The House of Moncada was started by
Guillem I de Muntanyola or de Vacarisses (b. ? - d. 1040). He was the son of Sunifred, the Vescomte de Girona (
Viscount of
Girona) who was granted the castle and lands of Montcada in
Montcada i Reixac,
Barcelona. Guillem I took the name Guillem I de Montcada in accordance with proper naming traditions upon being granted a landed title. Guillem I married
Adelaida de Claramunt (b. 1000 - d. 1063). Their first child,
Ramon I de Montcada, II Senyor del Castell de Montcada was appointed the office of
Senescal of Barcelona and
Catalonia. Their second son,
Bernat I de Montcada became the Ardiaca (
Archdeacon) of Barcelona. The third son,
Renard de Montcada went on to become the Senyor del Castell (Lord of the Castle) of
la Roca del Vallès and became the first head of the
House of Sarroca or La Roca. One of Ramón I's grandchildren,
Guillem Ramon I de Montcada (b. ? - d. 1173), known as the
Gran Senescal or the
Dapifer became one of the infamous
Nou Barons de la Fama who were the most influential nobles in the court of the
Count of Barcelona. He became the
Senescal of
Ramon Berenguer III of Barcelona,
Ramon Berenguer IV of Barcelona, and of
Alfonso I of Aragón. During the governance of Ramon Berenguer IV, he negotiated the count's marriage with
Petronilla of Aragon, the daughter of Ramiro I. This power move was the masterstroke in uniting the
Kingdom of Aragon and the
County of Barcelona. Guillemo Ramon was also present during the military campaigns in
Tortosa and
Fraga. He married his cousin,
Beatriu de Montcada (another grandchild of
Ramon I de Montcada), and the couple had two children. The firstborn,
Guillem de Montcada, inherited the
Viscounty of Béarn which passed in 1309 to the
House of Foix-Castellbò. The second son,
Ramon de Montcada el Vell, became the fourth Senescal and began the line of the lords of Tortosa and later of Fraga. His own son,
Ramon de Montcada el Jove died fighting at the
Battle of Portopí along with
James I of Aragon in the
Conquest of Majorca. His second son, Guillem Ramon, married , daughter of
Peter II of Aragon and began a line that would hold lordship over
Aitona. His cousin went on to further found a line of the family that moved to
Sicily where they collaborated with the
Sicilian Vespers. The House of Montcada would go on to extend their roots throughout the
Principality of Catalonia, Spain and parts of Europe. They intermarried with the noble houses of Aragon, Cardona, Béarn, Ayerbe, Cervera, Luna, Anglesola, Cornell, Aitona, Albalat, Abarca, Queralt, Vilaragut, Urgell, Entença, Illa Jordà, Pinós, Lloria, Seròs, Vilamarxant, Ribelles, Lioro, Tolsà, Caltanissetta, Vallgornera, Ventimiglia, Fenollar, and Sarrià amongst others. ==Titles==