Torchitorio III
[Also spelled ''Torgodorio'', ''Dorgodorio'', ''Torcotore'', or ''Torxitori''. The rulers of Cagliari had the habit of alternating their regnal names between Salusio and Torchitorio.] (died after 1188), born Peter, was the
Judge of Cagliari
The kings or ''judges'' (''iudices'' or ''judikes'') of Cagliari were the local rulers of the south of Sardinia during the Middle Ages. Theirs was the largest kingdom and for the eleventh through twelfth centuries contested the supremacy on the ...
from October 1163 to his deposition and arrest in 1188, after which he was never heard of again.
Peter was a younger son of
Gonario II of Logudoro. In 1147, he received the ''
curatoria
The Judicates (, or in Sardinian, in Latin, or in Italian), 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 ninth an ...
'' of
Ottana
Ottana ( sc, Otzàna) is a ''comune'' (municipality), former bishopric and Latin titular see in the Province of Nuoro in the Italian region Sardinia, located about north of Cagliari and about southwest of Nuoro.
The town is known for its tradi ...
. He married the eldest daughter of
Constantine II of Cagliari, whose name is unknown, sometime before 1163. Following Constantine's death without surviving sons in October 1163, Peter "inherited" the ''
giudicato
The Judicates (, or in Sardinian, in Latin, or in Italian), 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 ninth an ...
jure uxoris''. In fact, he was proclaimed with strong
Pisan support. However,
Barisone II of Arborea
Barison II or Barisone II was the "Judge" (standing approximately for "King") of Arborea, one of the four Judicates of Sardinia, from 1146 to 1186. He was the son of Comita II and Elena de Orrubu.Also spelled ''Orruvu''. His reign was groundbrea ...
, as a direct descendant of Constantine II laid claim to Cagliari. He invaded the ''giudicato'' and forced Peter to flee to the court of his elder brother
Barisone II of Logudoro at
Porto Torres
Porto Torres ( sdc, Posthudorra, sc, Portu Turre) is a comune and a city of the Province of Sassari in north-west of Sardinia, Italy. Founded during the 1st century BC as ''Colonia Iulia Turris Libisonis'', it was the first Roman colony of the ...
. In March 1164, the Barisone and Peter, united with the Pisans of the island, retook the city of
Cagliari and then invaded
Arborea
Arborea is a town and ''comune'' in the province of Oristano, Sardinia, Italy, whose economy is largely based on agriculture and cattle breeding with production of vegetables, rice, fruit and milk (notably the local milk product Arborea).
Histo ...
in April. The judge of Arborea took refuge in the castle of
Cabras.
In 1166, Peter and his brother travelled to Pisa to try to explain the bloody reprisals of their citizens against the Pisans in Ottana. Returning to Sardinia, the two made a pact with the
Republic of Genoa
The Republic of Genoa ( lij, Repúbrica de Zêna ; it, Repubblica di Genova; la, Res Publica Ianuensis) was a medieval and early modern maritime republic from the 11th century to 1797 in Liguria on the northwestern Italian coast. During the La ...
, ally of the Arboreans. In 1168, a treaty was negotiated by the Genoese diplomat
Nuvolone Alberici Nuvolone Alberici (alternatively ''Nuvelonus'', ''Nubelo'', or ''Nebolonus'') was a diplomat and politician, statesman of the early Republic of Genoa during some of its formative years. He was a brother of Ottobuono Alberici.
He was first appointe ...
between Genoa and Arborea on one side and Pisa, Logudoro, and Cagliari on the other. It patched up the differences which had led to the last war and restored some lost land to Arborea.
In 1180, Barisone of Arborea made war on Cagliari. He had initial successes, but was captured and forced to come to terms. In 1183, Pisa reoccupied Cagliari. By 1186, Barisone of Logudoro had gone back over to the Pisan side, while Peter remained with Genoa. He tried to expel the Pisans from Cagliari and he made war on
Peter I of Arborea
Peter I (died 1214), of the Serra family, was the eldest son and successor of Barisone II of Arborea, reigning from 1186 to his death. His mother was Barisone's first wife, Pellegrina de Lacon. He was crowned King of Sardinia, the title his fa ...
. In 1187, open conflict raged over the whole island of Sardinia between the Genoese and their factions and the Pisans and theirs. The Pisans mercilessly assaulted Genoese merchants in Cagliari and despoiled their landed possessions, evicting them from the ''giudicato''. They encouraged
Obert, Margrave of Massa, and his son,
William
William is a male given name of Germanic origin.Hanks, Hardcastle and Hodges, ''Oxford Dictionary of First Names'', Oxford University Press, 2nd edition, , p. 276. It became very popular in the English language after the Norman conquest of Engl ...
, to invade Cagliari and establish Pisan authority. Obert was the husband and William the son of Giorgia, the younger sister of Peter's wife. On this basis, William laid claim to the ''giudicato''. In 1188, he captured Peter and imprisoned him. He probably took control of the ''giudicato'', though the next few years are extremely obscure. Peter never resurfaced and probably died in prison or was killed.
Peter had two daughters. One died in infancy. The other married
Eldizio Visconti and became the mother of
Lamberto and
Ubaldo I Visconti Ubaldo I Visconti (died 1230) was the ''de jure'' overlord of the Giudicato of Cagliari from 1217. He was a member of the Visconti family of Pisa, controlling Cagliari on behalf of his brother, who was judge '' jure uxoris'' from 1218.
His grand ...
.
Notes
Sources
*Caravale, Mario (ed). ''Dizionario Biografico degli Italiani: XXVII Guglielmo Gonzaga – Jacobini''. Rome, 2000.
*Ghisalbert, Alberto M. (ed). ''Dizionario Biografico degli Italiani: VI Baratteri – Bartolozzi''. Rome, 1964.
{{DEFAULTSORT:Torchitorio 03 Of Cagliari
Judges (judikes) of Cagliari
12th-century rulers in Europe