Sunifred I, Count of Barcelona
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Sunifred I, or Suinifredo in Spanish and Sunyer in Catalan, was the count of many Catalan and Septimanian counties; including Ausona, Besalú, Gerona, Narbonne, Agde, Béziers, Lodève, Melgueil, Cerdanya, Urgel, Conflent, and Nîmes; and count of Barcelona from 844 to 848.
He was the son of Belló, count of Carcassonne.
In 834, he was named count of Urgel and Cerdanya, which were at the time in the control of Aznar I Galíndez (an ally of the Banu Qasi, by Louis the Pious, Holy Roman Emperor. Sunifred conquered Cerdanya in 835 and Urgel three years later (838). By the death of Bernard of Septimania, he received the march of Gothia. He then augmented his domains when Conflent fell into his hands, as count of Cerdanya, on the death of Bera II.
In 841, the Moors invaded Barcelona and marched against Narbonne through the region of Cerdanya. Sunifred stopped them cold in battle, an event which certainly influenced Charles the Bald's appointment of him to the counties of Barcelona, Ausona, Besalú, Gerona, Narbonne, Agde, Béziers, Lodève, and Nîmes in 844.
Throughout his reign, he was aloof of William of Septimania, son of Bernard, who had risen in 844 against Charles the Bald.
He died in 848 and his counties were given away by the Frankish king. One of his nephews, Wilfred the Hairy was appointed count in 878 and his direct descendants ruled until the death of Martin I of Aragón in 1410 and the Pact of Caspe in 1412.
| Preceded by: Bernard of Septimania |
Count of Barcelona
844-848 |
Succeeded by: William of Septimania |
