Sepulchre of Àlvar I and Cecília de Foix at The Cloisters, New York CityHistorical-artistic reconstruction of the coat of arms of the counts of Urgell (from the tomb of Àlvar I and Cecilia de Foix) by the heraldic artist Dario Scaricamazza.
The county of Urgell was carved by the Franks out of a former section of the Mark of Toulouse when the Alt Urgell area became part of the Carolingian Empire between 785 and 790.[1]
The original territory was made up of the Alt Urgell, also known as Urgellet from the end of the 12th century onwards, with the see at La Seu d'Urgell. From 839 onwards it would include 129 villages, the valleys of the Valira river, namely Andorra and Sant Joan Fumat, the Segre riverine area as well as the valleys located between El Pont de Bar and Oliana.[2]
Sunifred II of Urgell (897-948) died without descendants and the county went to his nephew Borrell II, Count of Barcelona, Girona and Osona. In his testament Borrell II, who died in 992, gave Barcelona, Girona and Osona to Ramon Borrell (992-1017), while Urgell went to Ermengol I (992-1010), so that the Count of Urgell title became separated from the House of Barcelona. Thus the first dynasty of Urgell began with Ermengol I. The first dynasty is also known as Barcelona-Urgell.
In 1231 Countess Aurembiaix died without descendants and the first dynasty became extinguished. After a period of dynastic squabbles Jaume I acknowledged Ponç IV of Cabrera as the successor to the County of Urgell. The second dynasty is also known as Cabrera-Urgell.
Ermengol X d'Urgell named his niece Teresa d'Entença as successor to the county. She was married to Alfons el Benigne, son of James II of Aragon. The third and last dynasty is also known as Aragon-Urgell.
.svg)