Diocese of Urgell
Encyclopedia
The Diocese of Urgell is a Roman Catholic
diocese
in Catalonia
, Spain
, with origins in the fifth century AD or possibly earlier. It is based in the region of the historical Catalan county
of Urgell
, though it has different borders. The seat and Cathedral
of bishop are situated in a town la Seu d'Urgell
.
Among its most notable events are Bishop Felix's
adoptionist revolt, the coup of Bishop Esclua and the overthrowing of the bishop by members of aristocratic families (namely Salla i Ermengol del Conflent, Eribau i Folcs dels Cardona, Guillem Guifré de Cerdanya and Ot de Pallars) between the years 981 and 1122.
Also important is the diocese's patronage of Andorra
, with the bishop holding the role of ex officio Co-Prince of the Pyrenean Catalan-speaking nation jointly with the President of the French Republic (and formerly, the King of France). Andorra
was ceded to the Bishop of Urgell by the Count Ermengol IV of Urgell in the 12th century.
Up to 1802, the ecclesiastical border corresponded with the royal one established under the Treaty of the Pyrenees
in 1659. As such the 33 towns of the northern Cerdanya
(now in France) came under the diocese's control.
controls the metropolitan church
of Tarragona
, with its see
or capital of the Seu d’Urgell (Urgell See). It contains 7630 km² and a population of 200,761 according to the 2000 census
and is the largest bishopric of the eight that have a see in Catalonia. In contrast, it is the most sparsely populated. The diocese borders the bishoprics of Vic, Solsona, Lleida, Barbastro-Monzón, Toulouse
, Pamiers
and Perpignan
. It has been deeply linked for many years to the regions that constituted the counties of Urgell
, Pallars and Cerdanya
during the Middle Ages
, with which it identifies and forms a historical and geographic unit maintained up to the present day. The diocese totally or partially occupies the Ripollès
, Cerdanya
, Alt Urgell
, Segarra
, Urgell, Pla d'Urgell
, Noguera
, Pallars Jussà
, Pallars Sobirà
, Alta Ribagorça
and the Vall d'Aran regions.
The bishopric’s jurisdiction extends to 408 parishes, although today some have a very reduced population. Almost all of the parishes come from distant times, as the very titular saints of their churches. The most common are Saint Mary (in 90 parochial churches, as well as the cathedral
), Saint Peter
(35), Saint Martin
(29), Saint Saturninus
(24), Saint Steven (23), Saint Michael (19), Saint Andrew
(17), Saint Julian
(12), Saint Eulalia
(11), Saint Vincent
and Saint Felix
(10). Many churches of the bishopric
, parochial or not, conserve elements of great architectural interest, and thirty-six of them are considered cultural goods of national interest
in Spain
.
Amongst all Catalonian bishoprics, the Diocese of Urgell has been that which has experienced the most border-related changes throughout its existence, mainly for political reasons: the loss of Ribagorça (9th century), to the benefit of the Diocese of Roda, and the cession of 144 parishes of the Berguedà
, the Solsonès
and a part of the Segarra, to the benefit of the new diocese of Solsona (1593-1623); later, it was necessary to adapt the territory to the borders between states, and thus in 1803, the 24 parishes of French Cerdagne
, which had been ceded to France from the Treaty of the Pyrenees in 1659, also passed ecclesiastically to that country; and in 1804, the 28 from the Aran Valley, a territory circumscribed by France
yet united fully to the Catalan-Aragonese territories at least since the 12th century, were annexed to the diocese of Urgell, coming from the eliminated Gascon
diocese of Sant Bertran de Comenge. In 1874 the sixty-odd towns that formed the erstwhile exempt jurisdictions of Gerri, Mur
, Montodó-Bonrepòs, the order of Saint John of Jerusalem and Meià were annexed to the diocese. Finally, in 1956, the diocese gained the seven parishes of the Artesa de Segre
enclave and gave up the 19 of the Franja de Ponent [Western Strip] to Lleida
and Barbastre, grouped into three enclaves.
, figures among the participants of the councils of Toledo
(531), Lleida
and Valencia (546). His successors also took part regularly in the Toledo councils celebrated throughout the 7th century. The Episcopal succession, despite the uncertainty of names and chronology, seems to not be interrupted by the Saracen
invasion of 714.
