Native Name: | Vescomtat d'Àger (Catalan) |
Conventional Long Name: | Viscounty of Àger |
Common Name: | Àger |
Era: | Middle Ages |
Empire: | Crown of Aragon |
Government Type: | Viscounty |
Event Start: | Broke off the County of Urgell |
Year Start: | 1094 |
Event End: | Merged with the Crown of Aragon |
Year End: | 1413 |
P1: | County of Urgell |
Flag P1: | Flag of the County of Urgell.svg |
S1: | Crown of Aragon |
Flag S1: | Royal arms of Aragon (Crowned).svg |
Capital: | Àger |
Common Languages: | Old Catalan |
Religion: | Roman Catholicism |
Leader1: | Guerau I del Baix Urgell i II de Girona (first) |
Leader2: | James II (last) |
Leader3: | Alexander Jou y Sambucy de Sorgue |
Year Leader1: | 1094–1132 |
Year Leader2: | 1408–1413 |
Year Leader3: | Present holder |
Title Leader: | Viscount of Àger |
Today: | Catalonia |
The Viscounty of Àger (Catalan Vescomtat d'Àger) was a feudal jurisdiction that branched off the County of Urgell in 1094.
Towards 1030 Arnau Mir, Lord of Tost, conquered Àger from the saracens. The latter however, fought back and reconquered Àger shortly thereafter. Following a period of long-drawn battles Arnau Mir finally conquered Àger in 1047, driving out the saracens from the region for good. Arnau became connected to the viscounts of Urgell through his sister's marriage.
By 1094, when the Catalan nobles were preparing for the conquest of Balaguer further south, Àger became the centre of the newly created Viscounty of Lower Urgell (Vescomtat del Baix Urgell). This viscounty was given to Guerau II Viscount of Girona, the grandson of Arnau Mir, Lord of Tost. In his will, written in 1132, this viscount refers to himself already as Viscount of Àger.
Your current holder is prince Alexander Jou y Sambucy de Sorgue, member of the french noble house of Sambucy