

Almodis de La Marche
1056
Barcelona
(together since 1052)
4 children
26 June 1076
Barcelona
aged 52–53
Almodis de La Marche
1052 –16 October 1071
(joint rule)
c.1020
Toulouse
Daughter of Bernard I de La Marche
and Amélie de Rasès
Hugh V of Lusignan
1038
(annulled c.1040)
3 children

Pons, Count of Toulouse
1040 or 1045
(annulled 1052)
4 children

Ramon Berenguer I
1056
Barcelona
(together since 1052)
4 children
16 October 1071
Barcelona
aged 50–51
Ramon Berenguer II the Towhead
El Cap d'Estopes
26 June 1076 –6 December 1082
c.1053
Girona
First/Second son of Ramon Berenguer I
and Almodis de La Marche
Mafalda of Apulia-Calabria
1078
Barcelona
3 children
6 December 1082
Sant Feliu de Buixalleu
aged 28–29
Berenguer Ramon II the Fratricide
el Fratricida
26 June 1076 –1097
(joint rule 1076-1082)
c.1053
First/Second son of Ramon Berenguer I
and Almodis de La Marche
Unmarried1097
Jerusalem
aged 43–44
Ramon Berenguer III the Great
El Gran
6 December 1082 –19 July 1131
(joint rule 1082-1097)
11 November 1082
Rodez
Son of Ramon Berenguer II
and Mafalda of Apulia-Calabria
María Díaz de Vívar
1103
2 children

Almodis de Mortain
1106
no children

Douce I, Countess of Provence
3 February 1112
Arles
7 children
19 July 1131
Barcelona
aged 48
Ramon Berenguer IV the Saint
El Sant
19 July 1131 –6 August 1162
c.1113
Barcelona or Rodez
Son of Ramon Berenguer III
and Douce I, Countess of Provence
Petronilla of Aragon
August 1050
Lleida
5 children
6 August 1162
Borgo San Dalmazzo
aged 48–49
Tomb of Count Ramon Berenger I (d. 1076).

The succession of Ramon Berenguer IV and Petronilla led to the creation of the Crown of Aragon.

House of Barcelona, 1164–1410

Name Portrait Birth Marriages Death
Alphonse I the Troubadour
El Trobador
18 July 1164 – 25 April 1196
1-25 March 1157
Huesca
son of Ramon Berenguer IV of Barcelona and Petronilla of Aragon
marriage agreement with Mafalda of Portugal between 1159-1162, not fulfilled

Sancha of Castile
18 January 1174
Zaragoza
7 children
25 April 1196
Perpignan
aged 44
Peter I the Catholic
El Catòlic
25 April 1196 – 13 September 1213
July 1178
Huesca
son of Alfons I and Sancha of Castile
Marie of Montpellier
15 June 1204
2 children
12 September 1213
Battle of Muret
aged 35
James I the Conqueror
El Conqueridor
13 September 1213 – 27 July 1276
2 February 1208
Montpellier
son of Peter I the Catholic and Marie of Montpellier
marriage agreement with Aurembiaix, Countess of Urgell in 1209, not fulfilled

Eleanor of Castile
6 February 1221
Ágreda
1 child

Violant of Hungary
8 September 1235
Barcelona
10 children

Teresa Gil de Vidaure
(lover, then wife)
1255
(uncanonical marriage, repudiated 1260)
2 children
27 July 1276
Valencia
aged 68
Peter II the Great
El Gran
27 July 1276 – 2 November 1285
July or August 1240
Valencia
son of James I and Violant of Hungary
Constance of Sicily
13 June 1262
Montpellier
6 children
2 November 1285
Vilafranca del Penedès
aged 45
Alphonse II the Liberal
El Liberal
2 November 1285 – 18 June 1291
4 November 1265
Valencia
son of Peter II and Constance of Sicily
Eleanor of England
15 August 1290
(by proxy and not consummated; death of the groom during Eleanor's way to Aragon)
18 June 1291
Barcelona
aged 27
James II the Fair
El Just
18 June 1291 – 2 November 1327
10 August 1267
Valencia
son of Peter II and Constance of Sicily
Isabella of Castile
1 December 1291
Soria
No children

Blanche of Anjou
29 October or 1 November 1295
Vilabertran
10 children

Marie de Lusignan
15 June 1315 (by proxy)
Nicosia
27 November 1315 (in person)
Girona
No children

Elisenda de Montcada
25 December 1322
Tarragona
No children
5 November 1327
Barcelona
aged 60
Alphonse III the Kind
El Benigne
2 November 1327 – 24 January 1336
2 November 1299
Naples
son of James II of Aragon and Blanche of Anjou
Teresa d'Entença
1314
Lerida
7 children

Eleanor of Castile
5 February 1329
Tarazona
2 children
27 January 1336
Barcelona
aged 37
Peter III the Ceremonious
El Cerimoniós
24 January 1336 – 5 January 1387
5 October 1319
Balaguer
son of Alphonse III and Teresa d'Entença
Maria of Navarre
25 July 1337
Zaragoza
2 children

Leonor of Portugal
14 or 15 November 1347
Barcelona
No children

Eleanor of Sicily
27 August 1349
Valencia
4 children

Sibila of Fortia
11 October 1377
Barcelona
3 children
5 January 1387
Barcelona
aged 68
John the Hunter
El Caçador
5 January 1387 – 19 May 1396
27 December 1350
Perpignan
son of Peter III and Eleanor of Sicily
marriage agreement with Jeanne-Blanche of France between 1370-1371, not fulfilled

Martha of Armagnac
24 June 1373
Barcelona
5 children

Violant of Bar
2 February 1380
Perpignan
7 children
19 May 1396
Foixà
aged 46
Martin the Humanist
l'Humà
19 May 1396 – 31 May 1410
1356
Girona
son of Peter III and Eleanor of Sicily
Maria de Luna
13 June 1372
Barcelona
4 children

Margaret of Prades
17 September 1409
Barcelona
No children
31 May 1410
Barcelona
aged 54

Martin was the last direct descendant of Wilfred the Hairy to rule; died without legitimate heirs (interregnum 31 May 1410 – 24 June 1412). By the Compromise of Caspe of 1412 the County of Barcelona and all its associated dominions passed to a branch of the House of Trastámara.

The County of Barcelona formed a constituent part of the Crown of Spain under the rule of the House of Habsburg, until the Nueva Planta decrees (1707 and 1716), when Philip de Bourbon declared that all the territories from the Crown of Aragon should merge into Castile, building the centralized Kingdom of Spain. In Barcelona this was promulgated in 1716, and the title of Count of Barcelona became one of the many unused hereditary titles of the modern Spanish monarchy.

Courtesy title

House of Bourbon, 1977–1993

NamePortraitReignNotes
John III
(Juan III)
1977–1993claimed title from 1941; officially granted by his son Juan Carlos I in exchange for renouncing his claim to the Spanish throne

See also

References

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