The Visconti family was an ancient and noble Pisan family which belonged to the Guelph party, almost always in opposition to the Della Gherardesca Ghibellines. They aspired to rule the town from the mid-twelfth century. At the end of the twelfth century, Pisa began to increase its influence over Sardinia and to forge close links through marriages: the first of these took place between Elena of Gallura and Lamberto Visconti (1206-1207), who originated the series of Pisan Giudici in Gallura (fig. 1).

Fig. 1 - Coat of arms of the Visconti of Gallura with the Visconti snake and the cock of Gallura (from https://it.wikipedia.org/wiki/Visconti_di_Pisa#/media/File:Stemma_nino_visconti_di_gallura_-_2013.jpg).

The Visconti became promoters of intensive work related to the encastellation of Gallura: they fortified the villages of Civita, Posada and Orosei and built the castles of Pedresu (Olbia), of Fava (Posada - fig. 2) and of Pontes (Galtellì), in which they then dwelt, when they were away from their palace in Civita.

Fig. 2 - Posada, Castello della Fava (http://www.sardegnadigitallibrary.it/index.php?xsl=615&s=17&v=9&c=4461&id=62931).

Internal conflicts in Pisa during the thirteenth century caused the expulsion of the Visconti family from the city. In 1276, Nino was the last Giudice of Gallura from the Visconti family (fig. 3), and with him ended the Visconti domains in Tuscany and Sardinia, despite his daughter Giovanna being crowned giudicessa.

Fig. 3 - Tempio: the so-called house of Nino di Gallura (photo by C. Cocco).

At his death in 1339, the rights passed to the Visconti of Milan.

The Visconti family was buried in the church of San Francesco in Pisa.