List of Counts of Barcelona
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Catalonia in the aftermath of the Muslim conquest, 711-719 (in yellow)

The title of Count of Barcelona was, through much of its history, merged with that of King of Aragón, but before that it referred to the count of the city and its surrounding countryside. It was a Carolingian creation. After Charlemagne conquered a strip of Iberia north of the Ebro it was inevitably partitioned into counties with one count (usually holding several counties) being appointed margrave of the Marca Hispanica, or Spanish March (more rarely, Catalonia). These margraves were often the counts of Barcelona, who thus obtained a certain de facto primacy over the other counts by virtue of their possession of so many counties in the region. The counts, like all vassals throughout the Empire, attempted to establish their own dynasties in hereditary rule over their provinces and in this the counts of Barcelona were very successful: so much so that, by the beginning of the second millennium, they were recognising Navarrese suzerainty and, in 1258, by the Treaty of Corbeil, the king of France relinquished his feudal authority to the king of Aragón. Thus, Barcelona left the French kingdom, completing the process of decentralisation, localisation, and subinfeudation that failed to separate any other great province, save perhaps Flanders.

The names below are given in Catalan.

Contents

Nominated counts of Barcelona: Frankish vassals

Nominated by the emperor then the king of France, to whom they were feudatories.

NOTES:

  1. Sunifred I and his son Wilfred the Hairy claimed the title Margrave of the Spanish March, which depended on the province of Septimania
  2. Although in this period the title of Count was not hereditary, Bernat of Septimania was father of Guillem, and Sunifred I was father of Wilfred I the Hairy.

Hereditary counts of Barcelona: Frankish vassals

With the accession of Wilfred the Hairy, the county became hereditary in fact, if not in law, though the Frankish connection remained.

Hereditary counts of Barcelona: de facto independence

From 985, when the King Lothair of France ignored Barcelonan pleas for aid against the Saracens, Barcelona ceased to depend on France for its security and began looking elsewhere for suzerains of value. In 987, the Carolingian dynasty came to an end, but the count did not recognise Hugh Capet and the House of Capet. In 1018, the count was forced to recognise the suzerainty of Sancho the Great of Navarre, but this seems to have had no effect after Sancho's 1035 death.

Counts of Barcelona: within the Crown of Aragón

Raymond Berenguer IV took the title of Prince of Aragón from his marriage to Petronila and on his death, she abdicated the throne to their son. Thus, Barcelona and Aragon became united and the Crown of Aragón begins. In Aragonese history, this dynasty is called the House of Barcelona.

  • Alfons I (II of Aragon) el Cast (the Chaste) or el Trobador (the Troubadour) (1162-1196)
  • Pere I (II of Aragon) el Catòlic (the Catholic) (1196-1213)

In 1228, James the Conqueror took the Balearic Islands and the title King of Majorca, then (1238) he took the city of Valencia and the title King of Valencia with it. In 1258, as mentioned above, by the Treaty of Corbeil, King Louis IX of France relinquished his feudal authority over most of the count's possessions, though some lands were altogether relinquished by the count (Toulouse) and some were kept under French sovereignty (Montpellier).

  • Jaume I el Conqueridor (the Conqueror) (1213-1276)
  • Pere II (I of Valencia, III of Aragon) el Gran (the Great) (1276-1285),
  • Alfons II (I of Valencia, III of Aragon) el Franc (the Generous) or el Liberal (the Liberal) (1285-1291)
  • Jaume II el Just (the Just) (1291-1327)
  • Alfons III (II of Valencia, IV of Aragon) el Benigne (the Good) (1327-1336)
  • Pere III (II of Valencia, IV of Aragon) el Cerimoniós (the Ceremonious) or el del Punyalet (the One with the Dagger) (1336-1387)
  • Joan I el Caçador (the Hunter), el Descurat (the Careless), or l'Amador de la Gentilesa (the Lover of Elegance) (1387-1396)

In 1409, Martin inherited the kingdom of Sicily, united it to the Crown and making the Aragonese Empire in the Mediterranean more extensive than ever.

  • Martí I (II of Sicily) l'Humà (the Humanist) or l'Eclesiàstic (the Priest) (1396-1410)
  • Interregnum (1410-1412)

When Martin, the last descendant of Wilfred the Hairy to rule, died without legitimate heirs, the magnates of the different realms of the Crown negotiated for two years until the Compromise of Casp gave the throne to the Castilian scion, Ferdinand of Antequera. Thus began the reign of the House of Trastámara in Barcelona and all of Spain with the exception of Granada and Navarre was under their rule. In 1442, the kingdom of Naples was added to the Empire through conquest.

Counts during the War Against John II

None of these reigned in Valencia, which remained under the control of John II.

Counts of Barcelona: also kings of Spain

The Hapsburg Dynasty (also called the House of Austria) commenced with Charles' accession.

  • Carles I (V of the Holy Roman Empire) (1516-1556)
  • Felip I (II of Spain) (1556-1598)
  • Felip II (III of Spain) (1598-1621)
  • Felip III (IV of Spain) (1621-1665), opposed 1641-1652
  • Carles II (1665-1700), died without heirs

Counts during the Reapers' War

All of these of the House of Bourbon, none of these reigned in Valencia, which remained under the control of Philip IV of Spain.

Counts during the War of the Spanish Succession

The Crown of Aragon (and by definition its constituent County of Barcelona) was officially merged with the other realms that had been ruled by a common monarch for over two and a half centuries to create formally Spain. From this point, there are no more monarchs of the Aragonese crown, and thus, no more Counts of Barcelona. The title of Count of Barcelona becomes simply one of the many hereditary titles of the Spanish monarchy.

Counts in the XX century

During the dictatorship of Francisco Franco, the exiled heir to the Spanish throne, Juan de Borbón, used the title of Count of Barcelona. This seems to have been intended as a half-measure, claiming a title that was historically royal, but stopping short of claiming to be a current king of Spain. Upon the restoration of the Spanish monarchy in 1975, Juan de Borbón was passed over as king in favor of his son Juan Carlos. After he renounced his rights to the throne, his son officially awarded him the title of Count of Barcelona in 1978, which he held until his death in 1993. The title then reverted back to King Juan Carlos, though his mother used the title Countess of Barcelona until her death in 2000.

See also
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