Count-Marquis Borrell II of Barcelona, Girona, Osona and Urgell

Created Thursday 02 May 2013
Borrell II ruled the counties of Barcelona, Girona and Osona between 945 and his death in 993, in succession to his father Count-Marquis Sunyer. Until 966 Borrell ruled these jointly with his brother Miró III, who died in that year leaving Borrell in sole power. Borrell also succeeded to his uncle Count Sunifred II of Urgell in that county at Sunifred's death in 947.
Borrell was likely Sunyer's second son by Riquilda, being younger sibling of Count Ermengol I of Osona who predeceased his father. His younger brother Miró appears to have been focused on Barcelona during his lifetime, and an early appearance of just Borrell as a dedicatee of prayers in a gift by Sunyer to the cathedral of Girona in 934 (Carlemany 43) suggests that the Count-Marquis intended to divide his counties between his sons. In the event Borrell succeeded to them all and more. He was married first to Ledgarda, daughter of the Count of Rouergue, and at her death in the late 980s married Eimerudis, who has been identified as Ledgarda's sister. Borrell and Eimeruds had no known offspring, but on Ledgarda he fathered sons Ramon Borrell and Ermengol, who would succeed him in Sunyer's and Sunifred's inheritances respectively, and daughter Adelaide Bonafilla, second abbess of Sant Pere de les Puelles de Barcelona.
Notable events of Borrell's career include:

• the imposition of his aunt-in-law Adelaide as Abbess of Sant Joan de Ripoll in 949;
• a brief war with his cousin counts of Besalú and Cerdanya probably in 957, which was repulsed;
• embassies sent to Córdoba in at least 966, 971 and 979 to secure peace on the frontier;
• a voyage to Rome in late 969 and early 970 in which he probably attempted to have his protegé Bishop Ató of Osona raised to the rank of Archbishop and appointed provisor to the then-vacant bishopric of Girona;
• the appointment of a cadre of learned judges to reform justice in his counties' courts and beyond, from the 970s onward;
• a renewal of the coinage of Barcelona, probably in 982;
• an unsuccessful defence of the city of Barcelona against the armies of al-Mansur in 985;
• the renewal of relations with King Lothar III of the Western Franks and the repopulation of the city of Cardona, among other frontier operations, in 986;
• and his receipt of a letter from King Hugh Capet of France in 988 requesting his allegiance, to which it is usually supposed he sent no reply.