Ubaldo I Visconti

Who was Ubaldo I Visconti?

Ubaldo I Visconti 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 grandfather, Alberto, was a patrician of Pisa, while his father, Eldizio, was patrician and consul. He and his brother Lamberto in turn served as patrician and podestà. Ubaldo's grandmother was Aligarda and his mother was a daughter of Torchitorio III of Cagliari, through whom he would have inherited some claim on the giudicato.

Around 1200, Ubaldo was assisting William I of Cagliari on behalf of Pisa in a war with Comita III of Logudoro when the two warring giudici came to terms.

In 1212, there was complete anarchy in Pisa. A pro-Visconti faction was at war with an anti-Visconti one. In mid-January 1213, William of Cagliari led the forces of Massa, Pistoia, the anti-Visconti faction in Pisa, and the militia of Guido Guerra III to victory near Massa over the forces of Lucca supported by the Visconti under Ubaldo, and by the deposed Pisan podestà Goffredo Musto. Pisa was forced to accept four rectores, only one of which was a Visconti.

In 1214, Lamberto and Ubaldo took the opportunity that year to launch an offensive at Cagliari and Arborea, but were beaten off by Comita and Genoa. The war continued at sea, but was arrested by the entreaties of Pope Honorius III, who forced Comita to come to terms with Pisa.