Adelasia of Torres
Encyclopedia
Adelasia eldest child of Marianus II of Logudoro
by Agnes of Massa, daughter of William I of Cagliari
, and successor of her brother, Barisone III
, in 1236, was the Judge of Logudoro
from 1236 and Judge of Gallura
from 1238.
By a pact signed between her father, who had interests in Gallura
, and Gallurese judge, the Pisa
n Lamberto Visconti in November 1218, Adelasia first married the heir of Gallura, Lamberto's son Ubaldo II
in 1219. Pope Honorius III
, enemy of the Pisans, immediately sent his chaplain Bartolomeo to annul the marriage, but he failed and the pact between Pisa and Logudoro stood.
Ubaldo inherited the Giudicato of Gallura
in 1225. Marianus died in 1232 and, by his will, was succeeded by his son Barisone III. Upon Barisone's death (1236) without heirs, also as stipulated by Marianus' will, the Logudorese magnates elected one of his daughters, Adelasia or Benedetta, to inherit. They unanimously acclaimed Adelasia, whose husband could well uphold her right. So they in turn elected him judge as well. In 1237, Pope Gregory IX
sent his chaplain Alexander to Torres to receive recognition from Adelasia of papal suzerainty over Logudoro, as well as the lands she inherited from her grandfather William of Cagliari, in Pisa, Massa
, and Corsica
. At the palace of Ardara
, in the presence of the Camaldolese
abbot and monks of S. Trinità di Saccargia, she made the oath of vassalage and Ubaldo affirmed it, giving over the castle of Monte Acuto to the bishop of Ampurias as a guarantee of his good faith. Ubaldo did not, however, recognise any authority over Gallura other than the ancient authority of the Pisan archdiocese.
By Ubaldo's will, drawn up in January 1237 at Silki
, Gallura was to be inherited by his cousin John Visconti
. Peter II of Arborea
became Adelasia's protector. She remarried quickly to Guelfo dei Porcari, a person devoted to the Holy See. He did not live long after, though. At that time, the Doria
family of Genoa
, Pisa's main rival, convinced the Emperor Frederick II to marry his bastard son Enzo
to Adelasia and create a Kingdom of Sardinia
. Enzo arrived from Cremona
in October the same year as Ubaldo's death and the two were married and titled King and Queen of Sardinia. Enzo left for the peninsula in July 1239 and never returned, being taken prisoner by the Guelphs
, an imprisonment which was to prove lifelong. In 1245 or 1246, the marriage was annulled.
After this date, Adelasia, saddened and tired of active government and retired to her castle of Goceano
. She died in 1259, without heirs, and her territory was divided amongst the Doria, Malaspina, and Spinola
families, who all held it from Genoa. The neighbourging Giudicato of Arborea succeeded in taking some land. Sassari
expelled its Pisan governor with the support of the Doria, refortified its defences, and adopted a republican model of government in alliance with Genoa, which sent an annual podestà
.
Marianus II of Torres
Marianus II was the Judge of Logudoro from 1218 until his death. He was an ally of the Republic of Genoa and enemy of Pisa.He was a son of Comita III , who associated him with the government of Logudoro as early as 1203. He succeeded his father in 1218...
by Agnes of Massa, daughter of William I of Cagliari
William I of Cagliari
William I was the giudice of Cagliari from 1188 to his death.William was one of the greatest of medieval Sardinian giudici...
, and successor of her brother, Barisone III
Barisone III of Torres
Barisone III was briefly the Judge of Logudoro from 1232 until his death. He was the only son of Marianus II, whom he succeeded....
, in 1236, was the Judge of Logudoro
Giudice of Logudoro
The giudici of Logudoro were the local rulers of the locum de Torres or region around Porto Torres, the chief northern port of Sardinia, during the Middle Ages.*Gonario I *Comita II *Barisone I *Andrew Tanca The giudici (iudices or judikes, "judges") of Logudoro (or Torres) were the local...
from 1236 and Judge of Gallura
Giudice of Gallura
The giudici of Gallura were the local rulers of the northeast of Sardinia during the Middle Ages. Theirs was the closest giudicato to Corsica.*Manfred...
from 1238.
