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County of Empúries
*Comtat d'Empúries* (Catalan)
County of Empúries Comtat d'Empúries (Catalan)
812–1402
	Coat of arms
	Territorial evolution of the County of Empúries
Capital	Sant Martí d'Empúries, later Castelló d'Empúries
Common languages	Catalan; Latin;
Religion	Roman Catholic
Government	County
Historical era	Middle Ages
• Establishment	812
• Annexed into the Principality of Catalonia	1402
Preceded by	Succeeded by
	Emirate of Córdoba
Principality of Catalonia
Today part of	France; Spain; ∟ Catalonia

The County of Empúries (Catalan: Comtat d'Empúries, IPA: [kumˈtad dəmˈpuɾiəs]), also known as the County of Ampurias (Spanish: Condado de Ampurias),^[1] was a medieval county centred on the town of Empúries and enclosing the Catalan region of Peralada. It corresponds to the historic comarca of Empordà.

After the Franks conquered the regions in 785, Empúries and Peralada came under the authority of the County of Girona. Around 813, Empúries, with Peralada, became a separate county under Ermenguer. He and the other early counts were probably of Visigothic origin. In 817, Empúries was merged with the County of Roussillon, a union which lasted until 989. One of the ninth-century counts of Empúries assembled a fleet powerful enough to conquer the Balearic Islands, but only for a brief time.^[2] From 835 to 844, Sunyer I ruled Empúries and Peralada while Alaric I ruled Roussillon and Vallespir.

At the death of Gausfred I in 989, Roussillon and Empúries were separated. Gausfred's elder son Hugh I received Empúries while Giselbert I received Roussillon. Hugh's comital dynasty lasted until 1322, when Empúries passed to a collateral branch of his family.
The last count, Hugh VI, sold the county to Peter IV of Ribagorza in 1325 in exchange for the barony of Pego and the towns of Xaló and Laguar, all located within the Kingdom of Valencia. Peter later traded it with his brother Ramon Berenguer for the county of Prades in 1341. From that point on, Empúries was an apanage of the Crown of Aragon.

In a letter of December 1002, Pope Sylvester II confirmed the county of Empúries and the "county of Pedralbes" as a part of the diocese of Girona. The latter is probably to be identified with the Peralada region in the north of Empúries. A portion of the "taxes of the port", consisting of dues and anchorage, were passed on to the diocese.^[3]

List of counts

Ermenguer 813–817
Gaucelm 817–832 (united to Roussillon)
Berengar the Wise 832–835
Sunyer I 835–841 (united to Roussillon)
Alaric I [ca] 841–844
Sunyer I 844–848, again
William 848–850 (united to Roussillon)
Odalric 852–858 (united to Roussillon)
Humfrid 858–862 (united to Roussillon)
Sunyer II 862–915 (united to Roussillon)
Dela 862–894, associated
Gausbert 915–931 (united to Roussillon and Perelada as a county)
Bencion 915–916, associated
Gausfred I 931–989
Hugh I 989/91–1040
Ponç I [ca] 1040–1078 (transferred Perelada, as a viscountcy, to his son Berengar [ca])
Hugh II 1078–1116
Ponç II [ca] 1116–1154, also as Ponç Hug I
Hugh III [ca] 1154–1173
Ponç III [ca] 1173–1200
Ponç Hug II [ca] 1173–1175, associated, also known as Ponç Hug d'Entença
Hugh IV [ca] 1200–1230
Ponç IV [ca] 1230–1269, also as Ponç Hug III
Hugh V [ca] 1269–1277
Ponç V 1277–1313, also as Ponç Hug IV (also viscount of Bas)
Ponç VI [ca] 1313–1322, also as Ponç Hug V Malgauli (also viscount of Bas)
Marquesa [ca] 1322–1327
Hugh VI [ca] 1322–1325

Empúries sold to a son of King James II of Aragon and becomes an apanage of the Crown of Aragon.

Peter I 1325–1341
Raymond Berengar [es] 1341–1364
John I [es] 1364–1386, 1387–1398
Peter II 1386–1387, also king of Aragon
John II [ca] 1398–1401
Peter III [ca] 1401–1402, no issue
Joana I [ca] 1402, his wife
Martin 1402, 1407–1410, also king of Aragon
Maria de Luna 1402–1407, queen consort of Aragon

Empúries escheated to the crown between 1410 and 1436. Subsequently the title is mostly honorific, and carried by the Dukes of Segorbe.

Henry I 1436–1445
Henry II 1445–1522, also Duke of Segorbe
Alfons I 1522–1563
Francesc I 1563–1572
Joana II 1572–1608
Enric III 1608–1640
Lluís 1640–1670
Joaquim 1670, died aged 3.
Pere IV 1670–1690
Caterina 1690–1697
Luis Francisco de la Cerda 1697–1711
Nicolás Fernández de Córdoba-Figueroa de la Cerda 1711-1739
Luis Antonio Fernández de Córdoba-Figueroa y Spinola 1739-1768
Pedro de Alcántara Fernández de Córdoba-Figueroa y de Montcada 1768-1789
Luis María Fernández de Córdoba y Gonzaga 1789-1806
Luis Joaquin Fernández de Córdoba y Benavides 1806-1840
Luis Tomás Fernández de Córdoba y Ponce de León 1840-1873
Luis María Fernández de Córdoba y Pérez de Barradas 1873-1879
Luis Jesús María Fernandez de Cordoba y Salabert 1880-1956
María Victoria Eugenia Fernandez de Cordoba y Fernández de Henestrosa 1956-1987
Ignacio de Medina y Fernández de Córdoba 1987-2006
Sol María de La Blanca de Medina Orléans Bragança 2006–

Notes

^ Both derive from the Latin comitatus Emporiarum.
^ Lewis and Runyan (1985), 62.
^ Letter 260 in Lattin (1961), 356–58.

References

Lattin, Harriet Pratt (ed.) The Letters of Gerbert, with his Papal Privileges as Sylvester II. Columbia University Press, 1961.
Lewis, A. R., and Runyan, Timothy J. European Naval and Maritime History, 300–1500. Indiana University Press, 1985.
Lewis, A. R. The Development of Southern French and Catalan Society, 718–1050. University of Texas Press, 1965.
Riera Fortiana, Enrique. "Etapa barcelonesa del condado de Ampurias (1409–1456)" Annals de l'Institut d'Estudis Empordanesos 11 (1976), 260–85.