Giudicati

Giudicati, or giudicato in the singular, were medieval autonomous political entities on the island of Sardinia that existed roughly from the 9th to the 15th century. The name derives from giudice, the ruler who exercised executive, legislative, and judicial authority within the territory. The island was traditionally divided into four main giudicati: Logudoro (also known as Torres), Cagliari, Gallura, and Arborea. Each was governed by a giudice, usually from a noble dynasty, who held sovereign power, often with the help of a royal court and local administrators.

The political system combined hereditary rule with customary law and local councils. Although each giudicato operated as a distinct realm, they shared a Sardinian identity and faced common external pressures from maritime powers such as Pisa and, later, the Crown of Aragon. From the 13th century onward, increasing Aragonese influence led to the formal incorporation of the giudicati into the Crown of Aragon, ending their independence as sovereign entities in the 15th century and integrating Sardinia into the broader Aragonese (and later Italian) political framework.

Among the giudicati, Arborea is noted for producing a prominent legal code, the Carta de Logu, which codified laws and administration and influenced Sardinian legal tradition beyond Arborea. The other giudicati also contributed to the island’s administrative practices, culture, and regional identities.

Today, the giudicati are remembered as a distinctive medieval period in Sardinia’s history. Their legacy persists in regional toponyms, historical memory, and the shaping of Sardinian identity within the broader Italian context.