Cerdagne

Cerdagne (Catalan: Cerdanya; French: Cerdagne; Spanish: Cerdaña) is a small region of the eastern Pyrenees divided between France and Spain and which is historically one of the counties of Catalonia.

Antiquity

The first inhabitants of Cerdagne were probably speaking a language related to the old Basque language and to Aquitanian. Many place names testify to this. In the first millennium BC came the Iberians from the south. Although their identity is still a matter of debate, some theory posit that they were related to the Afro-Asiatic people, and that they separated from the Berbers in North Africa and moved into Spain and then up north to the south of modern-day France.

Related Topics:
Basque language - Aquitanian - Iberian - Afro-Asiatic - Berber

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In Cerdagne they mixed with the native inhabitants, and the resulting people were known as the Kerretes, from the native word ker or kar meaning rock, related to old Basque karri (modern Basque harri, stone). The Kerretes were probably essentially of Basque and Aquitanian-related stock, as the Iberians who mixed with the native inhabitants were a small number of people. The Kerretes kept talking a language related to old Basque and Aquitanian, although some Iberian words may have entered the language, and Iberians clans probably occupied positions at the top of the Kerrete society.

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The main oppidum of the Kerrete, commanding the whole country, was called Kere and was built on the hill above the modern-day village of Llívia (Spanish exclave in French territory). Later the Kerretes came under Roman rule, and the Roman renamed the oppidum Julia Libyca, with a significant number of Roman citizens settling there. During the Roman Empire, the area of Cerdagne was a pagus known as pagus Liviensis (name derived from its capital Julia Libyca), part of the province of Hispania Tarraconensis. The pagus Liviensis was itself divided in two: the eastern part around Julia Libyca was known as Cerretania Julia, while the western part was known as Cerretania Augusta. The name Cerdagne comes from Cerretania, itself coming from the old name of the inhabitants the Kerretes. As for Julia Libyca, the name evolved into Julia Livia, and then Llívia.

Related Topics:
Oppidum - Llívia - Exclave - Roman Empire - Hispania Tarraconensis

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The Kerretes seem to have kept their old language until very late, probably as late as the 8th or 9th century. Romanization in the area was extremely slow, even though eventually the native language gave way, and people in Cerdagne ended up speaking Catalan, which is a language coming from Latin. At the end of the Roman Empire, Julia Libyca entered a period of decadence, and lost much of its importance. It is around this time that the town of La Seu d'Urgell (in Catalonia, but outside of Cerdagne) started to replace Julia Libyca as the main center of population in that area of northern Catalonia, and in the 6th century when the diocese (bishopric) of Urgell was founded, Cerdagne was inside its limits.

Related Topics:
Catalan - La Seu d'Urgell - Catalonia - Diocese

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Devastated by the Vandals and other Germanic tribes, Cerdagne was part of the Visigoth kingdom of Toulouse and later Toledo, until eventually it was conquered by the Arabs, although they did not really settle in the area. Then in the end of the 8th century the Franks defeated the Arabs, and conquered the area of Catalonia.

Related Topics:
Vandal - Visigoth - Toulouse - Toledo - Franks

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