Monasticism
must have been introduced into the diocese during the Visigothic period. The monasteries of Tavèrnoles
, Gerri, Codinet, and Tresponts are probably anterior to the Saracen invasion. These foundations and the later ones--la Vedella, Elins, Bagà
, la Portella
, les Maleses, Villanega, Oveix, Bellera, el Burgal, Lavaix, Alaó
, Escales
, Ovarra, Taverna
, Gualter, etc.--often adopted the Benedictine observance from the 9th century on, following the example of the majority of the coenobitic monasteries then extant in the Marca Hispanica
. This became the norm for monastic life in the following century. These monasteries, alongside the parochial and canonical organization (the Urgell Diocese, Solsona
, Cardona
, Organyà
, Ponts
, Ager
, Mur
, Tremp
) would greatly influence the Christianization of the country and in its human, cultural and economic development.
The canonical monasteries derived into colleges as a result of their secularization
(1592), and due to their corruption, the 1851 concord eliminated them, along with the other preexisting ones (Castellbò, Guissona
, Balaguer
). Mur and Àger were without a doubt the most famous Catalan canonical colleges, exempt from episcopal jurisdiction
by the Carolingian
theologians and for this motive deposed and confined to Lyon
, the city of Urgell and its church were completely destroyed by the Arabs around 793. With the founding of the Marca Hispanica
, the diocese, like the others recently restored, became part of the ecclesiastical province of Narbonne until the recreation of the metropolitan see of Tarragona in 1091. The Frankish
kings intervened effectively in the country’s reconstruction, promoting the Reconquest laying the foundations of its government. The territory now being free, mainly, from the Moors
' power, with the help of the first Catalan Counts, they promoted the construction of a new cathedral, completed in the second part of the 9th century, to which were assigned 289 towns or villages--all the northwestern area of the Pyrenees
.
At the same time, the Urgell church, ruled for more than two centuries (914-1122) by members of the Counts' families, fully entered the ring of the feudal system, which allowed it to shape for itself an extensive seigniorial patrimony, which among other cities and territories included the city of Urgell, the valleys of Andorra
, the Vall de la Llosa, the Vall d’Arques and the Ribera Salada, the villages of Sanaüja
, Guissona
, and from 1257 onwards, Tremp
. This, however, forced it into a certain dependence on the superior power of the Counts. Also, the Gregorian Reform
, introduced to the County of Urgell during the last years of the 11th century, preceded by the change of the Visigothic rite for the Roman rite
, reduced those interventions of the laymen in ecclesiastical affairs and achieved the complete freedom of the Church in the spiritual and temporal domains. Moreover, the maintenance of those possessions originated constant tension and fighting throughout the Middle Ages with the Viscounts of Castellbó and his heirs, the Counts of Foix
.
1 During a sede vacante
.
See also: List of Co-Princes of Andorra
Roman Catholic Church
The Catholic Church, also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the world's largest Christian church, with over a billion members. Led by the Pope, it defines its mission as spreading the gospel of Jesus Christ, administering the sacraments and exercising charity...
diocese
Diocese
A diocese is the district or see under the supervision of a bishop. It is divided into parishes.An archdiocese is more significant than a diocese. An archdiocese is presided over by an archbishop whose see may have or had importance due to size or historical significance...
in Catalonia
Catalonia
Catalonia is an autonomous community in northeastern Spain, with the official status of a "nationality" of Spain. Catalonia comprises four provinces: Barcelona, Girona, Lleida, and Tarragona. Its capital and largest city is Barcelona. Catalonia covers an area of 32,114 km² and has an...
, Spain
Spain
Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...
, with origins in the fifth century AD or possibly earlier. It is based in the region of the historical Catalan county
Catalan counties
The Catalan counties were the administrative divisions of the eastern Carolingian Marca Hispanica created after its Frankish conquest. The various counties roughly defined what came to be known as the Principality of Catalonia....
of Urgell
Urgell
The County of Urgell is one of the historical Catalan counties, bordering on the counties of Pallars and Cerdanya.The county was carved by the Franks out of a former section of the Mark of Toulouse when the Alt Urgell area became part of the Carolingian Empire between 785 and 790.The original...
