Benedetta of Cagliari
| Benedetta | |
|---|---|
| Judge/Queen of Cagliari | |
| Reign | 1214-1233 |
| Predecessor | William I Salusio IV |
| Successor | William II Salusio V |
| Co-monarch | Barisone Torchitorio IV (1214-17) |
| Judge/Queen consort of Arborea | |
| Tenure | 1214-1217 |
| Monarch | Barisone Torchitorio IV |
| Born | 1194 Santa Igia |
| Died | 1233 (aged 38–39) Massa |
| Spouse | Barisone Torchitorio IV, Co-King of Cagliari Lamberto, King of Gallura Enrico de Cepola Rinaldo de Glandis |
| Issue | William II Salusio V Mary of Cagliari |
| House | Obertenghi |
| Father | William I Salusio IV |
| Mother | Adelaide Malaspina |
Benedetta (c. 1194 – 1232/33) was the daughter and heiress of William I of Cagliari and Adelasia, daughter of Moroello Malaspina. She succeeded her father in January or February 1214.
She was consecrated in 1214 by
With Archbishop Riccus, the bishop of Sulcis, and her husband, she made many donations to the churches of S. Giorgio di Suelle and the church of Sulcis. Benedetta favoured natives over Pisans for positions in her government and preferred to cultivate the economy of Sardinia than that of the Republic of Pisa. In 1215, the wrath of Pisa fell on her.
In that year,
In her opposition to Pisa, however, Benedetta found support in
. In that spring, Barisone died and in 1218 Ubald arranged for his widow to contract a new marriage with the widowered Lambert, her one-time conqueror, in hopes of bringing peace to Cagliari. On 9 April 1220, the two were married, but the pope immediately pronounced his annulment.In December 1224, Benedetta renewed the oath of homage to the Holy See to Goffredo, the papal legate. She agreed to pay an annual tribute of twenty pounds of silver to the Holy See and not to contract any other marriage without papal approval and blessing. If she were to die without heirs, the pope would inherit Cagliari. The following years were ones of peace. In 1225–1226, Benedetta included her son William in several donations to various churches. But in the latter year, war began anew with Lambert's heir, Ubaldo II.
In the following years, in order to protect herself from Ubaldo, she married twice more, both times without papal permission. Her third husband (1227) was
Notes
- ^ Solmi, 147n.
Sources
- Moore, John C. "Pope Innocent III, Sardinia, and the Papal State." Speculum, Vol. 62, No. 1. (Jan., 1987), pp 81–101.
- Ghisalberti, Alberto M. Dizionario Biografico degli Italiani: VIII Bellucci – Beregan. Rome, 1966.
- Solmi, A. Studi storici sulle istituzioni della Sardegna nel Medioevo. Cagliari, 1917.
- Loddo Canepa, F. "Note sulle condizioni economiche e giuridiche degli abitanti di Cagliari dal secolo XI al XIX." Studi sardi. X–XI, 1952, pp 237ff.