Constantine I of Torres
Encyclopedia
Constantine I was the giudice of Logudoro
. He was co-ruling by 1082 and sole ruler by 1113. His reign is usually said to have begun about 1112.
He was the son of Marianus I
, with whom he co-reigned, and Susanna de Thori.
and Lombard
fleet, led by the Republic of Pisa
, sailed into the harbour of Porto Torres
following the successful liberation of the Balearic Islands
from Saracen
domination. Indeed, one of the leaders of this brigade was Saltaro
, Constantine's son. According to the Liber maiolichinus, Constantine was recognised as re chiaro e molto celebrato ("clear, most-celebrated king") over the entire island of Sardinia
after this.
and Vallumbrosan houses. By 1125, Camaldolese foundations were the most numerous on the island and Vallumbrosan ones could be found in every province of Logudoro. The reasons for such strong support of monasticism
, the papacy (including the Gregorian reforms), and the suzerainty of the archdiocese of Pisa were probably the advancements brought by closer ties to the mainland and the technological, economic, agricultural, educational, and religious knowledge that the monks brought.
Constantine himself, in fulfillment of a vow, founded the church of SS. Trinità di Saccargia in Codrongianus, Sassari, where he was later buried.
. After her husband's death, she went to Sicily
, where she founded a hospital named after S. Giovanni at Messina and took up service for God there until her death.
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...
. He was co-ruling by 1082 and sole ruler by 1113. His reign is usually said to have begun about 1112.
He was the son of Marianus I
Marianus I of Torres
Marianus I was the Judge of Logudoro from 1073, when he is first mentioned after his father or grandfather, Barisone I, until about 1082, when he is last mentioned...
, with whom he co-reigned, and Susanna de Thori.
1113/1115
Sometime between 1113, the first year in which Constantine is recorded as sole ruler, and 1115, a TuscanTuscany
Tuscany is a region in Italy. It has an area of about 23,000 square kilometres and a population of about 3.75 million inhabitants. The regional capital is Florence ....
and Lombard
Lombardy
Lombardy is one of the 20 regions of Italy. The capital is Milan. One-sixth of Italy's population lives in Lombardy and about one fifth of Italy's GDP is produced in this region, making it the most populous and richest region in the country and one of the richest in the whole of Europe...
fleet, led by the Republic of Pisa
Republic of Pisa
The Republic of Pisa was a de facto independent state centered on the Tuscan city of Pisa during the late tenth and eleventh centuries. It rose to become an economic powerhouse, a commercial center whose merchants dominated Mediterranean and Italian trade for a century before being surpassed and...
, sailed into the harbour 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:...
following the successful liberation of the Balearic Islands
1113–1115 Balearic Islands expedition
In 1114, an expedition to the Balearic Islands, then a Muslim taifa, was launched in the form of a Crusade. Founded on a treaty of 1113 between the Republic of Pisa and Ramon Berenguer III, Count of Barcelona, the expedition had the support of Pope Paschal II and the participation of many lords of...
from Saracen
Saracen
Saracen was a term used by the ancient Romans to refer to a people who lived in desert areas in and around the Roman province of Arabia, and who were distinguished from Arabs. In Europe during the Middle Ages the term was expanded to include Arabs, and then all who professed the religion of Islam...
domination. Indeed, one of the leaders of this brigade was Saltaro
Saltaro of Torres
Saltaro was the son of Constantine I of Logudoro. His mother is unknown, it may have been Marcusa. Whether or not he is the same person as the "Saltaro de Gunale" pretender to the throne of Logudoro in 1127 during the reign of Gonario II is unknown....
, Constantine's son. According to the Liber maiolichinus, Constantine was recognised as re chiaro e molto celebrato ("clear, most-celebrated king") over the entire island of Sardinia
Sardinia
Sardinia is the second-largest island in the Mediterranean Sea . It is an autonomous region of Italy, and the nearest land masses are the French island of Corsica, the Italian Peninsula, Sicily, Tunisia and the Spanish Balearic Islands.The name Sardinia is from the pre-Roman noun *sard[],...
after this.
Improved knowledge
Constantine continued the monastic reforms and expansions of his predecessors' reigns. He firstly supported the Cassinese establishments, but his favour soon shifted to the CamaldoleseCamaldolese
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...
and Vallumbrosan houses. By 1125, Camaldolese foundations were the most numerous on the island and Vallumbrosan ones could be found in every province of Logudoro. The reasons for such strong support of monasticism
Monasticism
Monasticism is a religious way of life characterized by the practice of renouncing worldly pursuits to fully devote one's self to spiritual work...
, the papacy (including the Gregorian reforms), and the suzerainty of the archdiocese of Pisa were probably the advancements brought by closer ties to the mainland and the technological, economic, agricultural, educational, and religious knowledge that the monks brought.
Expanding religious interest
During Constantine's reign, the noblemen, especially those of the Athen and Thori families, first began to expand their religious interests and participate in the ecclesiastic expansions and structural reforms that characterised the twelfth century in Sardinia founded a series of churches.Churches founded during Constantine's reign
- S. Maria del Regno (ArdaraArdaraArdara 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...
) - S. Pietro (Bosa)
- S. Michele (Plaiano, SassariSassariSassari 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...
) - S. Michele de Salvenor (PloaghePloaghePloaghe is a comune in the Province of Sassari in the Italian region Sardinia, located about 160 km north of Cagliari and about 20 km southeast of Sassari...
) - S. Maria Coghinas (CoghinasCoghinasThe Coghinas is a river of northern Sardinia, Italy. With a length of 115 km, it is the third longest river of the island behind the Tirso and the Flumendosa.It has a drainage basin of 2551 km²....
) - S. Nicolas di Trullas (SemesteneSemesteneSemestene is a comune in the Province of Sassari in the Italian region Sardinia, located about 140 km north of Cagliari and about 40 km southeast of Sassari. As of 31 December 2004, it had a population of 206 and an area of 39.8 km².Semestene borders the following municipalities:...
)
Constantine himself, in fulfillment of a vow, founded the church of SS. Trinità di Saccargia in Codrongianus, Sassari, where he was later buried.
Family
It appears that, in 1116, Constantine married Marcusa de Gunale of the Giudicato of Arborea. Other later documents cite a wife named Maria de Orrubu, but whether or not these were two different women or the same woman is unknown, though the former hypothesis seems most probable. According to the Libellus iudicum Turritanorum, Marcusa was a widow with two sons at the time of her marriage to Constantine. Together with him she had a son named GonarioGonario II of Torres
Gonario II was the giudice of Logudoro from the death of his father to his own abdication in 1154. He was a son of Constantine I and Marcusa de Gunale. He was born between 1113 and 1114 according to later sources and the Camaldolese church of S...
. After her husband's death, she went to Sicily
Sicily
Sicily is a region of Italy, and is the largest island in the Mediterranean Sea. Along with the surrounding minor islands, it constitutes an autonomous region of Italy, the Regione Autonoma Siciliana Sicily has a rich and unique culture, especially with regard to the arts, music, literature,...
, where she founded a hospital named after S. Giovanni at Messina and took up service for God there until her death.
Sources
- Ghisalberti, Aldo (ed). Dizionario Biografico degli Italiani: XXX Cosattini – Crispolto. Rome, 1984.