, though it has different borders. The seat and Cathedral
Cathedral of Santa Maria d'Urgell
The Cathedral of Santa Maria d'Urgell, called Cathedral of la Seu d'Urgell or Cathedral of Urgel, is a cathedral located in the city of la Seu d'Urgell, , seat of the Diocese of Urgell. This temple is the seat of the diocese and is dedicated to Saint Mary...
of bishop are situated in a town la Seu d'Urgell
La Seu d'Urgell
La Seu d'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 Bishop of Urgell, one of the Andorra co-princes...
.
Among its most notable events are Bishop Felix's
Felix, Bishop of Urgel
Felix, Bishop of Urgel was a Christian bishop and theologian in the eighth century.Felix became Bishop at an unknown date and lived at the monastery Sant Sadurní de Tabernoles in the foothills of the Pyrenees....
adoptionist revolt, the coup of Bishop Esclua and the overthrowing of the bishop by members of aristocratic families (namely Salla i Ermengol del Conflent, Eribau i Folcs dels Cardona, Guillem Guifré de Cerdanya and Ot de Pallars) between the years 981 and 1122.
Also important is the diocese's patronage of Andorra
Andorra
Andorra , officially the Principality of Andorra , also called the Principality of the Valleys of Andorra, , is a small landlocked country in southwestern Europe, located in the eastern Pyrenees mountains and bordered by Spain and France. It is the sixth smallest nation in Europe having an area of...
, with the bishop holding the role of ex officio Co-Prince of the Pyrenean Catalan-speaking nation jointly with the President of the French Republic (and formerly, the King of France). Andorra
Andorra
Andorra , officially the Principality of Andorra , also called the Principality of the Valleys of Andorra, , is a small landlocked country in southwestern Europe, located in the eastern Pyrenees mountains and bordered by Spain and France. It is the sixth smallest nation in Europe having an area of...
was ceded to the Bishop of Urgell by the Count Ermengol IV of Urgell in the 12th century.
Up to 1802, the ecclesiastical border corresponded with the royal one established under the Treaty of the Pyrenees
Treaty of the Pyrenees
The Treaty of the Pyrenees was signed to end the 1635 to 1659 war between France and Spain, a war that was initially a part of the wider Thirty Years' War. It was signed on Pheasant Island, a river island on the border between the two countries...
in 1659. As such the 33 towns of the northern Cerdanya
Cerdanya
Cerdanya is a natural comarca and historical region of the eastern Pyrenees divided between France and Spain. Historically it has been one of the counties of Catalonia....
(now in France) came under the diocese's control.
Description of the Diocesan Territory
The Roman Catholic ChurchRoman Catholic Church
The Catholic Church, also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the world's largest Christian church, with over a billion members. Led by the Pope, it defines its mission as spreading the gospel of Jesus Christ, administering the sacraments and exercising charity...
controls the metropolitan church
Archdiocese of Tarragona
The Archdiocese of Tarragona is a Roman Catholic ecclesiastical territory located in north-eastern Spain, in the province of Tarragona, part of the autonomous community of Catalonia...
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...
, with its see
Episcopal See
An episcopal see is, in the original sense, the official seat of a bishop. This seat, which is also referred to as the bishop's cathedra, is placed in the bishop's principal church, which is therefore called the bishop's cathedral...
or capital of the Seu d’Urgell (Urgell See). It contains 7630 km² and a population of 200,761 according to the 2000 census
Census
A census is the procedure of systematically acquiring and recording information about the members of a given population. It is a regularly occurring and official count of a particular population. The term is used mostly in connection with national population and housing censuses; other common...
and is the largest bishopric of the eight that have a see in Catalonia. In contrast, it is the most sparsely populated. The diocese borders the bishoprics of Vic, Solsona, Lleida, Barbastro-Monzón, Toulouse
Toulouse
Toulouse is a city in the Haute-Garonne department in southwestern FranceIt lies on the banks of the River Garonne, 590 km away from Paris and half-way between the Atlantic Ocean and the Mediterranean Sea...
, Pamiers
Pamiers
Pamiers is a commune in the Ariège department in the Midi-Pyrénées region in southwestern France. It is a sub-prefecture of the department. Although Pamiers is the largest city in Ariège, the capital is the smaller town of Foix...
and Perpignan
Perpignan
-Sport:Perpignan is a rugby stronghold: their rugby union side, USA Perpignan, is a regular competitor in the Heineken Cup and seven times champion of the Top 14 , while their rugby league side plays in the engage Super League under the name Catalans Dragons.-Culture:Since 2004, every year in the...
