Berengar Raimund I (Barcelona)
Berengar Raimund I the Hunchback (* around 1005 - † May 26, 1035 ) (Catalan: Berenguer Ramon I El Corbat); was Count of Barcelona , Girona and Ausona from 1017 until his death .
He was the son of Raimund Borrell of Barcelona and his wife Ermesinde of Carcassonne .
He accepted the suzerainty of Sancho the Great of Navarre.
Berengar Raimund as a historical figure is enigmatic, enveloped in incomprehensible contradictions and ambiguities. At first he was a man of peace and ordained peace during his reign. He also appeased his neighbors and the Count of Urgell , Ermengol II.
He restored friendly relations with Hugo I , Count of Ampurias, and maintained them with Wilhelm I of Besalú and Wilfried II , Count of Cerdanya . He was a son of the Church who had relations with the Pope and made a pilgrimage to Rome in 1032. On many occasions he traveled to Zaragoza and Navarre to discuss with Sancho III, King of Navarre, their mutual positions against the Counts of Toulouse . His confidants and councilors were the Abbot Oliva, the judge Ponç Bofill, Gombau de Besora and the bishops Pedro of Girona and Deudado of Barcelona. In 1025 he ordered that the co-owners of inheritance had to be exempt from taxation.
On the other hand, the government of Berengar Raymond I marks the beginning of the decline in power in Catalonia . At the time of his father's death in 1017, Berengar Raimund was still a minor and his mother, Ermesinde, reigned for him until 1023. But even when he came of age, his mother did not want to cede the reign and ruled with him. According to some chroniclers, Berengar Raimund's character left a lot to be desired; he is described as weak and indecisive.
In addition, his policy of peace with the Moors was a stumbling block for the nobility, who viewed war with Islam as a means of attaining fame, fortune, and perhaps salvation. This led to some nobles acting outside the wishes of the count.
In contrast to her son, Ermesinde was energetic and decisive.
But as a woman, her exerted control over the military was severely hampered, and organizing an attack to please the aristocracy went to zero. The weakening of the count's authority became very evident shortly before the death of Berengar Raimund I in 1035. He divided his possessions among his sons. Raimund Berengar I received the counties of Girona and Barcelona up to Llobregat, Sancho the borderland from Llobregat to the Moorish countries, the county of County Penedés with the capital in Olérdola. Wilhelm received the county of Ausona .
Marriages and offspring
In 1021 Berengar married Raimund I. Sancha Sánchez (daughter of Sancho García , Count of Castile ( House of Castile )), with whom he had two sons:
- Raimund Berengar I , his successor as Count of Barcelona
- Sancho
In 1027 he married Gisela von Lluca, with whom he had a son and a daughter:
- Wilhelm, his successor as Count von Ausona
- Sibylla of Barcelona, who married Henry of Burgundy and is therefore an ancestor of the kings of Portugal.
| predecessor | Office | successor |
|---|---|---|
| Raimund Borrell |
Count of Barcelona 1017-1035 |
Raimund Berengar I. |
| personal data | |
|---|---|
| SURNAME | Berengar Raimund I. |
| ALTERNATIVE NAMES | Berengar Raimund the Hunchback, Berenguer Ramon I El Corbat |
| BRIEF DESCRIPTION | Count of Barcelona, Girona and Ausona |
| DATE OF BIRTH | around 1005 |
| DATE OF DEATH | May 26, 1035 |