Borrell II, Count of Barcelona

Borrell II (927/928–993) was count of Barcelona, Girona and Ausona from 947 and added Urgell in 948, ruling alone after his brother's death in 966. More diplomat than soldier, he exchanged embassies with Córdoba's caliph in 950, did homage to al-Hakam II in 966, and invited Gerbert of Aurillac, later Pope Sylvester II, to Catalonia.

In 970 he and Bishop Ató went to Rome for a separate Catalan church province; the pope approved, but Ató's murder soon ended the plan.

In 985 Almanzor sacked Barcelona after defeating Borrell at Rovirans. His Frankish appeals unanswered, in 988 he refused homage to Hugh Capet, leaving his counties de facto independent.