. It has been deeply linked for many years to the regions that constituted the counties of Urgell
Urgell
The County of Urgell is one of the historical Catalan counties, bordering on the counties of Pallars and Cerdanya.The county was carved by the Franks out of a former section of the Mark of Toulouse when the Alt Urgell area became part of the Carolingian Empire between 785 and 790.The original...
, Pallars and Cerdanya
Cerdanya
Cerdanya is a natural comarca and historical region of the eastern Pyrenees divided between France and Spain. Historically it has been one of the counties of Catalonia....
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...
, with which it identifies and forms a historical and geographic unit maintained up to the present day. The diocese totally or partially occupies the Ripollès
Ripollès
Ripollès 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....
, Cerdanya
Cerdanya
Cerdanya is a natural comarca and historical region of the eastern Pyrenees divided between France and Spain. Historically it has been one of the counties of Catalonia....
, Alt Urgell
Alt Urgell
Alt 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 :...
, Segarra
Segarra
Segarra 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...
, Urgell, Pla d'Urgell
Pla d'Urgell
Pla 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...
, Noguera
Noguera
Noguera 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....
, Pallars Jussà
Pallars Jussà
Pallars 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...
, Pallars Sobirà
Pallars Sobirà
El 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...
, Alta Ribagorça
Alta Ribagorça
Alta 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...
and the Vall d'Aran regions.
The bishopric’s jurisdiction extends to 408 parishes, although today some have a very reduced population. Almost all of the parishes come from distant times, as the very titular saints of their churches. The most common are Saint Mary (in 90 parochial churches, as well as the cathedral
Cathedral
A cathedral is a Christian church that contains the seat of a bishop...
), Saint Peter
Saint Peter
Saint Peter or Simon Peter was an early Christian leader, who is featured prominently in the New Testament Gospels and the Acts of the Apostles. The son of John or of Jonah and from the village of Bethsaida in the province of Galilee, his brother Andrew was also an apostle...
(35), Saint Martin
Martin of Braga
Saint Martin of Braga was an archbishop of Bracara Augusta in Hispania , a monastic founder, and an ecclesiastical author...
(29), Saint Saturninus
Saint Saturninus
Saint Saturninus may refer to:*Saturninus , companion of Saints Perpetua and Felicity, martyred in Carthage, feast day: 7 March*Saturnin of Toulouse , first bishop of Toulouse, France, feast day: 29 November*Saturninus Saint Saturninus may refer to:*Saturninus (died c. 203), companion of Saints...
(24), Saint Steven (23), Saint Michael (19), Saint Andrew
Saint Andrew
Saint Andrew , called in the Orthodox tradition Prōtoklētos, or the First-called, is a Christian Apostle and the brother of Saint Peter. The name "Andrew" , like other Greek names, appears to have been common among the Jews from the 3rd or 2nd century BC. No Hebrew or Aramaic name is recorded for him...
(17), Saint Julian
Julian of Toledo
Julian of Toledo was born to Jewish parents in Toledo, Hispania, but raised Christian. He was well educated at the cathedral school, was a monk and later abbot at Agali, a spiritual student of Saint Eugene II, and archbishop of Toledo...
(12), Saint Eulalia
Saint Eulalia
Saint Eulàlia , co-patron saint of Barcelona, was a thirteen-year-old Roman Christian virgin who suffered martyrdom in Barcelona during the persecution of Christians in the reign of emperor Diocletian...
(11), Saint Vincent
Vincent of Saragossa
Saint Vincent of Saragossa, also known as Vincent Martyr, Vincent of Huesca or Vincent the Deacon, is the patron saint of Lisbon. His feast day is 22 January in the Roman Catholic Church and Anglican Communion and 11 November in the Eastern Orthodox Churches...
and Saint Felix
Felix of Girona
Saint Feliu of Girona is a Catalan saint. He was martyred at Girona after traveling from Carthage with Saint Cucuphas to Spain as a missionary....
(10). Many churches of the bishopric
Diocese
A diocese is the district or see under the supervision of a bishop. It is divided into parishes.An archdiocese is more significant than a diocese. An archdiocese is presided over by an archbishop whose see may have or had importance due to size or historical significance...
