Bouches-de-l'Èbre

Former French department (1812–1813)

Bouches-de-l'Èbre (French: [buʃ.də.lɛbʁ]; "Mouths of the Ebro") Catalan: Boques de l'Ebre), was a short-lived department of the First French Empire in present-day Spain. It was created on 26 January 1812 on Catalonia's annexation by the French Empire.^[1] It incorporated Catalan territories of the Ebre basin and the municipalities of Fraga and Mequinenza. Its prefecture was in Lleida and its subprefectures were Tortosa, Cervera and Tarragona; its only prefect was Alban de Villeneuve-Bargemont,^[2] who had previously been auditor to the Council of State and sub prefect of Zierickzée (a subprefecture of the department of Bouches-de-l'Escaut). He served as prefect from 12 February 1812 until 1813, moving to become prefect of Sambre-et-Meuse then of Tarn-et-Garonne under the First Restoration - he then continued his career as a prefect under the Second Restoration before finally becoming a member of the Chamber of Deputies of France under the July Monarchy.

On 7 March 1813 this department was merged with that of Montserrat to form the department of Montserrat-et-Bouches-de-l'Èbre (though the civil administration of the area was suppressed and replaced by a military government). After the French retreat, it was dissolved by Spain in 1814.

References

^ Napoléon Bonaparte, Journaux de sièges faits ou soutenus par les Français dans la péninsule de 1807 à 1814 - No. 97: Décret impérial pour la division de la Catalogne en départements, vol. 1-4, Firmin Didot, 1836, p. 649 (online version)
^ Gran enciclopèdia catalana - Les Boques de l’Ebre