SUNYER [I] de Barcelona, son of GUIFRÉ [I] "el Velloso/el Pilós/the Hairy" Comte de Barcelona & his wife Guinidilda --- (-15 Oct 954, bur Ripoll Monastery). The Gesta Comitum Barcinonensium names (in order) "Radulfum, Guiffredum, Mironem et Suniarium" as the four sons of "Guiffredus Pilosus comes" & his wife, specifying that Sunyer succeeded his father "in comitatu Urgelli et fuit primus comes Urgelli"[132]. He succeeded his father jointly with his brother in 897 as Comte de Barcelona, Girona and Ausona, and his brother in 911 as sole Comte de Barcelona, Girona and Ausona. "Idelherus epicopus, Geresendes cometissa, Suniarius comes et marchio, Ermemirus vicescomes" signed a document dated 1 Dec 911 as executors of "Vuifredo comite condam filius fuit Vuifredo comite condam"[133]. "Suniarius…comes et Marchio" donated property to the church of Girona, for the souls of "patri meo Wifredi quondam, vel fratri meo Wifredi quondam…vel filio meo Borrello", by charter dated 23 Nov 934[134]. Faced with Muslim attacks along the coast at Maresme and Empordà, comte Sunyer launched a counter-attack in 936 which was halted by Ahmad bin Muhammad bin Ilyas who led the siege of Zaragoza[135]. Caliph Abd Al-Rahman III made peace with comte Sunyer in 940. Suniario and his wife Richildis donated property to the church of Santa Eulalia & Santa Cruz, Barcelona, for the souls of "sus padres Wifredo y Winidilda y de su hermano Borrell conde y de su hijo Ermengaudo difuntos" by charter dated 944[136]. "Suniarius comes et coniux mea Rechellis comitissa" donated property to the monastery of Santa Cecilia de Montserrat by charter dated 31 Jul 945[137]. He succeeded his brother Sunifredo in 948 as Comte de Urgell. Suniario donated property to the abbey of la Grasse by charter dated 30 Jun 953[138]. The martirilogio of Vic records the death "Id Oct" of "Suniarius"[139]. The year of his death is narrowed to 954 given the charter dated 19 Feb 955 under which his son Comte Borrell granted property, acquired from "su difunto padre el conde Suniario", to his cousin Miró[140]. The Gesta Comitum Barcinonensium the death in 950 of "Sunyer" and his burial "in monasterio Rivipolli"[141].
m (917 or before) RICHILDE, daughter of --- (-after 954). Bofarull states that she is named as wife of Sunyer in 917 in a donation to the monastery of San Cucufáte del Vallés by "los hermanos Ermenardo y Udalardo" but does not cite the precise reference[142]. "Suniarius comes et coniux mea Rechellis comitissa" donated property to the monastery of Santa Cecilia de Montserrat by charter dated 31 Jul 945[143]. "Ricildis comitissa" donated property to the abbey of la Grasse by charter dated 954 before 31 Aug subscribed by "Miro comes, Borellus comes"[144], the subscribers assumed to be her sons. Szabolcs de Vajay suggests[145] that she was Richilde de Rouergue, daughter of Ermengaud de Toulouse Comte de Rouergue & his wife Adelais ---, to explain the transmission of the name Armengol [Ermengaud] into the Barcelona family.
Sunyer [I] & his wife had five children