John (or ''Giovanni'') Visconti (died 1275) was the

Judge of Gallura The kings or ''judges'' (''iudices'' or ''judikes'') of Gallura were the local rulers of the northeast of Sardinia during the Middle Ages. Theirs was the closest kingdom to Corsica. * Manfred (c. 1020 – c. 1040) * Baldo (c. 1040 – ...

from 1238 to his death. He was a member of the Visconti dynasty of Pisa. John was the son of Ubaldo I Visconti and cousin of

Ubaldo of Gallura Ubaldo II Visconti, son of Lamberto di Eldizio and Elena de Lacon, was the Judge of Gallura from 1225 to his death in 1238. He ruled every '' giudicato'' on the island of Sardinia at one point or another save Arborea. By a pact signed November 12 ...

. When the latter Ubaldo drew up a will in January 1237 at Silki, John was nominated to succeed him. However,

Enzo Enzo is an Italian given name derivative of the German name Heinz. It can be used also as the short form for Lorenzo, Vincenzo, Innocenzo, or Fiorenzo. It is most common in the Romance-speaking world, particularly in Italy and Latin Americ ...

, the husband of his Ubaldo's widow

Adelasia of Torres Adelasia (1207–1259), eldest child of Marianus II of Logudoro by Agnes of Massa, daughter of William I of Cagliari, and successor of her brother, Barisone III, in 1236, was the Judge of Logudoro from 1236 and Judge of Gallura from 1238. By a ...

, seems to have taken control of both Gallura and

Logudoro The Logudoro (meaning "Golden Place") is a large traditional region Sardinia, Italy. The name of Logudoro today is linked to the Logudorese dialect, which covers a large area of northern-central Sardinia. The first denomination of the area is ...

and was granted the title King of Sardinia by his father, the Emperor Frederick II. Nevertheless, John was soon in power in Gallura. In 1254, he joined the

Republic of Pisa The Republic of Pisa ( it, Repubblica di Pisa) was an independent state centered on the Tuscan city of Pisa, which existed from the 11th to the 15th century. It rose to become an economic powerhouse, a commercial center whose merchants dominated ...

in her attack on John of Cagliari. In 1258, the Republic partitioned the

Giudicato of Cagliari The Judicate of Cagliari ( sc, Judicadu de Càralis / Càlaris, it, Giudicato di Cagliari) was one of the four Sardinian ''judicates'' of the Middle Ages, kingdoms of Byzantine origins. The Judicate of Cagliari covered the entire south and centra ...

amongst her supporters. John annexed a third of it —

Ogliastra The province of Ogliastra ( it, provincia dell'Ogliastra , sc, provìntzia de s'Ogiastra) was a former province in eastern Sardinia, Italy. Ogliastra was the most mountainous province in Sardinia. With only some 57,642 inhabitants, it was also t ...

, Quirra,

Sarrabus Sarrabus-Gerrei is a sub-region of south-eastern Sardinia, Italy. Sarrabus Traditionally Sarrabus, probably from the Roman-time city of Sarcopos, occupies the area of the communes of Castiadas, Muravera, San Vito and Villaputzu, corresponding to ...

, and Colostrai — to Gallura. John subsequently remained mostly on the Italian peninsula, participating in the wars between the

Guelphs The Guelphs and Ghibellines (, , ; it, guelfi e ghibellini ) were factions supporting the Pope and the Holy Roman Emperor, respectively, in the Italian city-states of Central Italy and Northern Italy. During the 12th and 13th centuries, rival ...

and the

Ghibellines The Guelphs and Ghibellines (, , ; it, guelfi e ghibellini ) were factions supporting the Pope and the Holy Roman Emperor, respectively, in the Italian city-states of Central Italy and Northern Italy. During the 12th and 13th centuries, ri ...

on the side of Pisa. He returned to the island in 1274, but was back in Pisa the next year, when he died there. All his possessions passed to the Republic. He married Dominicata, daughter of Aldobrandino Gualandi-Cortevecchia, but she died in 1259. He was later re-married to a daughter of

Ugolino della Gherardesca Ugolino della Gherardesca (March 1289), 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 In the 13th century, the ...

, Count of

Donoratico Donoratico is a town in Tuscany, central Italy, administratively a frazione of the comune of Castagneto Carducci, province of Livorno. At the time of the 2011 census its population was . The town is about 52 km from Livorno Livorno () is ...

. He was one of Ugolino's few supporters during the factional infighting which plagued Pisa. His son by Ugolino's daughter,

Ugolino Ugolino is an Italian masculine given name that is a diminutive form of Ugo. It may also refer to: Artists and musicians * Ugolino di Nerio (1280?–1349), Italian painter active in Siena and Florence * Ugolino di Tedice (died after 1277), Italian ...

, called Nino, succeeded him.

References

1275 deaths Judges (judikes) of Gallura Year of birth unknown Visconti of Pisa and Sardinia {{Italy-noble-stub