Giudicato of Gallura

The Judicate of Gallura was one of four Sardinian judicates in the Middle Ages. These were independent states whose rulers bore the title iudex, judge. Gallura, a name which comes from gallus, meaning rooster (cock), was subdivided into ten governed by curatores under the judge. In the 13th century, the arms of Gallura contained a rooster. Gallura encompasses the northeast region of the island, with its main city at Olbia. The first iudices of Gallura only appear in the historical record late in the eleventh century, though certain rulers of earlier periods are known. Gallura, like all the other Sardinian kingdoms, initially owed allegiance to the Archdiocese of Pisa, but unlike most of the others it remained relatively steadfast in its support of Pisa, probably due to its proximity to the city of Pisa itself. For this reason, it was often in alliance with the Kingdom of Cagliari in the south. Origins Gallura began as a province of the Eastern Roman or Byzantine Empire. After the Arab conquest of Sicily in 827 AD, Sardinia was effectively cut off from regular communication with the imperial government in Constantinople. Unable to receive instruction or support from the empire, the provincial Byzantine magistrates, who were known as iudices (meaning "judges"; the Latin word evolved into the medieval Sardinian "Judicados"), continued to rule autonomously. As in the other Sardinian provinces, what were initially appointed, perhaps even elected, positions in Gallura eventually evolved into hereditary ones. From the mid-ninth to the early eleventh centuries, little is known at all about Gallura, but around 1050 appears a figure named Manfred who was certainly not the first independent ruler (that appears to be one Baldo). Modern theories generally assume that these early rulers were Pisan governors sent by the Republic. In a letter of Pope Gregory VII dated 1074, he refers to Constantine I of Gallura, probably a member of the Gherardeschi clan. There are legends surrounding Constantine's relationship with the powerful Corsican lords of Cinarca. Whatever his relationship to his predecessors and successors, the dynasty which was to dominate Gallura in the early twelfth century comes into view only around 1100, when the Pisans were expelled by the Thori dynasty, which sat on the throne through Torchitorio I.