Count Ramon Borrell of Barcelona

  General Notes:

count of Barcelona, Girona, and Ausona from 992. Son of Borrell II of Barcelona and Letgarda de Rouergue. He was associated with his father from 988.

In 993 he married Ermesinde of Carcassonne with whom he had three children, Borrell Ramon (died young before 1017) Berengar Raymond (c.1006) and ? Estefania/Adelaide, wife of Roger I of Tosny.

Between 1000 and 1002 he had to deal with a number of incursions by Al-Mansur. However Al-Mansur was killed in Battle of Calatañazor by Navarran and Leon forces. Seeing an opportunity Raymond counter-attacked in 1003 leading an expedition to Lleida. However this prompted a new raid on the County of Barcelona by Al-Mansur's son, Abd al-Malik. This was defeated by an alliance of Christian forces at the Battle of Torà.[1] Ramon was also present at the Battle of Albesa shortly thereafter.

In 1010, with the Cordoban Caliphate crumbling into civil war Raymond saw another opportunity. He organised a campaign against the Caliphate, with Armengol I of Urgell, Bernard I of Besalú, and joined forces with Muhammad II of Córdoba. The army destroyed the forces of Caliph Sulayman II and sacked Córdoba. As a result Catalonia remained free from further Moorish dominion. Armengol died in battle on September 1 at Córdoba.

In 1015 and 1016 Raymond made further expeditions to the Rivers Ebro and Segre. The treasure obtained in these campaigns maintained the loyalty of his barons.

In the County of Barcelona he ensured the repopulation of the Segarra, Conca de Barberà and Camp de Tarragona. He began the construction of the cathedral in Barcelona. He was also the first Catalan ruler to mint his own coinage.

At his death in 1017, he was succeeded by his son Berengar Raymond under the regency of his mother. He was buried at Barcelona Cathedral, but his grave was lost.

Ramon married Ermesinde of Carcassonne, daughter of Count Roger of Carcassonne I and Adelaide of Rouergue. (Ermesinde of Carcassonne was born in 972 and died in 1057.)