Biagio, Archbishop of Torres
Encyclopedia
Biagio was the Archbishop of Torres from 1 December 1202 to his death late 1214 or early 1215.
He was originally from the diocese of Nevers. He went to Rome
and became a subdeacon and then a papal notary before 1200. By the influence of Pope Innocent III
, he was elected to the vacant see of Porto Torres
in 1202. He was consecrated sometime before 7 March 1203. One of his first acts was to order the giudici to punish the murderers of the bishop of Ploaghe, the abbot of Tregu, and the vicar of Camaldoli
.
On 10 March 1203, the pope put Comita III of Logudoro
under the protection of Biagio and not of Pisa in light of the invasion of Logudoro by William I of Cagliari
. On 22 March, with papal consent, he gave Christian burial to Comita's father, Constantine II
, who had died excommunicate. In a letter dated that same day to Comita, William, and Hugh I of Arborea
, the pope ordered the giudici to take an oath of allegiance to Biagio, thus breaking their link of fidelity to Pisa. Biagio had trouble extracting the oath from William, who had previously made it to Uberto, Archbishop of Pisa
. On 15 September, Innocent absolved William of the oath.
In that year, Barisone II of Gallura
died and left the succession to Gallura
in the hands of the pope, who gave Biagio the responsibility of arranging a marriage for the Gallurese heiress Elena
. In 1203, he tried to marry her to Ittocorre of Torres and in 1206 to Trasmondo, a relative of the pope's, but both of these arrangements fell through, and Elena married Lamberto di Eldizio without Biagio's approval, but with the support of the local clergy, who detested Logudorese supremacy.
In a letter of 3 July 1204, Innocent confirmed the apostolic legateship to Uberto of Pisa only while he was on the island. Then the three Sardinian archbishops — Biagio, Riccus of Cagliari
, and Bernard of Arborea — excommunicated the giudici for trying to solve their problems in the saecular forum (i.e., through war).
Biagio maintained good relations with Comita. He offered to divorce Comita from his wife if he would abandon his mistress and he revoked the excommunication of Comita's relative, Ittocorre de Thoris, for murdering the bishop of Ampurias. Biagio did not have a good relationship with the other giudici, however. He had to reprove Hugh of Arborea and the archbishop of Cagliari for the incestuous marriage of Hugh to a daughter of William of Cagliari (27 October 1207). On 3 September 1211, he accused William of violence against women and the usurpation of Arborea. However, Biagio's relationship with the papacy soon deteriorated and Innocent ordered him to confirm the marriage alliance between the houses of Bas (Arborea) and Massa (Cagliari). Nevertheless, in April 1213, Innocent gave the right to him and the archbishop of Cagliari of preaching the Fifth Crusade
in Sardinia. Biagio died less than two years later, probably at Cagliari
.
He was originally from the diocese of Nevers. He went to Rome
Rome
Rome 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...
and became a subdeacon and then a papal notary before 1200. By the influence of Pope Innocent III
Pope Innocent III
Pope Innocent III was Pope from 8 January 1198 until his death. His birth name was Lotario dei Conti di Segni, sometimes anglicised to Lothar of Segni....
, he was elected to the vacant see of Porto Torres
Porto Torres
Porto Torres is a comune and city in northern Sardinia, in the Province of Sassari.It is situated on the north coast about 25 km east of the Gorditanian promontory , and on the spacious bay of the Gulf of Asinara.-History:...
in 1202. He was consecrated sometime before 7 March 1203. One of his first acts was to order the giudici to punish the murderers of the bishop of Ploaghe, the abbot of Tregu, and the vicar of Camaldoli
Camaldoli
Camaldoli is a frazione of the comune of Poppi, in Tuscany, Italy. It is mostly known as the ancestral seat of the Camaldolese monastic order, originated in the eponymous hermitage, which can still be visited....
.
On 10 March 1203, the pope put Comita III of Logudoro
Comita III of Torres
Comita III was the giudice of Logudoro, with its capital at Torres, from 1198 until 1218. He was the youngest of four sons of Barisone II of Torres and Preziosa de Orrubu...
under the protection of Biagio and not of Pisa in light of the invasion of Logudoro by 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...
