The House of Entença was an ancient and noble dynasty of 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 B ...

History

Sepulcre de Bernat Guillem d'Entença, monestir del Puig

The Entença noble family originated in the town of Entença in

La Franja La Franja (; "The Strip"; an, Francha ) is the area of Catalan-speaking territories of eastern Aragon bordering Catalonia, in Spain. It literally means ''"the strip"'' and can also more properly be called (Aragonese Strip), (Western Strip) or ...

, presently in

Aragon Aragon ( , ; Spanish and an, Aragón ; ca, Aragó ) is an autonomous community in Spain, coextensive with the medieval Kingdom of Aragon. In northeastern Spain, the Aragonese autonomous community comprises three provinces (from north to sou ...

, around the 11th century. Later, in the 13th century the Barony of Entença was established in the

Priorat Priorat () is a comarca (county) in Catalonia, Spain. The central part of the comarca, "Priorat històric," produces the highly regarded wines that are certified under the DOQ Priorat. Wines from elsewhere in the comarca are certified as DO M ...

and

Ribera d'Ebre Ribera d'Ebre () is a comarca (county) in Catalonia, Spain. in the Terres de l'Ebre, and that extends to both sides of the river Ebro between the reservoir of Riba-roja and Miravet Miravet is a municipality in the comarca of Ribera d'Ebre in the ...

areas that had been conquered to the

saracen upright 1.5, Late 15th-century German woodcut depicting Saracens Saracen ( ) was a term used in the early centuries, both in Greek and Latin writings, to refer to the people who lived in and near what was designated by the Romans as Arabia Pe ...

s and needed repopulation. Further south, the Barons of Entença shared the lordship over

Tortosa Tortosa (; ) is the capital of the ''Catalonia/Comarques, comarca'' of Baix Ebre, in Catalonia, Spain. Tortosa is located at above sea level, by the Ebro river, protected on its northern side by the mountains of the Cardó Massif, of which Buin ...

Baix Ebre Baix Ebre (, "Lower Ebre") is a comarca (county), on the coast in southern Catalonia Catalonia (; ca, Catalunya ; Aranese Occitan: ''Catalonha'' ; es, Cataluña ) is an autonomous community of Spain, designated as a ''nationality'' by it ...

. By 1313 William II of Entença was deeply in debt and decided to donate the Barony of Entença to king

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 ...

. King James II waited until William's death to take possession of the

Barony Barony may refer to: * Barony, the peerage, office of, or territory held by a baron * Barony, the title and land held in fealty by a feudal baron * Barony (county division), a type of administrative or geographical division in parts of the British ...

. Thus, in 1324 King James II annexed the Barony of Entença to the

County of Prades Prades is a municipality in the ''comarca'' of Baix Camp, in the province of Tarragona, Catalonia, Spain. The main monuments are Santa Maria church in the town, as well as the Ermita de l'Abellera shrine located in an escarpment, outside the to ...

, which he established for his son Ramon Berenguer. In this manner the dominions of the Barons of Entença became part of the County of Prades. In 1414 Joana de Prades inherited the Barony of Entença. Following her marriage to Joan Folch de Cardona, the lineage of Entença merged with the viscounts of Cardona. The ruins of the ''Casa de la Reina Teresa d'Entença'' can still be seen in Entença village, close to

Benavarri Benabarre (), in Ribagorçan and Aragonese: Benavarri () is a town and municipality in the Aragonese comarca of Ribagorza, in the province of Huesca, Spain. Benabarre is the historical and cultural capital of the comarca. It is part of the geo ...

. Because of the historical significance of this bloodline, streets or squares named 'Entença' or 'Entenza' are common in towns and villages throughout

Catalonia Catalonia (; ca, Catalunya ; Aranese Occitan: ''Catalonha'' ; es, Cataluña ) is an autonomous community of Spain, designated as a ''nationality'' by its Statute of Autonomy. Most of the territory (except the Val d'Aran) lies on the north ...

, the

Valencian Community The Valencian Community ( ca-valencia, Comunitat Valenciana, es, Comunidad Valenciana) is an autonomous community of Spain. It is the fourth most populous Spanish autonomous community after Andalusia, Catalonia and the Community of Madrid with ...

and the

Balearic Islands The Balearic Islands ( es, Islas Baleares ; or ca, Illes Balears ) are an archipelago in the Balearic Sea, near the eastern coast of the Iberian Peninsula. The archipelago is an autonomous community and a province of Spain; its capital is ...

. Also some present-day

municipalities A municipality is usually a single administrative division having corporate status and powers of self-government or jurisdiction as granted by national and regional laws to which it is subordinate. The term ''municipality'' may also mean the go ...

—such as

Vandellòs i l'Hospitalet de l'Infant Vandellòs i l'Hospitalet de l'Infant () is a municipality in the ''comarca'' of the Baix Camp in Catalonia, Spain. It is situated in the south-west of the ''comarca'', between the Serra de Llaberia range and the coast. The town of Vandellòs ...

Marçà Marçà is a municipality in the comarca of Priorat, Tarragona Province, Catalonia, Spain. History In medieval times, after the area had been reconquered from the Saracens, the town became part of the Barony of Entença. The now ruined Sant Mar ...

