Blessed Gonario II of Torres

Gonario II (also spelled Gonnario and Gunnari; died between 1180 and 1190) was the giudice of the Sardinian kingdom of Logudoro from the death of his father in 1128 until his own abdication in 1154. He was a son of Constantine I and Marcusa de Gunale. He was born between 1113 and 1114 according to later sources and the Camaldolese church of S. Trinità di Saccargia was founded in his name by his parents on 16 December 1112, though it was not consecrated until 5 October 1116. Constantine died between 1127 and 1128, leaving his son under the regency of Ittocorre Gambella. When the Athen family tried to harm the young ruler, Ittocorre whisked him away to Porto Torres and the protection of the Pisans, who took him to Pisa and the house of Ugo da Parlascio Ebriaco. When he turned seventeen, he married Ebriaco's daughter and returned to Sardinia with Pisan permission and four armed galleys. His father-in-law was part of this expedition to repossess his giudicato (1130). Together they landed at Torres and marched on Ardara, the location of the judicial palace, and captured it. Controlling the giudicato again, they began construction of a castle at Goceano to guard the frontier. At this time, Comita II of Arborea allied with the Republic of Genoa to defend himself from filopisano Logudoro, thus dividing the island's allegiance. Gonario was among the first to do homage to the Pisan archdiocese for his giudicato. On 6 March 1131, Gonario did homage to Roger, Archbishop of Pisa, who was then acting papal legate on the island. In the previous year, Constantine I of Arborea, Comita's father, had done likewise. On 26 June 1132, Comita I of Gallura paid homage to Roger at Ardara, thus preliminarily establishing the legatine status of Gonario's principality. In 1135, Roger's successor, Uberto, declared Logudoro the base of the Sardinian legateship.