Kingdom of Sardinia

The Kingdom of Sardinia was a major state in Southern Europe. It existed from the late 13th century until the mid-19th century.

The kingdom's history is defined by its changing rulers and shifting borders. It served as the legal predecessor to the Kingdom of Italy. This lineage eventually led to the modern-day Italian Republic. The kingdom's evolution shaped the political map of the Mediterranean region.

Long before the formal kingdom, the islands had many rulers. In 238 BC, Sardinia and Corsica became provinces of the Roman Empire. After the Romans, the Vandals occupied the islands in the mid-5th century. In 534 AD, the Eastern Roman, or Byzantine, Empire reconquered the area. By the 9th century, Arab conquests in Sicily made communication with the Byzantine capital, Constantinople, very difficult. This led to local families taking control of the land.

During the middle ages, Sardinia was organized into four small kingdoms called Judicates. These were the Judicates of Cagliari, Arborea, Gallura, and Logudoro. These local rulers, known as judges, organized themselves using ancient Roman and Byzantine models. This was called the principle of *translatio imperii*, or the transfer of rule. The island faced many threats during this time. For example, the Taifa of Denia launched a massive sea attack in 1015–16. This invasion was led by Mujāhid al-ʿĀmirī. The Judicates eventually stopped the attack with help from the fleets of Pisa and Genoa.

In 1297, a major change occurred when Pope Boniface VIII created a hypothetical kingdom. He granted the islands of Corsica and Sardinia to King James II of Aragon. The Aragonese began a conquest of Sardinia in 1324. They established actual authority through military force. By 1420, the last competing claims to the island were bought out after the Sardinian–Aragonese war. Later, the island became part of the expanding Spanish Empire.

The second major phase began in 1720. The island and kingdom were ceded to the Duke of Savoy, Victor Amadeus II. This transfer happened between the Habsburg and Bourbon claimants of the Spanish throne. The Savoyard state united Sardinia with its mainland possessions. These mainland areas included Savoy, Aosta, the Principality of Piedmont, and the County of Nice. The formal name of this complex state was the "States of His Majesty the King of Sardinia." Because the monarchy focused on the mainland, the island was often of secondary importance.

Under Savoyard rule, the center of power moved to the mainland. While Cagliari was the official capital of the island, the city of Turin became the *de facto* seat of power. Turin had been the capital of Savoy since the mid-16th century. In 1847, a process called the Perfect Fusion centralized all government institutions in Turin. This act unified the various Savoyard states under one legal system. They also granted a constitution known as the *Statuto Albertino*. By the time of the Crimean War in 1853, the Savoyards had built a very strong power.

The kingdom grew rapidly through several annexations. In 1859, they took Lombardy. In 1860, they added the central Italian states and the Two Sicilies. They later acquired Venetia in 1866 and the Papal States in 1870.

These expansions changed the kingdom's identity. On March 17, 1861, the state changed its name to the Kingdom of Italy. This name better reflected its new geographic and political size. The capital eventually moved from Turin to Florence, and finally to Rome.