Biography.guide
Home › People › Catholic priest › Hug de Cervelló
Portrait of Hug de Cervelló

Hug de Cervelló

d. 1171

Archbishop of Tarragona (died 1171)

Don't just read it — keep itBiographies to ownE-book · Audio · Video From $7 →

About Hug de Cervelló

Hug de Cervelló was a Spanish catholic priest.

Hug de Cervelló (died 17 April 1171) was the archbishop of Tarragona from 1164 until his death.

Hug was born in the first half of the 12th century. His father was Guerau Alemany IV of the . He became a canon of the diocese of Barcelona. In 1161, he accompanied Count Ramon Berenguer IV on his visit to Turin, during which the count died. He continued to be close to the count's successor, King Alfonso II.

Alfonso II engineered Hug's election as archbishop in 1164 in order to counterbalance the power of the Bordet princes of Tarragona. Hug did this by granting a charter of repopulation for Selva in 1164; establishing his vassals at L'Albiol and ; becoming the first prior of in 1165; and intervening in disputes, as in that between the bishopric of Urgell and the .

In 1165, the conflict between archbishop and prince turned violent and the former requested the intervention of the king, who finally came to Tarragona in 1168. Prince was forced to swear fealty to the archbishop, but he was murdered later that year. His family accused Hug of arranging the assassination. In revenge, Guillem's brothers, and Robert, had Hug assassinated on 17 April 1171. This resulted in the downfall of the Bordets, who were forced into exile through the intervention of Pope Alexander III. The 18th-century Catalan historian Marià Marí i Bas compared the killing of Hug to that of Thomas Becket the year before for its dramatic consequences in favour of the church.

In his will, Hug left 100 bezants to Pope Alexander and 250 morabetinos to Cardinal Hyacinth Bobone.

Biography shop

Don’t just read it —
keep it.

Full-length biographies made to live with: read them, listen on the way to work, watch them tonight.

  • E-book
  • Audio
  • Video
Browse the shop — from $7

Instant download · yours to keep · every purchase keeps this site free

Important facts

Died
1171
Occupation
Nationality
Positions held
Bishop-elect, Catholic archbishop

Frequently asked questions

Who was Hug de Cervelló?

Archbishop of Tarragona (died 1171)

When did Hug de Cervelló die?

Hug de Cervelló died in 1171.

What was Hug de Cervelló's occupation?

Hug de Cervelló was a catholic priest.

What nationality was Hug de Cervelló?

Hug de Cervelló was Spanish.

Sources & further reading

· Wikipedia: Hug de Cervelló

· Wikidata: Q19291120

· DBpedia: Hug de Cervelló

Cite this page

APA: Biography.guide. (2026). Hug de Cervelló. https://biography.guide/hug-de-cervello/

MLA: "Hug de Cervelló." Biography.guide, https://biography.guide/hug-de-cervello/.

Chicago: "Hug de Cervelló." Biography.guide. https://biography.guide/hug-de-cervello/.

Data last updated: 2026-09-20 · Spot an error? Report a correction.

Page generated 2026-09-27 05:23 UTC