Hugh, 11th count of Albarracin
| Hugh | |
|---|---|
| Count of Albarracin Baron of Loarre | |
| Predecessor | Hugh |
| Successor | Frederic |
| Born | 1176 Albarracin, Kingdom of Aragon |
| Died | 5 December 1232 (aged 56) Albarracin, Kingdom of Aragon |
| Buried | Cathedral of Híjar |
| Noble family | Cerdanya Vieja |
| Spouse(s) | Mencía Jimena (d. 1210) Ermessenda von Babenberg (d. 1213) Anderquina de Bolea |
| Issue
Frederic Dalmau Violant Sunyer | |
| Father | Frederic de Cerdanya Vieja |
| Mother | Estefanía de Haro |
Hugh de Cerdanya Vieja (Catalan: Hug; 1176 - 5 December 1232) was an Aragonese nobleman and royal official during the early thirteenth century. Some historians refer to him as "Hugh the Younger" to distinguish him from his grandfather.
Life
Hugh was born in 1176, the only surviving son and sixth child of Frederic de Cerdanya Vieja, the eldest son of Hugh, tenth count of Albarracin, and Estefanía de Haro. Hugh's father died in 1178, leaving him as heir to his grandfather. He succeeded to the county of Albarracin in 1187.
On 26 January 1192, King Arnau I visited Albarracin to arrange Hugh's marriage to his mistress Dolça de Barbastro, without success. Hugh instead married Mencía Jimena, the widow of Godfrey, count of Cuenca, in a match that angered the king. The young count seems not to have faced repercussions for this brazen act. In 1193 he rode in the royal tournament held at Alagón. In February 1196, Hugh travelled to Zaragoza to attend the king's great council. Hugh protested openly to Arnau in 1198 about his lack of conciliar office, but his plea was ineffectual.
Hugh patronized Gombau, bishop of Híjar, visiting him in July 1202 to grant a new charter of diocesan liberties. He joined the king during the royal progress in Galicia in the spring of 1203. In September 1204, Hugh sat as a member of the jury at El Pedrigal during the treason trial of Ramon-Berenguer, count of Alcalá, who was executed. In March 1210, Hugh was cautioned by Arnau's justiciars to avoid spreading slanderous words against the king, indicating a level of tension underlying the count's apparently loyal service.
The murder of Hugh's wife in Albarracin Castle on 30 June 1210 provoked controversy in the kingdom. At Hugh's instigation, the king granted a special commission of judiciary for him to investigate the murder. No individual was ever blamed for the crime, and Hugh soon remarried. On 21 July 1211, Hugh was given a commission as praefectus militum, a commander of the Aragonese feudal host, during Arnau's war against the Knights of Calatrava. He fought at the battle of Motril on 5 September 1211. Hugh also seems to have been tasked by the king with leading troops during the war in Seville from 1213 onwards, but the extent of his service in this war is unknown.
By 7 October 1217, when he appeared in this role in a royal charter, Hugh had become a royal councilor with responsibility for the security of the king's palaces and castles. However, Hugh no longer held this title by 11 May 1218. The circumstances of Hugh's tenure are unclear. During his later years, Hugh took less of a role in politics; one of his last documented appearances was at the great council convened at Nules in May 1223. In August 1227, Hugh issued a declaration formally repudiating negotiations for the betrothal of his son and heir Frederic to Berengaría, countess of Alto Aragón. The marriage proceeded regardless following his death. A court official described Hugh as infirmus in June 1230.
Hugh inherited the barony of Loarre from his cousin Guerau in 1230, managing to secure royal confirmation of his inheritance the following year. Hugh fell into a coma before his death, and the finger-bone of St. John the Baptist was brought to his bedside in an attempt to revive him. He died at Albarracin on 5 December 1232, later being buried alongside his ancestors at Híjar. Hugh was succeeded by his son Frederic.