County of Empúries

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The County of Empúries or Ampurias 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 county itself under Ermengar. He and the other early counts were probably Goths. In 817, Empúries was united to the County of Roussillon. Thereafter until 989 except Empúries was attached to Roussillon. 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 I of Ribagorza in 1325 for the barony of Pego and the towns of Xaló and Laguar (all within the Kingdom of Valencia). Peter lated exchanged it with Raymond Berengar I for the county of Prades in 1341. From that point on, Empúries was an apanage of the Crown of Aragon.