, parochial or not, conserve elements of great architectural interest, and thirty-six of them are considered cultural goods of national interest
National interest
The national interest, often referred to by the French expression raison d'État , is a country's goals and ambitions whether economic, military, or cultural. The concept is an important one in international relations where pursuit of the national interest is the foundation of the realist...
in Spain
Spain
Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...
.
Amongst all Catalonian bishoprics, the Diocese of Urgell has been that which has experienced the most border-related changes throughout its existence, mainly for political reasons: the loss of Ribagorça (9th century), to the benefit of the Diocese of Roda, and the cession of 144 parishes of the Berguedà
Berguedà
Berguedà is a comarca in the interior of Catalonia, Spain, lying partly in the Pyrenees and partly in Catalonia's Depressió Central.-Geography:...
, the Solsonès
Solsonès
Solsonès 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...
and a part of the Segarra, to the benefit of the new diocese of Solsona (1593-1623); later, it was necessary to adapt the territory to the borders between states, and thus in 1803, the 24 parishes of French Cerdagne
French Cerdagne
French Cerdagne is the northern half of Cerdanya, which came under French control as a result of the Treaty of the Pyrenees in 1659, while the southern half remained in Spain . Catalonians often refer to French Cerdagne as Upper Cerdanya...
, which had been ceded to France from the Treaty of the Pyrenees in 1659, also passed ecclesiastically to that country; and in 1804, the 28 from the Aran Valley, a territory circumscribed by France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
yet united fully to the Catalan-Aragonese territories at least since the 12th century, were annexed to the diocese of Urgell, coming from the eliminated Gascon
Gascony
Gascony is an area of southwest France that was part of the "Province of Guyenne and Gascony" prior to the French Revolution. The region is vaguely defined and the distinction between Guyenne and Gascony is unclear; sometimes they are considered to overlap, and sometimes Gascony is considered a...
diocese of Sant Bertran de Comenge. In 1874 the sixty-odd towns that formed the erstwhile exempt jurisdictions of Gerri, Mur
Mur
Mur may refer to:* Mur River , a river in Central Europe* Mur, Switzerland, a commune in Vaud and Avenches* Mur, a large village south of Novi Pazar, Serbia* Mur, part of the village of Murzasichle, Poland...
, Montodó-Bonrepòs, the order of Saint John of Jerusalem and Meià were annexed to the diocese. Finally, in 1956, the diocese gained the seven parishes of the Artesa de Segre
Artesa de Segre
Artesa de Segre is a municipality in the comarca of the Noguera in Catalonia, Spain. It is situated in the valley of the Segre river, between Ponts and Balaguer....
enclave and gave up the 19 of the Franja de Ponent [Western Strip] to Lleida
Lleida
Lleida is a city in the west of Catalonia, Spain. It is the capital city of the province of Lleida, as well as the largest city in the province and it had 137,387 inhabitants , including the contiguous municipalities of Raimat and Sucs. The metro area has about 250,000 inhabitants...
and Barbastre, grouped into three enclaves.
Origin of the Urgell Diocese
The diocese, without excluding the possibility of a more remote origin, was already constituted at the beginning of the 6th century. The first known bishop, Saint JustusJustus of Urgell
Saint Justus of Urgell was a Spanish bishop and saint. He is the first known and recorded bishop of Urgell, and is considered to have participated in some of the Councils of Toledo, and the councils of Lleida, and Spain. He is mentioned by Isidore of Seville, who considered him one of the...
, figures among the participants of the councils of Toledo
Toledo, Spain
Toledo's Alcázar became renowned in the 19th and 20th centuries as a military academy. At the outbreak of the Spanish Civil War in 1936 its garrison was famously besieged by Republican forces.-Economy:...
(531), Lleida
Lleida
Lleida is a city in the west of Catalonia, Spain. It is the capital city of the province of Lleida, as well as the largest city in the province and it had 137,387 inhabitants , including the contiguous municipalities of Raimat and Sucs. The metro area has about 250,000 inhabitants...
and Valencia (546). His successors also took part regularly in the Toledo councils celebrated throughout the 7th century. The Episcopal succession, despite the uncertainty of names and chronology, seems to not be interrupted by the Saracen
Saracen
Saracen was a term used by the ancient Romans to refer to a people who lived in desert areas in and around the Roman province of Arabia, and who were distinguished from Arabs. In Europe during the Middle Ages the term was expanded to include Arabs, and then all who professed the religion of Islam...
invasion of 714.
