Leopold III Von Brandonburg De Austria Margreve
Alias:<ALIA> The /Saint/
Alias:<ALIA> El /Grande/
Marquis of Barcelona, Count of Provence
Ramon Berenguer IV, byname RAMON BERENGUER THE HOLY, Catalan RAMON
BERENGUEREL SANT (b. c. 1113--d. Aug. 6, 1162, Borgo San Dalmazzo,
Piedmont [Italy]),count of Barcelona from 1131 to 1162, regent of
Provence from 1144 to 1157, and ruling prince of Aragon from 1137 to 1162.
The elder son of Ramon BerenguerIII, he continued his father's crusading
wars against the Spanish Muslims. The kingdom of Aragon soon sought Ramon
Berenguer IV's aid against Castile. Inthe course of their negotiations,
he was promised the hand of the Aragoneseking Ramiro II's daughter and
heir, Petronila (Peronella); they were marriedon Aug. 11, 1137, and a
few months later (November 13), Ramiro II abdicated in favour of his
daughter and son-in-law. Ramon Berenguer IV thus became the last count of
Barcelona to take this as his principal title, for, from 1137, he was
also ruler of Aragon (though he himself never assumed the title of king).
From the reign of his son, who in 1162 succeeded him with the title of
Alfonso II, the counts of Barcelona styled themselves, in the first
place, kings of Aragon.
When Ramon Berenguer IV's father had died, he had left the county of
Provence to a younger son. When this son died, his brother Ramon
Berenguer IV acted as regent (conventionally with the title Ramon
Berenguer II ofProvence) until the legitimate heir, his young nephew,
reached majority in 1157, as Ramon Berenguer III of Provence. When this
count of Provence died in 1166 without a male heir, he was succeeded by
Ramon Berenguer IV's son AlfonsoII, king of Aragon. By his wars and
conquests from the Moors--Tortosa (1148), Lerida, Mequinenza, and Fraga
(1149), and Prades and Siurana (1153)--RamonBerenguer IV definitively
established the boundaries of the principality of Catalonia.
[Encyclopaedia Britannica CD '97]
Alphonso I Berengar De Aragon King of Aragon
Alias:<ALIA> The /Chaste/
Alias:<ALIA> The /Wise/
Alias:<ALIA> /Guigonne/