Cornudella de Montsant Cornudella de Montsant is a municipality in the ''comarca'' of the Priorat in Catalonia, Spain. It is situated in the north-west of the ''comarca'' below the Montsant range and the Prades Mountains. The Siurana reservoir is on the territory ...

and

Ulldemolins Ulldemolins is a municipality in the ''comarca'' of the Priorat in Catalonia, Spain. This town is located among rocky mountains, the Serra de la Llena, the Serra de Montsant and the Prades Mountains Prades Mountains, also known as Muntanyes de ...

, among others— have kept the heraldic colors of the ancient House of Entença in their coats of arms.

Members of the House of Entença

Among the foremost members of the Entença family, the following deserve mention (names in Catalan): * Jessiana d'Entença (12th century), Lady of

Alcolea de Cinca Alcolea de Cinca is a municipality located in the province of Huesca, Aragon, Spain. According to the 2004 census (INE INE, Ine or ine may refer to: Institutions * Institut für Nukleare Entsorgung, a German nuclear research center * Instituto ...

and wife of Hug III d'Empúries * Alamanda I d'Entença (1205-1244), Lady of the Barony of Castellvell (later Barony of Entença) * Alamanda II d'Entença (1244-1246), also known as Alamanda la Jove, Baroness of Castellvell (later Barony of Entença) * Jussiana d'Entença (13th century), wife of Bernat Guillem de Montpeller *

Bernat Guillem de Montpeller Bernat Guillem de Montpeller also known as Bernat Guillem I d'Entença (Spanish:Bernardo Guillermo I de Entenza. b. ? - d. El Puig, 1238) was a nobility, noble of the Catalan House of Entença. He was the lord of Fraga (Huesca), Fraga. He is best ...

(?-1235), also known as Bernat Guillem I d'Entença, Lord of

Fraga Fraga (; ) is the major town of the ''comarca'' of Bajo Cinca ( ca, Baix Cinca) in the province of Huesca, Aragon, Spain. It is located by the river Cinca. According to the 2014 census, Instituto Nacional de Estadística (INE) the municipality ha ...

, died at the

Battle of the Puig The Battle of the Puig of 1237, also known as the Battle of the Puig de Santa Maria, the Battle of the Puig de Enesa, or the Battle of the Puig de Cepolla was a battle of the Iberian Reconquista and of the Aragonese Conquest of Valencia. The b ...

in 1237. *

Bernat Guillem d'Entença Bernat Guillem d'Entença, also known as Bernat Guillem II d'Entença (Spanish:''Bernardo Guillermo de Entenza''. ?, 1226 - ?, 1300), was a noble of the Catalan House of Entença, son of Bernat Guillem de Montpeller. Biography Bernat Guillem ...

(13th century), also known as Bernat Guillem II d'Entença, son of Bernat Guillem of Montpeller and his wife Jussiana d'Entença, and brother of Bernat Guillem d'Entença. * Guillem de Montpeller Entença (13th century), Catalan nobleman, son of Bernat Guillem de Montpeller and his wife Jussiana d'Entença, brother of Bernat Guillem d'Entença * Berenguer, fifth Baron of Entença or Berenguer d'Entença i Santmartí-Castellvell (?-1294), was one of the sons of Berenguer d'Entença i Santmartí-Castellvell. * William II of Entença or Guillem d'Entença i Montcada (1294-1321), Baron of Entença *

Berenguer d'Entença Berengar is a masculine name derived from Germanic roots meaning "bear" and "spear". The name appears frequently among certain noble families during the Middle Ages, especially the Unruochings and those related. Bérenger is the French form, while B ...

, Catalan nobleman and Commander-in-Chief of the

Catalan Company The Catalan Company or the Great Catalan Company (Spanish: ''Compañía Catalana'', Catalan: ''Gran Companyia Catalana'', Latin: ''Exercitus francorum'', ''Societas exercitus catalanorum'', ''Societas cathalanorum'', ''Magna Societas Catalanorum' ...

(13th century) *

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 Ara ...

, Countess of

Urgell Modern-day Urgell (), also known as ''Baix Urgell'' (''baix'' meaning "lower", by contrast with Alt Urgell "Higher Urgell"), is a ''comarca'' (county) in Catalonia, Spain, forming only a borderland portion of the region historically known as Ur ...

and Viscountess of

Àger Àger is a municipality in the ''comarca'' of the Noguera in Catalonia, Spain. It is situated in the north-west of the ''comarca'', and the territory of the municipality stretches between the Noguera Ribagorçana and Noguera Pallaresa rivers. The ...

, wife of King Alfons IV of Aragon * Saurina d'Entença, wife of admiral

Roger de Llúria Roger of Lauria (''c''. 1245 – 17 January 1305) was a Neapolitan admiral in Aragonese service, who was the commander of the fleet of the Crown of Aragon during the War of the Sicilian Vespers. He was probably the most successful and talent ...

* Giussiana Ximenes d'Entença Luesia, wife of Valencian nobleman Blasco II d'Alagón

References

External links

El castell de Móra d'EbreAnales de Aragón
{{DEFAULTSORT:House of Entenca Crown of Aragon Catalan nobility History of Catalonia Entenca

History

Members of the House of Entença

See also

References

External links