By a pact signed between her father, who had interests in Gallura
Giudicato of Gallura
The Giudicato of Gallura was one of four Sardinian giudicati of the Middle Ages. These were de facto independent states ruled by judges bearing the title iudex . Gallura, a name which comes from gallus, meaning rooster , was subdivided into ten curatoriae governed by curatores under the judge...
, and Gallurese judge, the Pisa
Pisa
Pisa is a city in Tuscany, Central Italy, on the right bank of the mouth of the River Arno on the Tyrrhenian Sea. It is the capital city of the Province of Pisa...
n Lamberto Visconti in November 1218, Adelasia first married the heir of Gallura, Lamberto's son Ubaldo II
Ubaldo of Gallura
Ubaldo II Visconti, son of Lamberto di Eldizio and Elena de Lacon, was the Judge of Gallura from 1225 to his death in 1238. He ruled every giudicato on the island of Sardinia at one point or another save Arborea....
in 1219. Pope Honorius III
Pope Honorius III
Pope Honorius III , previously known as Cencio Savelli, was Pope from 1216 to 1227.-Early work:He was born in Rome as son of Aimerico...
, enemy of the Pisans, immediately sent his chaplain Bartolomeo to annul the marriage, but he failed and the pact between Pisa and Logudoro stood.
Ubaldo inherited the Giudicato of Gallura
Giudicato of Gallura
The Giudicato of Gallura was one of four Sardinian giudicati of the Middle Ages. These were de facto independent states ruled by judges bearing the title iudex . Gallura, a name which comes from gallus, meaning rooster , was subdivided into ten curatoriae governed by curatores under the judge...
in 1225. Marianus died in 1232 and, by his will, was succeeded by his son Barisone III. Upon Barisone's death (1236) without heirs, also as stipulated by Marianus' will, the Logudorese magnates elected one of his daughters, Adelasia or Benedetta, to inherit. They unanimously acclaimed Adelasia, whose husband could well uphold her right. So they in turn elected him judge as well. In 1237, Pope Gregory IX
Pope Gregory IX
Pope Gregory IX, born Ugolino di Conti, was pope from March 19, 1227 to August 22, 1241.The successor of Pope Honorius III , he fully inherited the traditions of Pope Gregory VII and of his uncle Pope Innocent III , and zealously continued their policy of Papal supremacy.-Early life:Ugolino was...
sent his chaplain Alexander to Torres to receive recognition from Adelasia of papal suzerainty over Logudoro, as well as the lands she inherited from her grandfather William of Cagliari, in Pisa, Massa
Massa
Massa is a town and comune in Tuscany, central Italy, the administrative centre of the province of Massa-Carrara. It is located in the Frigido River Valley, near the Alpi Apuane, some 5 kilometers from the Tyrrhenian Sea....
, and Corsica
Corsica
Corsica is an island in the Mediterranean Sea. It is located west of Italy, southeast of the French mainland, and north of the island of Sardinia....
. At the palace of Ardara
Ardara
Ardara is a small town in County Donegal, part of the Province of Ulster in Ireland. It is located on the N56 road.Ardara is a small town with a population of 578 . Over recent years the town has seen some great growth with a lot of the pubs and shops being renovated...
, in the presence of the Camaldolese
Camaldolese
The Camaldolese monks and nuns are part of the Benedictine family of monastic communities which follow the way of life outlined in the Rule of St. Benedict, written in the 6th century...
abbot and monks of S. Trinità di Saccargia, she made the oath of vassalage and Ubaldo affirmed it, giving over the castle of Monte Acuto to the bishop of Ampurias as a guarantee of his good faith. Ubaldo did not, however, recognise any authority over Gallura other than the ancient authority of the Pisan archdiocese.
By Ubaldo's will, drawn up in January 1237 at Silki
Silki
Şilki or Silki was a Bolgar ruler . Silki provided a policy of unification of Bolgar tribes. His son Almış was also a Bolgar ruler....
