Raymond Borrell ofBARCELONA

Raymond Borrel (in Catalan, Ramon Borrell and Spanish, Ramón Borrell) (972 -1017) , was count of Barcelona, Girona, and Ausona from 992. Son of Borrell II of Barcelona and Letgarda de Rouergue. He was associated with his father from 988.

In 993 he married Ermesinde de Carcassonne with whom he had one son: Berengar Raymond (1006).
Between the years 1000 and 1002, he was the object of many incursions by Al-Mansur. In 1003, he directed an expedition to Lleida which prompted a new raid by Al-Mansur's son, Abdal-Malik.
In 1010, taking the opportunity to enhance his power at the expense of the crumbling Córdoban caliphate, he organized a campaign against Córdoba together with Ermengol I of Urgell, Bernard of Besalú, and Wahid, a Moslem general of Muhammad al-Mahdi. The army destroyed the Caliph Suleiman II and wrested Catalonia from any Moorish dominion. Ermengol died in battle on September 1 at Córdoba. In 1015 and 1016, he made new expeditions to the Ebro and Segre. By the booty obtained in these campaigns, he maintained the loyalty of his barons.

In the political arena, he repopulated the Segarra, the Conca de Barberà and the Camp de Tarragona and began the construction of the cathedral in Barcelona.
Notably, he was the first Catalan ruler to mint his own coinage.
At his death in 1017, he was succeeded by his son Berengar Raymond under the regency of his mother.
(Wikipedia)