. On 22 March, with papal consent, he gave Christian burial to Comita's father, Constantine II
Constantine II of Torres
Constantine II , called de Martis, was the giudice of Logudoro. He succeeded to the giudicato sometime between 1181 and 1191. He was the son of Barisone II and Preziosa de Orrubu. His father associated him with the government in 1170 and abdicated the throne to him around 1186...
, who had died excommunicate. In a letter dated that same day to Comita, William, and Hugh I of Arborea
Hugh I of Arborea
Hugh I Giudici of Arborea from 1185 CE until his death in 1211 CE. Hugh was the son of Ispella di Serra and Hugh I of Bas. He was a grandson -through his mother- of Barisone II of Arborea...
, the pope ordered the giudici to take an oath of allegiance to Biagio, thus breaking their link of fidelity to Pisa. Biagio had trouble extracting the oath from William, who had previously made it to Uberto, Archbishop of Pisa
Uberto, Archbishop of Pisa
Uberto Lanfranchi was the Cardinal-deacon of Santa Maria in Via Lata , then the Cardinal-priest of San Clemente , and finally the Archbishop of Pisa Uberto Lanfranchi (or Humbert) (died 1137) was the Cardinal-deacon of Santa Maria in Via Lata (appointed by Pope Calixtus II no later than 1123),...
. On 15 September, Innocent absolved William of the oath.
In that year, Barisone II of Gallura
Barisone II of Gallura
Barisone II was the Judge of Gallura from about 1170 to his death. He was the son of Constantine III. His name appears in acts of 1182 and 1184....
died and left the succession to 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 the hands of the pope, who gave Biagio the responsibility of arranging a marriage for the Gallurese heiress Elena
Elena of Gallura
Elena was the daughter and successor of Barisone II of Gallura and was named after her mother of the Lacon family. She ruled Gallura from the death of her father until her own death, though she was eclipsed by her husband after 1207....
. In 1203, he tried to marry her to Ittocorre of Torres and in 1206 to Trasmondo, a relative of the pope's, but both of these arrangements fell through, and Elena married Lamberto di Eldizio without Biagio's approval, but with the support of the local clergy, who detested Logudorese supremacy.
In a letter of 3 July 1204, Innocent confirmed the apostolic legateship to Uberto of Pisa only while he was on the island. Then the three Sardinian archbishops — Biagio, Riccus of Cagliari
Riccus, Archbishop of Cagliari
Riccus or Ricco was the Archbishop of Cagliari in the early thirteenth century.In 1206, he requested the right to resign from Pope Innocent III, who simply enumerated the justifications for archiepiscopal resignation and left the decision up to Riccus...
, and Bernard of Arborea — excommunicated the giudici for trying to solve their problems in the saecular forum (i.e., through war).
Biagio maintained good relations with Comita. He offered to divorce Comita from his wife if he would abandon his mistress and he revoked the excommunication of Comita's relative, Ittocorre de Thoris, for murdering the bishop of Ampurias. Biagio did not have a good relationship with the other giudici, however. He had to reprove Hugh of Arborea and the archbishop of Cagliari for the incestuous marriage of Hugh to a daughter of William of Cagliari (27 October 1207). On 3 September 1211, he accused William of violence against women and the usurpation of Arborea. However, Biagio's relationship with the papacy soon deteriorated and Innocent ordered him to confirm the marriage alliance between the houses of Bas (Arborea) and Massa (Cagliari). Nevertheless, in April 1213, Innocent gave the right to him and the archbishop of Cagliari of preaching the Fifth Crusade
Fifth Crusade
The Fifth Crusade was an attempt to reacquire Jerusalem and the rest of the Holy Land by first conquering the powerful Ayyubid state in Egypt....
in Sardinia. Biagio died less than two years later, probably at Cagliari
Cagliari
Cagliari is the capital of the island of Sardinia, a region of Italy. Cagliari's Sardinian name Casteddu literally means castle. It has about 156,000 inhabitants, or about 480,000 including the outlying townships : Elmas, Assemini, Capoterra, Selargius, Sestu, Monserrato, Quartucciu, Quartu...
.
Sources
- Ghisalberti, Aldo (ed). Dizionario Biografico degli Italiani: X Biagio – Boccaccio. Rome, 1968.
- Moore, John C. "Pope Innocent III, Sardinia, and the Papal State." Speculum, Vol. 62, No. 1. (Jan., 1987), pp 81-101.