Monasticism
Monasticism
Monasticism is a religious way of life characterized by the practice of renouncing worldly pursuits to fully devote one's self to spiritual work...
must have been introduced into the diocese during the Visigothic period. The monasteries of Tavèrnoles
Tavèrnoles
Tavèrnoles is a municipality in the comarca of Osona inCatalonia, Spain.-References:* Panareda Clopés, Josep Maria; Rios Calvet, Jaume; Rabella Vives, Josep Maria . Guia de Catalunya, Barcelona:Caixa de Catalunya. ISBN 84-87135-01-3 . ISBN 84-87135-02-1 ....
, Gerri, Codinet, and Tresponts are probably anterior to the Saracen invasion. These foundations and the later ones--la Vedella, Elins, Bagà
Bagà
Bagà is a municipality located in the comarca of Berguedà, in Catalonia.Traditionally, Bagà is considered the capital of Alt Berguedà, the mountainous northern half of the comarca.-Location:...
, la Portella
La Portella
La Portella is a municipality in the comarca of the Segrià in Catalonia, Spain. It is situated on the right bank of the Noguera Ribagorçana river...
, les Maleses, Villanega, Oveix, Bellera, el Burgal, Lavaix, Alaó
Alao
Alao is a village on the narrow east coast of Tutuila Island, American Samoa. It is located close to the island's easternmost point, just to the north of Aunu'u Island....
, Escales
Escales
Escales is a commune in the Aude department in southern France, principally involved in viticulture.-Geography:Escales lies in the northernmost part of the Corbières AOC wine growing area 30 km from Narbonne to the east, and 30 km from Carcassonne to the...
, Ovarra, Taverna
Taverna
Taverna refers to a small restaurant serving Greek cuisine, not to be confused with "tavern". The Greek word is ταβέρνα and is originally derived from the Latin word taberna...
, Gualter, etc.--often adopted the Benedictine observance from the 9th century on, following the example of the majority of the coenobitic monasteries then extant 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....
. This became the norm for monastic life in the following century. These monasteries, alongside the parochial and canonical organization (the Urgell Diocese, Solsona
Solsona
Solsona can refer to:*Solsona, Lleida, a town in Catalonia, capital of the comarca of Solsonès;*Solsona, Ilocos Norte, a city in the Philippines...
, Cardona
Cardona
Cardona is a town ìn Catalonia, Spain, in the province of Barcelona; about 90 km northwest of the city of Barcelona, on a hill almost surrounded by the river Cardoner, a branch of the Llobregat.Near the town is an extensive deposit of rock salt...
, Organyà
Organyà
Organyà is a municipality in the comarca of the Alt Urgell in Catalonia, Spain. It is situated on the right bank of the Segre river below the Trespons gorge, and is served by the C-14 road between Ponts and La Seu d'Urgell...
, Ponts
Ponts
Ponts is a municipality and a town in the comarca of the Noguera in Catalonia, Spain. It is situated on the left bank of the Segre river near its confluence with the Llobregós river and at the point where the routes from Calaf and Cervera meet the route from Lleida to La Seu d'Urgell .Economy is...
, Ager
Ager
Ager can refer to:People:*Cecilia Ager , American film critic*Maurice Ager , American basketball player*Milton Ager , American pianist and composer*Nikolaus Ager , French botanist born in Alsace...
, Mur
Mur
Mur may refer to:* Mur River , a river in Central Europe* Mur, Switzerland, a commune in Vaud and Avenches* Mur, a large village south of Novi Pazar, Serbia* Mur, part of the village of Murzasichle, Poland...
, Tremp
Tremp
Tremp 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....
) would greatly influence the Christianization of the country and in its human, cultural and economic development.
The canonical monasteries derived into colleges as a result of their secularization
Secularization
Secularization is the transformation of a society from close identification with religious values and institutions toward non-religious values and secular institutions...
