Hugh I, Count Of Empúries

Hugh I (Spanish: ''Hugo'', Catalan: ''Hug'') ( – 1040),

Count of Empúries Count (feminine: countess) is a historical title of nobility in certain European countries, varying in relative status, generally of middling rank in the hierarchy of nobility. Pine, L. G. ''Titles: How the King Became His Majesty''. New York: ...

(Ampurias) from 991, was the son of Gausfred I and his first wife, Ava, daughter of

Raymond II of Rouergue Raymond II, sometimes numbered Raymond I (c. 904 – 961) was the count of Rouergue and Quercy from 937 to his death. He was the son of Ermengol of Rouergue and Adelaide. Under Raymond, Rouergue achieved a suzerainty over neighbouring counties and h ...

. By the testament of his father, dated 969, Hugh was to receive the county of Ampurias while his brother

Giselbert Giselbert is the name of: * Gilbert, Duke of Lorraine (c. 890 – 939), also known as ''Giselbert'' * Giselbert I of Roussillon (d. 1013 or 1014) * Giselbert II of Roussillon (d. 1102) * Giselbert, Count of Clermont (d. after 1097) * Giselbert of Lo ...

received that of

Roussillon Roussillon ( , , ; , ; ) was a historical province of France that largely corresponded to the County of Roussillon and French Cerdagne, part of the County of Cerdagne of the former Principality of Catalonia. It is part of the region of ' ...

. The division took place on the death of Gausfred, but on the death of Giselbert in 1014, Hugh tried to reunify the counties and invaded the county of his nephew, Gausfred II. Gausfred obtained the help of

Bernard I of Besalú Bernard (''Bernhard'') is a French and West Germanic masculine given name. It has West Germanic origin and is also a surname. The name is attested from at least the 9th century. West Germanic ''Bernhard'' is composed from the two elements ''bern ...

and the

Abbot Oliva Oliba (; 971–1046) was the count of Berga and Ripoll (988–1002), and later abbot of the monasteries of Santa Maria de Ripoll and Sant Miquel de Cuixà (1008–1046) and the bishop of Vic (1018–1046). He is considered one o ...

and the two relations arrived to a peace in 1020. Hugh made a career of harassing his neighbours.

Ermesinde of Carcassonne Ermesinde of Carcassonne ( 975/8 – 1 March 1058) was Countess consort of Barcelona, Girona and Osona by marriage to Ramon Borrell, Count of Barcelona. She served as regent in these counties during the minority of her son Berenguer Ramon ...

, the widow of

Ramon Borrell, Count of Barcelona Ramon Borrell (, ; 972–1017) was count of Barcelona, Girona and Ausona from 992. He was the son of Borrell II of Barcelona and Letgarda of Rouergue, and was associated with his father in ruling the counties from 988. Biography Between 1000 and 1 ...

, reclaimed the

allod Allod, deriving from Frankish language, Frankish ''alōd'' meaning "full ownership" (from ''al'' "full, whole" and ''ōd'' "property, possession"; Medieval Latin ''allod'' or ''allodium''), also known as allodial land or proprietary property, was ...

Ullastrell Ullastrell () is a village in the province of Barcelona and autonomous community of Catalonia Catalonia is an autonomous community of Spain, designated as a ''nationalities and regions of Spain, nationality'' by its Statute of Autonomy of C ...

, which had been sold by Borrell and subsequently invaded by Hugh. In 1019, a judicial synod in

Girona Girona (; ) is the capital city of the Province of Girona in the autonomous community of Catalonia, Spain, at the confluence of the Ter, Onyar, Galligants, and Güell rivers. The city had an official population of 106,476 in 2024, but the p ...

, presided over by Oliva and Bernard, devolved the allod to Ermesinda. At about this time, Hugh made enemies of the church by seizing the monastery of San Salvador de Verdera. 1040 deaths Counts of Empúries 960s births 11th-century Catalan people {{Europe-noble-stub