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Kingdom of Sardinia

In 1295 Pope Boniface VIII gave Sardinia to the Crown of Aragon, which, however, throughout the fourteenth century, had to face the revolts of the native population. Since then, and for three centuries, Sardinia was ruled by Aragonese and Spanish viceroys, who also introduced the Spanish Inquisition. In the second half of the seventeenth century, a clash between factions in Parliament, convened between 1666 and 1668 by the Viceroy Marquis of Camarassa, ended with the killing of a noble islander (who had asked to reserve offices and prelacies for Sardinians) which was followed by that of the viceroy himself, a month later. The leaders of the conspiracy were beheaded and their heads displayed as a warning on the towers of Cagliari in 1671. At the outbreak of the War of the Spanish Succession ( 1701-1713), the island was divided into two factions, one in favour of the French Philippe of Anjou (1683-1746), the other which supported the future Emperor Charles of Habsburg (1685-1740). The island officially passed to the Austrians under the Treaty of Rastadt of 1714 and again to Spain in 1717, and finally to the dukes of Savoy, who took possession of it assuming the royal title (since then until the Risorgimento they were honoured with the title of king of Sardinia), following the Peace of the Hague of 1720.

Read more :

  • B. Anatra, G. Serri, R. Puddu (eds.), Problemi di storia della Sardegna spagnola, Cagliari 1975.
  • A. Mattone, La Sardegna spagnola, Sassari 1995.