(1592), and due to their corruption, the 1851 concord eliminated them, along with the other preexisting ones (Castellbò, Guissona
Guissona
Guissona is a town and municipality located in the North of the comarca of Segarra, in the province of Lleida, Catalonia, Spain. With 6,145 inhabitants Guissona is the principal municipality in the Northern half of Segarra and the second most populated in the county after Cervera...
, Balaguer
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....
). Mur and Àger were without a doubt the most famous Catalan canonical colleges, exempt from episcopal jurisdiction
Early Middle Ages
During the pontificate of the Bishop Felix (781-799), who was accused of adoptionismAdoptionism
Adoptionism, sometimes called dynamic monarchianism, is a minority Christian belief that Jesus was adopted as God's son at his baptism...
by the Carolingian
Carolingian
The Carolingian dynasty was a Frankish noble family with origins in the Arnulfing and Pippinid clans of the 7th century AD. The name "Carolingian", Medieval Latin karolingi, an altered form of an unattested Old High German *karling, kerling The Carolingian dynasty (known variously as the...
theologians and for this motive deposed and confined to Lyon
Lyon
Lyon , is a city in east-central France in the Rhône-Alpes region, situated between Paris and Marseille. Lyon is located at from Paris, from Marseille, from Geneva, from Turin, and from Barcelona. The residents of the city are called Lyonnais....
, the city of Urgell and its church were completely destroyed by the Arabs around 793. With the founding of 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 diocese, like the others recently restored, became part of the ecclesiastical province of Narbonne until the recreation of the metropolitan see of Tarragona in 1091. The Frankish
Franks
The Franks were a confederation of Germanic tribes first attested in the third century AD as living north and east of the Lower Rhine River. From the third to fifth centuries some Franks raided Roman territory while other Franks joined the Roman troops in Gaul. Only the Salian Franks formed a...
kings intervened effectively in the country’s reconstruction, promoting the Reconquest laying the foundations of its government. The territory now being free, mainly, from the Moors
Moors
The description Moors has referred to several historic and modern populations of the Maghreb region who are predominately of Berber and Arab descent. They came to conquer and rule the Iberian Peninsula for nearly 800 years. At that time they were Muslim, although earlier the people had followed...
' power, with the help of the first Catalan Counts, they promoted the construction of a new cathedral, completed in the second part of the 9th century, to which were assigned 289 towns or villages--all the northwestern area of the Pyrenees
Pyrenees
The Pyrenees is a range of mountains in southwest Europe that forms a natural border between France and Spain...
.
At the same time, the Urgell church, ruled for more than two centuries (914-1122) by members of the Counts' families, fully entered the ring of the feudal system, which allowed it to shape for itself an extensive seigniorial patrimony, which among other cities and territories included the city of Urgell, the valleys of Andorra
Andorra
Andorra , officially the Principality of Andorra , also called the Principality of the Valleys of Andorra, , is a small landlocked country in southwestern Europe, located in the eastern Pyrenees mountains and bordered by Spain and France. It is the sixth smallest nation in Europe having an area of...
, the Vall de la Llosa, the Vall d’Arques and the Ribera Salada, the villages of Sanaüja
Sanaüja
Sanaüja is a village in the province of Lleida and autonomous community of Catalonia, Spain....
, Guissona
Guissona
Guissona is a town and municipality located in the North of the comarca of Segarra, in the province of Lleida, Catalonia, Spain. With 6,145 inhabitants Guissona is the principal municipality in the Northern half of Segarra and the second most populated in the county after Cervera...
, and from 1257 onwards, Tremp
Tremp
Tremp 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....
. This, however, forced it into a certain dependence on the superior power of the Counts. Also, the Gregorian Reform
Gregorian Reform
The Gregorian Reforms were a series of reforms initiated by Pope Gregory VII and the circle he formed in the papal curia, circa 1050–80, which dealt with the moral integrity and independence of the clergy...
, introduced to the County of Urgell during the last years of the 11th century, preceded by the change of the Visigothic rite for the Roman rite
Roman Rite
The Roman Rite is the liturgical rite used in the Diocese of Rome in the Catholic Church. It is by far the most widespread of the Latin liturgical rites used within the Western or Latin autonomous particular Church, the particular Church that itself is also called the Latin Rite, and that is one of...
