Ermesinda of Bigorre (Aragonese: Ermisenda de Bigorra), born Gerberga or Gisberga[1] (1015 – 1 December 1049), was a Queen of Aragon, a daughter of Bernard-Roger, Count of Bigorre and his wife Garsenda, Heiress of Bigorre. She was a member of the House of Foix, the sister of Bernard II, Count of Bigorre, Roger I, Count of Foix, and perhaps of Stephanie who married García Sánchez III of Navarre.[2]
| Ermesinda | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
_de_Foix,_Rainha_de_Aragão_-_The_Portuguese_Genealogy_(Genealogia_dos_Reis_de_Portugal).png) A depiction of Queen Ermesinda with a book | |||||
| Queen consort of Aragon | |||||
| Tenure | 1036–1049 | ||||
| Born | 1015 | ||||
| Died | 1 December 1049 | ||||
| Spouse | Ramiro I of Aragon | ||||
| Issue | Sancho Ramírez García, Bishop of Jaca Teresa Sancha Urraca | ||||
| |||||
| House | House of Foix | ||||
| Father | Bernard-Roger, Count of Bigorre | ||||
| Mother | Garsenda, Heiress of Bigorre | ||||
Gerberga married on 22 August 1036 to King Ramiro I of Aragon.[3] After her wedding Gerberga changed her name to Ermesinda. The couple were married for thirteen years, in which time her husband elevated himself from a vassal holding scattered lands around Jaca into a de facto ruler of pocket-kingdom spanning the former counties of Aragon, Sobrarbe and Ribagorza, and is thereby credited with being the first King of Aragon. They had the following children:
- Sancho Ramírez (c. 1042 – 4 June 1094), succeeded his father[4]
- García, Bishop of Jaca (d. 17 July 1086)
- Teresa (b. 1037), married William Bertrand of Provence, no issue
- Sancha (d. 1097), possibly married firstly to Pons, Count of Toulouse, and secondly to Ermengol III, Count of Urgell
- Urraca (d. 1077), a nun
All of Ermesinda's children lived to adulthood. She died on 1 December 1049 and she was buried at the Monastery of San Juan de la Peña. Her husband remarried four years later to Agnes.
References
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