At this date, Cerdanya was united in government under one count with County of Besalú and Urgell; it was part of the Kingdom of Aquitaine after 817.

[5] In 835, a charter of Louis the Pious even forbid the church of the region to grant lands in beneficium, that is, as benefices or in feudal tenure.

[6] After the death of Louis the Stammerer (879), Aquitaine and West Francia in general experienced a period of instability during which the outlying regions, such as Catalonia, became de facto independent of central royal authority.

As another result of its frontier location and the lack of royal control exercised over it, Cerdanya was dotted with numerous castles during this period, when the Muslim threat was still strong.

[8] In 897, Wilfred the Hairy died having divided his vast Catalan patrimony (technically just a plurality of public offices) between his four sons.

His county comprised Besalú, the Fenouillèdes, Capcir, the Baridà, the Valley of Ribes, that of Lillet, the Berguedà, the Ripollés, the Vallespir, the upper plain of Roussillon from Illa de Tet to Sant Esteve del Monasterio, Conflent, the Donasà, and Peyrepertuse.

[11] In 988, Oliba Cabreta retired to the monastery of Montecassino and divided his lands between his three sons, the second-born, Wilfred, receiving Cerdanya and Conflent.

[12] The count presided over judicial tribunals with the assistance of the judices (judges) and boni homines (good men) of the county.

When Count Raymond Wilfred plundered the Sant Miquel de Cuixà and entered into a feud with the Bishop of Elne, it gave the nobles opportunity to grant their services to whoever offered them the most advantage at the moment.

Bernard was forced to make peace with Raymond in 1047 and his allodial lands were handed over, though he was compensated with more fiefdoms from the count.

The important pass of Pimorent, which, now that Cerdanya was no longer a marcher territory, lay at the centre of its existence, remained in the hands of the Count Raymond and neither of Bernard's allies of Toulouse or Foix.