Oligarchies, urban government and royal cities in late medieval Sardinia: elements for the construction of an identity

Since the arrival of the troops of the Crown of Aragon in Sardinia in 1323 and thanks to the definitive settlement of numerous Aragonese components, whether military, merchants, craftsmen in the Sardinian land, an increasingly notable group of Iberian origin is created, who will have a prominent role in the government of the Kingdom. The role acquired by the cities, in particular the royal ones, during the conquest and organization of the territory conquered is of the utmost importance. In all this process the strongold of Cagliari will play a decisive role. Together with the growth, not without diculties, of the main cities of the Crown, with losses and acquisitions, according to the moment, similarly to the Principality of Catalonia, a process of formation of Sardinian urban oligarchies is observed. And parallel to this process it is very interesting to ask what identity or identities presented the components of the government of the crown cities throughout the Late Middle Ages, analysing different elements as identity markers.