William III, of the House of 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....

, was the last Judge of Cagliari, ruling under the name Salusio VI from 1256 to his deposition in 1258. He is known also known as Guglielmo Cepolla or Cipolla.

He was a nephew of Torchitorio V

Torchitorio V of Cagliari

Torchitorio V , born John and known as Chiano or Chianni, was the Giudice of Cagliari from 1250 to his death. His reign was brief but transformative in the history of Sardinia....

 and cousin of Salusio V

William II of Cagliari

William II Salusio V was the Judge of Cagliari from 1232 to his death. His Christian name was William, but his regnal name was Salusio, based on ancient Cagliaritan traditions which alternated their rulers between the forenames Torchitorio and Salusio...

. After the assassination of the former, he was proclaimed Judge, but he immediately followed his predecessor in a policy in favour of the Republic of Genoa

Republic of Genoa

The Most Serene Republic of Genoa |Ligurian]]: Repúbrica de Zêna) was an independent state from 1005 to 1797 in Liguria on the northwestern Italian coast, as well as Corsica from 1347 to 1768, and numerous other territories throughout the Mediterranean....

 over and against the pretensions of 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...

. In 1258, the Pisan influences in the region — the Gherardeschi, Counts of Donoratico; William of Capraia

William of Capraia

William of Capraia was the regent for Marianus II of Arborea from 1241 until his death, being entitled "Judge" from 1250 on.- Biography:...

, acting Judge of Arborea; and John Visconti, Judge of Gallura — invaded Cagliari. They reconquered the castle of Castro and besieged Santa Igia

Santa Igia

Santa Igia was a city in Sardinia, in what is now Italy, which existed from the 9th century AD to 1258, when it was destroyed by the Pisane troops...

, which received no Genoese aid and was consequently destroyed and the inhabitants forced to flee to the interior.

William was deposed and his giudicato divided between its conquerors: the northwest third, the old Giudicato of Agugliastra

Giudicato of Agugliastra

The Giudicato of Agugliastra or Ogliastra was a small and short-lived giudicato in Sardinia probably in the tenth and eleventh centuries. It lay south of Gallura, east of Arborea, and north of Cagliari along the Tyrrhenian Sea on the east of the island. Its capital was Ogliastra.Agugliastra is the...

, went to Gallura; the centre was incorporated into Arborea; and the region of Sulcis

Sulcis

Sulcis is the southwestern region of Sardinia, part of the larger Sulcis-Iglesiente region. It is named for the Phoenician city of Sulcis , present-day Sant'Antioco....

 and Iglesiente

Iglesiente

The Iglesiente is a traditional and geographical subdivision of Sardinia, Italy. It encompasses the northern province of Carbonia-Iglesias and the south-western one of the province of Medio Campidano, and its main center is Iglesias....

 (the west) were given to Ugolino della Gherardesca

Ugolino della Gherardesca

Count Ugolino della Gherardesca , count of Donoratico, was an Italian nobleman, politician and naval commander. He was frequently accused of treason and features prominently in Dante's Divine Comedy.-Biography:...

.

Sources

• Boscolo, A. "Chiano di Massa, Guglielmo Cepolla, Genova e la caduta del giudicato di Cagliari (1254–1258)." Miscellanei di storia ligure. IV (1966), pp 7–18.