O

A member of the Cerdanya-Besalú branch of the House of Barcelona, Oliba was born around 971, the son of Count Oliba Cabreta. Oliba shared with his brothers the title of count, but appears to have renounced it shortly after entering the monastery of Ripoll in 1002 or 1003. Oliba became the abbot of Ripoll in 1008 and, at the same time, abbot of Cuixà. He became the bishop of Vic in 1017 while retaining his monastic offices. Oliba was an ally of Ermessenda, widow of Count Borrell of Barcelona. She acted as regent for her son, Berenguer Ramón I, and grandson, Ramon Berenguer I. Oliba cooperated closely with the embattled comital family during a period of aristocratic violence. The Truce of God, proclaimed shortly after 1020, is credited to Oliba and represented an attempt to regulate the times when war could be fought. It extended the earlier Peace of God, which exempted noncombatants and sacred places.