Page:Catholic Encyclopedia, volume 15.djvu/259

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URDANETA


223


URGEL


ITrdaneta, Andr£s, Augustinian, b. at Villafranca, inpuztoa, Spain, 1498; d. in the City of Moxiro, 168. He had studied Latin and philosophy, hut iving been left an orphan resolved to devote himself mihtary life, and in the Italian wars obtained the nk of captain. Returning to Spain he took up the udy of mathematics and astronomy, which gave m an inclination for a seafaring life, and induced m to accompany Jofre de Loaiza in an expedition the Molucca Islands in 1525. He served there for

ven years. On his return to Europe he landed in

sbon, where he was prosecuted bj' the Portuguese Dvernment for having told the story of his voyage to e islands when he passed through New Spain, larles V did not give him a very favourable recep- )n, and, wearied by his many adventures, he returned the City of Mexico and entered the Augustinian ■der. At the death of the viceroy, D. Luis de

lasco, in 1564, New Spain had passed under the

vernment, of the Audiencia, one of whose first res was to equip an expedition for the conquest and Ionization of the Philippine Islands. This had en ordered by Philip II in 1559, Fray Andres de •daneta having been designated as the commander, d the viceroy had the matter under consideration the time of his death. Urdaneta was considered a ?at navigator, and especially fitted for cruising in dian waters.

Philip II wTote urging him to join the expedition, d offering him the command. LTrdaneta agreed to company the expedition but refused to take com- md, and the adelantado, Don Miguel L6pez de gazpi, was appointed commander. The expedi- m, composed of the "Capitana", which carried on ard Legazpi and LTrdaneta, the galleons "San bio" and "San Pedro", and the tenders "San Juan" d "San Lucas", set sail on 21 Nov., 1564. After ?nding some time in the islands Legazpi deter- ned to remain, and sent Urdaneta back for the rpose of finding a better return route and to obtain Ip from New Spain, for the PhiUppine colony. He t the Island of Cebu in July, 1565, and was obliged sail as far as 36° N. lat. to obtain favourable winds, daneta had to assume command in person, four- ■n of his crew died, and when the ship reached the rt of .\capulco on 3 Oct., 1565, only Urdaneta and lipe de Salcedo, nephew of Legazpi, had strength 3Ugh to cast the anchors. From Mexico he went to irope to make a report of the expedition, and urned to New Spain, intending to continueon to the lilippines, but he was dissuaded by his friends. He ote two accounts of his voyages; the one giving the Munt of the Loaiza ex-pedition was pubUshed; the ler, which gives the account of his return voyage, jreserved in manuscript in thearchivesof thelndies. 'alacio. Mexico d tTavis de los siglos II (Barcelona); icionario encidopfJico hispano-amtricajui, XXI (Barce- a, 1897).

Camilltjs Crivelli.

CTrgel, Diocese of (Urgellensis), in Spain, Tragan of Tarragona; bounded on the N. by France; by the Provinces of Gerona, Barcelona, and L^rida;

and W. by L^rida, which includes most of the icese, the latter, however, extends to some towns Gerona, Huesca, and the valleys of Andorra. The )ital, Sen de Urgel, is situated in the northern part

!/rida, between the Segre and Balira, and lias )0 inhabitants. The city, one of the most ancient Spain, belonged to the Ilergetas and is called Orgia Orgelia on the Iberian coins.

Christianity was introduced into Urgel at a very •ly period. St. Justus, Bishop of Urgel, attendee!

Second Council of Toledo in 527. He also

ended the First Council of I^rida, 546, and wrote

the Canticle of Canticles a work dedicated to rgius, .Vrchbishop of Tarragona. St . Isidore men- tis him and his three brothers in his "Varonea


ilustres". Simplicius, Bishop of Urgel, figures in the Third Council of Toledo and the names of his succes- sors, in later councils of Tarragona, and the Second Council of Barcelona. Lubericus, at the time of the Mohammedan invasion, attended the Sixteenth Council of Toledo. The line of bishops continued uninterruptedly during the period of the Mohamme- dan dominion. The city, however, was totally destroyed, a district called Vicus Urgelli alone surviving. Reconquered and taken possession of by the French the see was governed by Felix who with Elipandus of Toledo propagated Adoptionism (q. v.), a heresy in which it appears he died, notwithstanding the fact that he had several times abjured it. Learned and except for his heretical tendencies, virtuous, he died in exile in Le6n, 804, and for this reason the people of LIrgel in ancient times venerated him as one of their seven holy bishops. About 885 Bishop Ingobert was expelled from his see by the intruder Selva, who, under the protection of the Count of Urgel, was consecrated in Gascony. This usurper also unlawfully placed Hermemiro over the See of Gerona. In 892 a synod was held in the Church of Santa Maria in Urgel; the two usurpers w'ere deposed, their vestments rent, their crosiers broken over their heads, and they were deprived of their sacerdotal faculties. Bishop Saint Amengol died on 3 Nov., 1035. Another saint and Bishop of Urgel was Odo, son of Count de Pallas (1095-1122). Arnaldus of Perexens retired to the monastery of Bellpuig in 1194. His successor Bernardo de Cast ell6 attended t he Third Council of the Lateran, and in 1198 retired to the monastery of Aspir in the Diocese of Elne. In the last century Josfj Caixal, who distinguished himself at the Vatican Council and was so cordially detested by the Liberals, was Bishop of Urgel (1853-79). When Seo de LTrgel was captured by Martinez Campos during the civil war the bishop was taken prisoner, exiled and died at Rome.

Andorr.\. — The bishops of Urgel have from very ancient times been sovereign princes of the Andorra valleys. When Charlemagne liberated the City of Urgel from the Saracen yoke he conferred on its bishop Posidonius I the right to one tenth of the tithes of the valleys. When the territory was recon- quered and colonized by Louis the Pious he conferred the .sovereignty on the Count of Urgel. These counts and the bishop contended for the rights over the Andorran valleys until 26 Oct., 1040, when on the occasion of the dedication of the cathedral of Urgel the Countess Constancia accompanied by her son Armengol, a minor, ceded to Bishop Eribaldus her right of sovereignty over Andorra. The contentions, however, were renewed between Count Armengol and Bishop Bernardo de Castell6. The latter had recourse to Raimundo Roger I, Count of Foix, prom- ising to share with him the government of Andorra. Relying on this agreement Roger Bernardo III, Count of Foix, in 12()4, invaded the estates of the Bishop of Urgel. This war was ended by arbitration. Jatvert, Bishop of Valencia, acting with, the other arbitrators, drew up an agreement known as the "Pariatges", which was accepted by the Count de Foix on 7 Sept., 1278, and later confirmed by Martin IV. This convention still forms the Constitution of Andorra, a neutral territory, known as a republic. According to it the valleys recognized as their lawful sovereigns the Count de Foix and the Bishoj) of Urgel, each of whom appointed a vcgucr (vicar), who jointly administered the government. The rights of the counts of Foix passed to the Bourbons, kings of France, and sub.sequently to the French Government; the bishops of Urgel still retain a nominal suzerainty and the title of "principes soberanos" of Andorra.

The ancient cathedral of Andorra was destroyed; the present cathedral dates from the time of Bishop Eribaldus and was consecrated in 1040, although the