Wilfred the Hairy

Wilfred the Hairy (Catalan Guifré el Pilós; died 11 August 897) built the fortunes of the early House of Barcelona. He held Urgell and Cerdanya from 870, received Barcelona, Girona and Besalú in 878, and added the frontier county of Ausona in 886. He repopulated the deserted lands around Vic, restored its bishopric and founded the monastery of Santa Maria de Ripoll.

His southern castles provoked the Muslim lords of Lleida; after a failed assault on Lleida he fell defending Barcelona against Lubb ibn Muhammad in 897. He was buried at Ripoll, and his counties passed to his son Wilfred Borrell.