Research Notes:

The Gesta Comitum Barcinonensium names "Raimundum Berengarii, et Gillelmum Berengarii et Sancium Berengarii" as children of "Berengarius". The testament of "Berengarii comiti et marchionis" dated 9 Feb 1035 names "filium meum maiorem…Reimundus".

He succeeded his father in 1035 as Comte de Barcelona, Girona, i Osona. The revolt of Mir Geribert (who styled himself "prince of Olèrdola") in 1040 was not finally suppressed until 1059. During this period, Comte Ramon Berenguer [I] had to deal with many other challenges to his authority, including from Ramon Guifré Comte de Cerdanya against whom he launched a military expedition in 1044. Ramon Berenguer [I] eventually succeeded in restoring political order, in part through a systematic process of purchasing castles from local lords and returning them as feudal concessions. In consolidating his power progressively by securing alliances with local magnates, he effectively established a new feudal order with himself at the pinnacle. A charter dated 1050 records that "Raymundum comitem Barchinonensem et Elisabet comitssa" promised the town of Tarragona "cum ipso comitatu Terraconensis" to "Berengarium vicecomitem Narbone", naming also "Ricardus vicecomes de Amilau", although it appears that this was never implemented. "Raimundum Berengarium comitem Barchinonensium et Adalmus cometissa et filios nostros Raimundum et Berengarium et Arnaldum Petri" donated property to the monastery Barberà by charter dated 25 Mar 1054 (although the document must be misdated considering the date of the donor´s third marriage). He imposed the Peace and Truce by territorial statute in 1064, reformed outdated Visigothic laws and renewed pressure on the Taifa lords of Lérida, Tortosa and Zaragoza for payment of tribute. Having re-established his position in Catalonia, Ramon Berenguer switched his attention to pursing an expansionist policy in Languedoc and Roussillon, acquiring suzerainty over Carcassonne and Razès. "Raimundus comes et uxor mea Almodis" donated "ecclesias sancte Marie vel sancti Honorati" [in Barcelona?] to Lérins by charter dated 2 Jan 1068, signed by "Petri filii eius, Raimundi filii eius, Berengarii filii eius, Agnelus filius eius…".

The Annales Barcinonenses record the death in 1076 of "Raimundus Berengarius comes Barchinonensis". The publication of the testament of "comitis Barchinone…Raimundi Berengarii" dated 12 Nov 1076 names "duobus filiis suis…Raimundo Berengarii et Berengario Raimundi…filiam suam Sanciam", and includes a residuary provision that in case of the death of these three, his counties would revert to "filium Guigonis de Albion quem habuit de filia sua Agnes". The necrology of Girona records the death “VIII Kal Jun…1076” of “domnus Remundus Berengarii comes Barchionensis et Marchio”.

Married firstly Isabelle, daughter of --- and his wife Ermengarde. A charter dated 14 Nov 1039 records the marriage of Ramon Berenguer and "Elisabet…comitissa" at "ecclesia beati Cucuphati"... The name of her father is not known, although she is named as daughter of "Ermengardis femina" in several charters. Bofarell highlights Raymond Bernard "Trencavel" Vicomte d´Albi et de Nîmes and a local Catalan noble "Guillelmo Bernardo de Odena" as possible fathers, both of whose wives were named Ermengarde. In the case of the former, the chronology of the family of the Vicomtes d´Albi et de Nîmes appears incompatible with the birth date estimated for Isabelle... "Raimundus Berengarii…comes et marchisus…cum coniuge mea…Helisabeth" donated property "in comitatu Barchinonense, in Vallense…Riels [et] Fallo" to Saint-Victor, Marseille by charter dated 25 Apr 1031, although this date is presumably incorrect considering the probable birth date of Ramon Berenguer I... She was known as ELISABET in Catalonia. A charter dated 1050 records that "Raymundum comitem Barchinonensem et Elisabet comitssa" promised the town of Tarragona "cum ipso comitatu Terraconensis" to "Berengarium vicecomitem Narbone". The necrology of Santa Maria de Ripoll records the death "III Kal Jul" of "Elisabeth comitissa". Ramon Berenguer donated property to Santa Maria de Ripoll, for the soul of "uxoris mee quondam Elisabeth comitissæ", by charter dated 28 Sep 1050.

Married secondly Blanca, daughter of ---. Comte Ramon Berenguer "et Bancha comitissa uxor eius" granted property to a vassal by charter dated 26 Mar 1051. She is also named in a charter dated 1056 under which Comtesa Ermesindis undertook, on behalf of Comte Ramon Berenguer and his wife Almodis, to obtain the lifting of the excommunication which Pope Victor II had pronounced "pro Blancha femina contra...predictum comitem et…comitessam Almodem". The testament of Comte Ramon Berenguer refers to, but does not name, a wife to whom the testator bequeathed "quatuor milia mancusos". It is unlikely that this bequest relates to a fourth wife, otherwise unrecorded, as presumably a surviving wife would have been named in the document. It therefore appears probable that the bequest was intended for Blanca who was still alive when the testament was written. Bofarull suggests that the testament should be interpreted as indicating that Ramon Berenguer married Blanca for a second time before he died, but the problem of the absence of her name from the document remains. ¹