County of Empúries

County of Empúries
Coat of arms of the county of Empúries.
Location of the County of Empúries
Hug IV, count of Empúries, and Pero Maça, Lord of Sangarrén during the battle against the Moors in Mallorca around 1229.

The County of Empúries (Catalan: Comtat d'Empúries, IPA: [kumˈtad dəmˈpuɾiəs], Latin: Comitatus Emporiarum) was a medieval county centred on the town of Empúries and enclosing the Catalan region of Peralada. It corresponds to the historic comarca of Empordà.

After the Franks conquered the regions in 785, Empúries and Peralada came under the authority of the County of Girona. Around 813, Empúries, with Peralada, became a county itself under Ermengar. He and the other early counts were probably Goths. In 817, Empúries was united to the County of Roussillon. Thereafter until 989 except Empúries was attached to Roussillon. From 835 to 844, Sunyer I ruled Empúries and Peralada while Alaric I ruled Roussillon and Vallespir.

At the death of Gausfred I in 989, Roussillon and Empúries were separated. Gausfred's elder son, Hugh I, received Empúries while Giselbert I received Roussillon. Hugh's comital dynasty lasted until 1322, when Empúries passed to a collateral branch of his family. The last count, Hugh VI, sold the county to Peter I of Ribagorza in 1325 for the barony of Pego and the towns of Xaló and Laguar (all within the Kingdom of Valencia). Peter lated exchanged it with Raymond Berengar I for the county of Prades in 1341. From that point on, Empúries was an apanage of the Crown of Aragon.

List of counts

  • Ermengar 813-817
  • Gaucelm 817-832 (united to Roussillon)
  • Berengar the Wise 832-835
  • Sunyer I 835-841 (united to Roussillon)
  • Sunyer I 844-848, again
  • William 848-850 (united to Roussillon)
  • Isembart 850-852 (united to Roussillon)
  • Odalric 852-858 (united to Roussillon)
  • Unifred 858-862 (united to Roussillon)
  • Sunyer II 862-915 (united to Roussillon)
  • Dela 862-894, associated
  • Gausbert 915-931 (united to Roussillon and Perelada as a county)
  • Bencion 915-916, associated
  • Gausfred I 931-989, again
  • Hug I 989/91-1040
  • Ponç I 1040-1078 (transferred Perelada, as a viscountcy, to his son Berengar)
  • Hug II 1078-1116
  • Ponç II 1116-1154, also as Ponç Hug I
  • Hug III 1154-1173
  • Ponç III 1173-1200
  • Ponç Hug II 1173-1175, associated, also known as Ponç Hug d'Entença
  • Hug IV 1200-1230
  • Ponç IV 1230-1269, also as Ponç Hug III
  • Hug V 1269-1277
  • Ponç V 1277-1313, also as Ponç Hug IV (also viscount of Bas)
  • Ponç VI 1313-1322, also as Ponç Hug V Malgauli (also viscount of Bas)
  • Marquesa 1322-1327
  • Hug VI 1322-1325

External links