, reduced those interventions of the laymen in ecclesiastical affairs and achieved the complete freedom of the Church in the spiritual and temporal domains. Moreover, the maintenance of those possessions originated constant tension and fighting throughout the Middle Ages with the Viscounts of Castellbó and his heirs, the Counts of Foix
Foix
Foix is a commune, the capital of the Ariège department in southwestern France. It is the least populous administrative centre of a department in all of France, although it is only very slightly smaller than Privas...
.
List of Bishops of Urgell
| Name | Reign |
|---|---|
| Julià Cano Thebar | 1695-1714 |
| Simeó de Guinda i Apeztegui | 1714-1737 |
| Jordi Curado i Torreblanca | 1738-1747 |
| Sebastià de Victoria Emparán y Loyola | 1747-1756 |
| Francesc Josep Catalán de Ocón | 1757-1762 |
| Francesc Fernández de Xátiva y Contreras | 1763-1771 |
| Joaquín de Santiyán i Valdivielso | 1771-1779 |
| Juan de García i Montenegro | 1780-1783 |
| Josep de Boltas | 1785-1795 |
| Francesc Antoni de la Dueña y Cisneros Francesc Antoni de la Dueña y Cisneros Francisco Antonio de la Dueña y Cisneros , was the Bishop of Urgell from October 29, 1797 to September 23, 1816.... |
1797-1816 |
| Bernat Francés i Caballero | 1817-1825 |
| Bonifaci López i Pulido | 1825-1827 |
| Simó de Guardiola i Hortoneda | 1827 to 1851 |
| Josep Caixal i Estradé Josep Caixal i Estradé Josep Caixal i Estradé was Bishop of Urgell from 1853 until his death and co-prince of Andorra during the New Reform period.... |
(1853 to 1879) |
| Salvador Casañas i Pagès | (1879 to 1901) |
| Ramon Riu i Cabanes | (1901) |
| Toribio Martín (Vicar capitular Vicar capitular A diocesan administrator is a provisional ordinary of a Roman Catholic particular church. The college of consultors elects an administrator within eight days after the see is known to be vacant. The college must elect as administrator a priest or bishop at least 35 years old... )1 |
(1902) |
| Joan Josep Laguarda i Fenollera | (1902 to 1906) |
| Josep Pujargimzú (Vicar capitular)1 | (1907) |
| Joan Baptista Benlloch i Vivó Juan Benlloch y Vivó Joan Baptista Benlloch i Vivó was a Valencian Cardinal of the Roman Catholic Church who served as Archbishop of Burgos from 1919 until his death, and was elevated to the cardinalate in 1921.- Biography :... |
(1907 to 1919) |
| Jaume Viladrich i Gaspa (Vicar capitular)1 | (1919 to 1920) |
| Justí Guitart i Vilardebó Justí Guitart i Vilardebó Justí Guitart i Vilardebó reigned as the Bishop of Urgell and Episcopal Co-Prince of Andorra from 1920 to 1940.... |
(1920 to 1940) |
| Ricard Fornesa i Puigdemasa (Vicar capitular)1 | (1940 to 1943) |
| Ramon Iglésias Navarri | (1943 to 1969) |
| Ramon Malla Call Ramón Malla Call Ramon Malla i Call is Emeritus Bishop of Lleida. From 1969 until 1971 he was Apostolic Administrator of the Diocese of Urgell during a sede vacante and therefore acting Episcopal Co-Prince of Andorra.... (Apostolic Administrator Apostolic Administrator An apostolic administrator in the Roman Catholic Church is a prelate appointed by the Pope to serve as the ordinary for an apostolic administration... )1 |
(1969 to 1971) |
| Joan Martí Alanis Joan Martí Alanis Joan Martí i Alanis was a former Bishop of Urgell and hence former co-Prince of Andorra. He was Bishop of Urgell from 1971 to 2003. He was a co-signatory, along with François Mitterrand, of Andorra's new constitution in 1993.... |
(1971 to 2003) |
| Joan Enric Vives Sicília Joan Enric Vives Sicília Archbishop Joan Enric Vives i Sicília is the current Bishop of Urgell, a Roman Catholic diocese, and ex officio Co-Prince of Andorra... (Archbishop, personal title) |
(2003-) |
1 During a sede vacante
Sede vacante
Sede vacante is an expression, used in the Canon Law of the Catholic Church, that refers to the vacancy of the episcopal see of a particular church...
.
See also: List of Co-Princes of Andorra