Ermengol, son of the Viscounts of Conflent, was Bishop of Urgell between 1010 and 1035. During his 25 years as Bishop, he was a great promoter of ecclesiastical and civil works, such as the third Cathedral at La Seu d’Urgell, the Church of Sant Miquel and numerous bridges and roads which brought energy to the region. Indeed, he died by falling from a scaffolding during construction of a bridge that would cross the Segre in the Baridà area, at the place where the village of Pont de Bar stands today.
It was only ten years after this strange death that Bishop Ermengol was venerated as a Saint by the same inhabitants of La Seu who had admired him while he was alive. For many years, the Fira de la Seu d’Urgell was held on 3rd November, the feast day of this patron Saint. Recently, it has been moved to October, but it still bears the name Fira de Sant Ermengol. In the summer, during the month of August, the cloisters of the Cathedral of La Seu d’Urgell are home to a performance of the Retaule de Sant Ermengol (the Altarpiece of Sant Ermengol), which brings together the various aspects of the life of the venerated Bishop. The work is based on the panels of an old Baroque altarpiece dedicated to the life of the Saint, which can be seen inside the Cathedral.
Currently, La Seu d’Urgell has an interpretation centre on the life of residents and the history of the town, called the Espai Ermengol in honour of the Bishop who largely determined the historical evolution of the population.
