4 states866 CE – 1421 CE

Sardinian Medieval Kingdoms: Map & History

The Judicates, in English also referred to as Sardinian Kingdoms, Sardinian Judgedoms or Judicatures, were independent states that took power in Sardinia in the Middle Ages, between the eleventh and fifteenth centuries. They were sovereign states with summa potestas, each with a ruler called judge (judike in Sardinian), with the powers of a king.

From Wikipedia: Sardinian medieval kingdoms (CC BY-SA 4.0)

unknown painter lived in XVII century · Public domain · Commons

Unknown authorUnknown author · Public domain · Commons

Stamperia Il Nuraghe, Cagliari · Public domain · Commons

Max.oppo · CC BY-SA 3.0 · Commons

The Sardinian Medieval Kingdoms Compared

State	Years	Capital	Largest extent	Rulers
Giudicato of Arborea	866 CE – 1421 CE	Tharros, (until 1070), Oristano, (1070–1410), Sassari, (1410–1420)	26,138 km²	8
Giudicato of Cagliari	866 CE – 1187 CE	Santa Igia	10,263 km²	3
Giudicato of Gallura	866 CE – 1209 CE	Civita	4,598 km²	2
Giudicato of Logudoro	866 CE – 1259 CE	Ardara, Porto Torres, Sassari	8,247 km²	2

Timeline of the Sardinian Medieval Kingdoms

When each state existed, 866 CE to 1421 CE. Select a year to see the map then.

Giudicato of Arborea
866 CE – 1421 CE
Giudicato of Cagliari
866 CE – 1187 CE
Giudicato of Gallura
866 CE – 1209 CE
Giudicato of Logudoro
866 CE – 1259 CE

How the Sardinian Medieval Kingdoms Were Ruled

How were the Sardinian Medieval Kingdoms governed?

The Cartas de Logu are collections of penal, public, civil and land regulations of great importance, in force in the various Giudicati. Unfortunately, only a few parts of the Carta Caralitana have been preserved. The Carta de Logu of the Giudicato of Arborea marks, towards the end of the fourteenth century, the birth of a rule of law by Mariano IV first and then by his daughter Eleonora, who extended the scope of the rules to adapt them to a changed reality in social conditions. The Chart is written in Sardinian (of the Logudorese variety), and from this, we can deduce the judicial intent to actually make it known to citizens in order to make them aware of lawful and unlawful behaviours, with the consequent criminal implications. A situation of legal certainty is therefore defined.

From Wikipedia: Sardinian medieval kingdoms · Governments: Law (CC BY-SA 4.0)

Culture of the Sardinian Medieval Kingdoms

What did the Sardinian Medieval Kingdoms leave behind?

Christianity spread throughout most of the island in the early centuries, excluding much of the Barbagia region. At the end of the sixth century, Pope Gregory I reached an agreement with Hospito, chief of the barbaricini, that guaranteed the conversion of his people from paganism to Christianity. Since Sardinia was in the political sphere of the Byzantine Empire, it developed an array of Greek and Eastern Christianity traits as a result of evangelisation by Basilian monks.

The Sardinian Church was an autocephalous institution for five centuries, independent from both the Byzantine and the Roman Curia. In the eleventh century, after the schism of 1054, the judikes, according to Pope Alexander II, began a policy for the development of Western monasticism on the island, with the aim of a wider dissemination of culture but also of new techniques for cultivating the land.

From Wikipedia: Sardinian medieval kingdoms · Culture: Religion (CC BY-SA 4.0)

How the Sardinian Medieval Kingdoms Ended

How did the Sardinian Medieval Kingdoms end?

Pisa and Genoa began to infiltrate the Judicial politics and economy in the eleventh century, intervening to support the giudicati, against the Taifa of Dénia, an Iberian Muslim kingdom, which was trying to conquer the island.

From the second half of the thirteenth century, the autonomous existence of the kingdoms of Logudoro, Gallura and Calari ended due to the diplomatic manoeuvres of Genoa and Pisa on the territory, on trade, on the episcopal curiae, and the judicial chancelleries. The Kingdom of Logudoro ended effectively in 1259 with the direct management of its territories by the Doria and the Malaspina Genoese families. Cagliari was conquered by a Pisan-Sardinian alliance in 1258, and its territory was divided between the winners. Gallura went to the Visconti family and then to Pisa in 1288.

