County of Roussillon

The county of Roussillon (as a Catalan comtat of Rosselló ) would have been born at the time ic Visigoth (5th-8th centuries like an administrative subdivision of the kingdom Visigoth. Its limits corresponded to the civitas ancient Ruscinonensis (from where it holds its name), i.e. the current department of the the Eastern Pyrenees without Cerdagne nor Capcir. Probably destroyed by the Arab invasion of 721, the county renaquit at the time of the Carolingian reconquest , and was integrated into the Marche of Spain, then with the Marquisat de Gothie. Roussillon is then with the hands of counts named or recognized by the imperial capacity, but this supervision is done less strong during the 9th century, and after the end of the Carolingian dynasty, he is regarded as a patrimonial good which passes to the whole beginning of the 10th century with the hands of the dynasty of Empuries. At this time, its territory is reduced to the oriental party of the current department the Eastern Pyrenees. The capital of this county is initially Castle-Roussillon, then the town of Perpignan. The county remains in the hands of this dynasty until in 1172, with died of the count Girard II of Roussillon, which bequeaths its county to his/her relative the suzerain the king Alphonse II of Aragon. In 1204 the county is given in douaire to Marie of Montpellier by her husband the king Pierre II of Aragon. However dissensions rise quickly between the husbands and as of 1209 infant it Sanche, uncle of king Pierre, receives rights on the county. In 1212 the son of Sanche, Nuno Sanche, receives the seigniory of the counties of Roussillon and Cerdagne.

The county, as old dependence of the Marquisat de Gothie is for a long time only under one nominal dependence of king de France. At the time of the Albigensian Crusade, king d' Aragon Pierre II is killed and overcome with the battle of Low wall in 1213. This defeat will be entérrinée by the treaty of Corbeil (1258) where King d' Aragon gives up his grounds and his influence on Languedoc the profit of the King of France. In this same treaty, France gives up Roussillon.

To died from Nuno Sanche in 1241, the two counties become to his/her small cousin the king Jacques I {{er}} '' the Conqueror ''.

In 1262 king Jacques Ier the Conqueror division heritages of its sons: Roussillon, as the Cerdagne is intended for its second wire, Jacques II of Majorque. To died from the Conqueror in 1276, Roussillon passes indeed in the Royaume of Majorque. But in 1344, the king Pierre IV of Aragon appendix territories of his/her cousin Jacques III of Majorque, reinstating Roussillon in the crown of Aragon. In 1461, the king Louis XI of France occupies Roussillon and the Cerdagne under pretext of refundings of loans granted the king Jean II of Aragon which struggles then in a civil war carried out by the Catalans. In 1493 the king Charles VIII of France returns the counties to the king Ferdinand II of Aragon to have bent frank ones in the Guerres of Italy. In 1641, the Catalans revolts of it call upon Louis XIII, appointed “count de Barcelone, of Roussillon and Cerdagne”. To the Treated of the Pyrenees of 1659, Roussillon and the north of Cerdagne pass to the hands of Louis XIV.

Counts de Roussillon

Counts bénéficiers

Dynasty of Empuries

  • towards 900 - 916: Bencion d' Empuries, son-in-law of the precedent
  • 916 - 931: Gausbert d' Empuries, brother of the precedent also count d' Empuries
  • 931 - 991: Gausfred Ier d' Empuries also count d' Empuries
  • 991 - 1013: Guislabert Ier
  • 1013 - towards 1074: Gausfred II
  • 1074 - 1102: Guislabert II
  • 1102 - 1113: Girard Ier
  • 1113 - after 1121: Arnau Gausfred
  • after 1121 - 1164: Gausfred III
  • 1164 - 1172: Girard II it bequeaths the county to the king d' Aragon

Kings d' Aragon - House of Barcelona

  • 1172 - 1181: Alphonse Ier also king d' Aragon (under the name of Alphonse II) and count de Barcelone (under the name of Alphonse Ier)

Connect of Sanche

  • 1181 - 1212: Sanche brother of the king Alphonse II, lord of the counties of Roussillon and Cerdagne
  • 1212 - 1241: Nuno Sanche, count for life of Roussillon and Cerdagne, one of the conquerors of Majorque in 1229

Kings d' Aragon - House of Barcelona

  • 1241 - 1276: Jacques Ier '' the Conqueror '' also |king d' Aragon, of Valence and Majorque and count de Barcelone

Kings de Majorque

  • 1276 - 1311: Jacques II, also king de Majorque, count de Cerdagne and lord of Montpellier
  • 1311 - 1324: Sanche Ier, also king de Majorque, count de Cerdagne and lord of Montpellier
  • 1324 - 1344: Jacques III, last king independent of Majorque, also count de Cerdagne and lord of Montpellier, nephew of king Sanche and wire of infant Ferdinand de Majorque, prince of Morée in Greece

Kings d' Aragon - House of Barcelona

  • 1344 - 1387: Pierre Ier '' the Ceremonious '', also king of Aragon (under the name of Pierre IV), of Valence (under the name of Pierre II) and of Majorque (under the name of Pierre Ier) of Sardinia (under the name of Pierre Ier), count of Barcelona (under the name of Pierre III)
  • 1387 - 1396: Jean Ier, also king of Aragon, Valence, Majorque (under the name of Jean Ier) and of Sardinia, and count of Barcelona
  • 1396 - 1410: Martin Ier '' human the '', also king of Aragon, Valence, Majorque, Sardinia and Sicily (under the name of Martin II), and count of Barcelona

Kings d' Aragon - House of Trastamare

  • 1412 - 1416: Ferdinand Ier, also king of Aragon, Valence, Majorque, Sardinia and Sicily, and count of Barcelona
  • 1416 - 1458: Alphonse II, also king of Aragon (under the name of Alphonse V), of Valence (under the name of Alphonse III), of Majorque (under the name of Alphonse Ier), of Sardinia (under the name of Alphonse II), of Sicily (under the name of Alphonse Ier) and of the Deux-Siciles (under the name of Alphonse Ier) and count of Barcelona (under the name of Alphonse IV)
  • 1458 - 1461: Jean II, also king of Aragon, Valence, Majorque, Sardinia and Sicily, and count of Barcelona

Kings de France

  • 1461 - 1483: Louis XI, king de France
  • 1483 - 1493: Charles VIII, king de France

Kings d' Aragon - House of Trastamare

For the continuation to see the List of the monarchs of Spain

Kings de France

  • 1641 - 1643: Louis XIII, king de France
  • 1643 - 1659: Louis XIV, king de France. After 1659, Louis XIV nor his successors did not use the title of “count de Roussillon and Cerdagne”. On the other hand this title always appears in large titulature of king d' Espagne.

See too

Related articles

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