, Gallura was to be inherited by his cousin John Visconti
John of Gallura
John Visconti was the Judge of Gallura from 1238 to his death. He was a member of the Visconti dynasty of Pisa....
. Peter II of Arborea
Peter II of Arborea
Peter II was the Giudice of Arborea from 1221 to his death. He was also Peter IV, Viscount of Bas. He was "pious and submissive to the church" and his extensive "donations of privileges and judicial lands impoverished his state of glory."Peter's father, Hugh I, of the Bas family, died in 1211...
became Adelasia's protector. She remarried quickly to Guelfo dei Porcari, a person devoted to the Holy See. He did not live long after, though. At that time, the Doria
Doria
Doria, originally de Auria , meaning "the sons of Auria", and then de Oria or d'Oria, is the name of an old and extremely wealthy Genoese family who played a major role in the history of the Republic of Genoa and in Italy, from the 12th century to the 16th century.-Origins:According to legend, a...
family of Genoa
Genoa
Genoa |Ligurian]] Zena ; Latin and, archaically, English Genua) is a city and an important seaport in northern Italy, the capital of the Province of Genoa and of the region of Liguria....
, Pisa's main rival, convinced the Emperor Frederick II to marry his bastard son Enzo
Enzio of Sardinia
Enzio was an illegitimate son of Emperor Frederick II and King of Sardinia.-Life:...
to Adelasia and create a Kingdom of Sardinia
Kingdom of Sardinia
The Kingdom of Sardinia consisted of the island of Sardinia first as a part of the Crown of Aragon and subsequently the Spanish Empire , and second as a part of the composite state of the House of Savoy . Its capital was originally Cagliari, in the south of the island, and later Turin, on the...
. Enzo arrived from Cremona
Cremona
Cremona is a city and comune in northern Italy, situated in Lombardy, on the left bank of the Po River in the middle of the Pianura Padana . It is the capital of the province of Cremona and the seat of the local City and Province governments...
in October the same year as Ubaldo's death and the two were married and titled King and Queen of Sardinia. Enzo left for the peninsula in July 1239 and never returned, being taken prisoner by the Guelphs
Guelphs and Ghibellines
The Guelphs and Ghibellines were factions supporting the Pope and the Holy Roman Emperor, respectively, in central and northern Italy. During the 12th and 13th centuries, the split between these two parties was a particularly important aspect of the internal policy of the Italian city-states...
, an imprisonment which was to prove lifelong. In 1245 or 1246, the marriage was annulled.
After this date, Adelasia, saddened and tired of active government and retired to her castle of Goceano
Goceano
The Goceano is a historical and geographical region of center-north of Sardinia island, Italy.It covers a surface of 480 km² and has a population of 13,000 inhabitants...
. She died in 1259, without heirs, and her territory was divided amongst the Doria, Malaspina, and Spinola
Spinola
Spinola may refer to:*Spinola family a leading political family in Genoa in the 13th and 14th Centuries.-People:* Battista Spinola, 16th century Doge of Genoa* Benedict Spinola , a 16th century Genoese merchant in London...
families, who all held it from Genoa. The neighbourging Giudicato of Arborea succeeded in taking some land. Sassari
Sassari
Sassari is an Italian city. It is the second-largest city of Sardinia in terms of population with about 130,000 inhabitants, or about 300,000 including the greater metropolitan area...
expelled its Pisan governor with the support of the Doria, refortified its defences, and adopted a republican model of government in alliance with Genoa, which sent an annual podestà
Podestà
Podestà is the name given to certain high officials in many Italian cities, since the later Middle Ages, mainly as Chief magistrate of a city state , but also as a local administrator, the representative of the Emperor.The term derives from the Latin word potestas, meaning power...
.
Sources
- Ferrabino, Aldo (ed). Dizionario Biografico degli Italiani: I Aaron – Albertucci. RomeRomeRome is the capital of Italy and the country's largest and most populated city and comune, with over 2.7 million residents in . The city is located in the central-western portion of the Italian Peninsula, on the Tiber River within the Lazio region of Italy.Rome's history spans two and a half...
, 1960.