From Wikipedia: Sardinian medieval kingdoms · Pisan-Genoese and Aragonese interference and end of the four kingdoms (CC BY-SA 4.0)

The 4 States

Giudicato of Arborea

866 CE – 1421 CE · Capital: Tharros, (until 1070), Oristano, (1070–1410), Sassari, (1410–1420) · 26,138 km²

Judge of Giudicato of Logudoro (Torres) unknown painter lived in XVII century · Public domain · Commons

The Judicate of Arborea (Sardinian: Judicadu de Arbaree; Italian: Giudicato di Arborea; Latin: Iudicatus Arborensis) or the Kingdom of Arborea (Sardinian: Rennu de Arbaree; Italian: Regno di Arborea; Latin: Regnum Arborensis) was one of the four independent judicates into which the island of Sardinia was divided in the Middle Ages. It occupied the central-west portion of the island, wedged between Logudoro to the north and east, Cagliari to the south and east, and the Mediterranean Sea to the west. To the northeast of Logudoro was Gallura, with which Arborea had far less interaction.

From Wikipedia: Judicate of Arborea (CC BY-SA 4.0)

Origins and Founding

Sardinia was an imperial province of the Byzantine Empire until the early 9th century, when the aggressive expansion and relentless piracy of the Arabs and Berbers of North Africa left the central authorities of the Empire unable to effectively defend or consistently govern the island. The local Byzantine magistrates, entitled judikes, meaning "judges", were increasingly left to provide for their own administration and defense. A single and autonomous archontate was established in the island. Later in the 11th century, the single archontate fragmented into 4 judicados, including Arborea. Maintaining the traditional forms and patterns of the imperial bureaucracy, the island's judicatos, originally a type of administrative sub-division, became autonomous states ruled by judikes.

From Wikipedia: Judicate of Arborea · Origins (CC BY-SA 4.0)

Founded: 866 CE

Rulers

Constantine I of Arborealived 1001–1131 CE
Barisone I of Lacon Gunalelived 1050–1073 CE
Marianus III of Arborealived 1250–1321 CE
Marianus IV of Arborealived 1317–1375 CEUnknown authorUnknown author · Public domain · Commons
Hugh III of Arborealived 1335–1383 CE
Eleanor of Arborealived 1340–1402 CE
Frederick of Arborealived 1377–1387 CE
Marianus V of Arborealived 1378–1407 CE

Government, Society and Religion

Government: Monarchy
Languages: Sardinian, Latin
Religion: Roman Catholicism

Coins, Currency and Symbols

Flag of the Giudicato of Arborea Albero Eradicato del Giudicato di Arborea.svg: Fabiocarboni derivative work: The White Lion (talk) · Public domain · Commons
Coat of arms of Judicate of Arborea Facquis · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Commons

Wars and Battles

Tuscan Warwar · 1273–1276 CE
War of the Straitswar · 1350–1355 CE
Sardinian–Aragonese Warwar · 1353–1420 CE
Mujahid's invasion of Sardiniainvasion · 1014–1017 CE
Battle of Quartubattle · 1354 CE

Decline and Fall

Ended: 1421 CE
Succeeded by: Kingdom of Sardinia

Giudicato of Cagliari

866 CE – 1187 CE · Capital: Santa Igia · 10,263 km²

Giudicessa di cagliari - 2013 Unknown authorUnknown author · Public domain · Commons

The Judicate of Cagliari (Sardinian: Judicadu de Càralis / Càlaris, Italian: Giudicato di Cagliari) was one of the four kingdoms or judicates (iudicati, literally "judgeship") into which Sardinia was divided during the Middle Ages. The Judicate of Cagliari occupied the entire southern portion of the island and was composed of thirteen subdivisions called curatoriae. It bordered the judicates of Arborea to the northwest and Logudoro and Gallura to the northeast.

From Wikipedia: Judicate of Cagliari (CC BY-SA 4.0)