Ermengol III of Urgell
Encyclopedia
Ermengol III (1032–1066), called el de Barbastre, was the Count of Urgell from 1038 to his death. He was the son of Ermengol II
and Constance, daughter of the Count of Besalú.
Allied with his contemporary and second cousin Raymond Berengar I of Barcelona, together they shared in the process of erosion of the comital authority to the noblesse. They also cooperated in the Reconquista
and he received a third part of the conquests, occupying, in 1050, Camarasa
and Cubells
after taking them from Yusuf of Lleida. In 1039–1040, Ermengol and Raymond Berengar signed a pact against Raymond of Cerdanya. Later in that decade, Raymond Berenger paid 20,000 solidi for Ermengol's support and military aid.
He took part in the Barbastro War of 1064 under the banner of Sancho Ramírez of Aragon. When Barbastro
was captured, he was given the lordship of the city. On 17 April 1066, he died defending the city from Moorish reprisals.
Ermengol married before 1048, Adelaide, whose family is not known, even if some scholars made her daughter of Guillem I Count of Besalu. She died before May 1055, leaving a daughter:
Before May 7, 1055, Ermengol took as his second wife Clemencia, presumably daughter of Berengar Raymond I and his second wife Guisla (this is hypothesized from the name of their 4 sons), by whom he had:
Clemencia died after June 26, 1057, and before November 6, 1062, Ermengol was remarried to a lady named Elvira, who died about 1064.
In 1065, Ermengol married as his fourth wife Sancha, daughter of Ramiro I of Aragon
by Ermessinda of Foix, and may have had daughter, Sancha, who married Hugh II of Empúries
.
Ermengol II of Urgell
Ermengol II , called the Pilgrim, was the Count of Urgell from 1011 to his death. He was the son of Ermengol I. He was a child when he succeeded his father and was put under the regency of his uncle Raymond Borrel of Barcelona until 1018...
and Constance, daughter of the Count of Besalú.
Allied with his contemporary and second cousin Raymond Berengar I of Barcelona, together they shared in the process of erosion of the comital authority to the noblesse. They also cooperated in the Reconquista
Reconquista
The Reconquista was a period of almost 800 years in the Middle Ages during which several Christian kingdoms succeeded in retaking the Muslim-controlled areas of the Iberian Peninsula broadly known as Al-Andalus...
and he received a third part of the conquests, occupying, in 1050, Camarasa
Camarasa
Camarasa 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....
and Cubells
Cubells
Cubells is a village in the province of Lleida and autonomous community of Catalonia, Spain.-References:...
after taking them from Yusuf of Lleida. In 1039–1040, Ermengol and Raymond Berengar signed a pact against Raymond of Cerdanya. Later in that decade, Raymond Berenger paid 20,000 solidi for Ermengol's support and military aid.
He took part in the Barbastro War of 1064 under the banner of Sancho Ramírez of Aragon. When Barbastro
Barbastro
Barbastro is a city in the Somontano county, province of Huesca, Spain...
was captured, he was given the lordship of the city. On 17 April 1066, he died defending the city from Moorish reprisals.
Ermengol married before 1048, Adelaide, whose family is not known, even if some scholars made her daughter of Guillem I Count of Besalu. She died before May 1055, leaving a daughter:
- Isabella (died circa 1071), married Sancho Ramírez in 1065
Before May 7, 1055, Ermengol took as his second wife Clemencia, presumably daughter of Berengar Raymond I and his second wife Guisla (this is hypothesized from the name of their 4 sons), by whom he had:
- Ermengol IVErmengol IV of UrgellErmengol IV , called el de Gerb or Gerp, was the Count of Urgell from 1066 to his death. He was the son of Ermengol III and Clemencia, daughter of Bernard II of Bigorre....
, his heir - Berenguer
- Guillem
- Ramon
Clemencia died after June 26, 1057, and before November 6, 1062, Ermengol was remarried to a lady named Elvira, who died about 1064.
In 1065, Ermengol married as his fourth wife Sancha, daughter of Ramiro I of Aragon
Ramiro I of Aragon
Ramiro I was de facto the first King of Aragon from 1035 until his death. Apparently born before 1007, he was the illegitimate son of Sancho III of Navarre by his mistress Sancha de Aybar...
by Ermessinda of Foix, and may have had daughter, Sancha, who married Hugh II of Empúries
Hugh II of Empúries
Hugh II was the Count of Empúries from 1078 until his death. He was the eldest son of Ponç I and Adelaida de Besalú, and succeeded his father in Empúries while his brother, Berenguer, was given the Viscounty of Peralada....
.
Sources
- Lewis, Archibald R. The Development of Southern French and Catalan Society, 718–1050. University of Texas Press: Austin, 1965.
- Ponsich, Pierre. "Le Conflent et ses comtes du IXe au XIIe siècle." Etudes Roussillonnaises, 1, 1951, pp 241–344.
- Aurell i Cardona, Martin. "Jalons pour une enquête sur les stratégies matrimoniales des comtes Catalans (IXe-XIe s.)" Symposium internacional, 1991, vol 1, pp 281–364.