ica was once
more attached to the marquisate of Tuscany, of which Adalbert was
allowed to hold part of the island in fee.

The Terra di Comune.

The period of feudal anarchy now began, a general mellay of petty lords
each eager to expand his domain. The counts of Cinarca, especially, said
to be descended from Adalbert, aimed at establishing their supremacy
over the whole island. To counteract this and similar ambitions, in the
11th century, a sort of national diet was held, and Sambucuccio, lord of
Alando, put himself at the head of a movement which resulted in
confining the feudal lords to less than half of the island to the south,
and in establishing in the rest, henceforth known as the Terra di
Comune, a sort of republic composed of autonomous parishes. This system,
which survived till the Revolution, is thus described by Jacobi (tom. i.
p. 137), "Each parish or commune nominated a certain number of
councillors who, under the name of 'fathers of the commune,' were
charged with the administration of justice under the direction of a
_podesta_, who was as it were their president. The podestas of each of
the states or enfranchised districts chose a member of the supreme
council charged with the making of laws and regulations for the Terra di
Comune. This council or magistracy was called the Twelve, from the
number of districts taking a share in its nomination. Finally, in each
district the fathers of the commune elected a magistrate who, under the
name of _caporale_, was entrusted with the defence of the interests of
the poor and weak, with seeing that justice was done to them, and that
they were not made the victims of the powerful and rich."

Papal sovereignty

Rule of Pisa.

Meanwhile the south remained under the sway of the counts of Cinarca,
while in the north feudal barons maintained their independence in the
promontory of Cape Corso. Internal feuds continued; William, marquis of
Massa, of the family known later as the Malaspina, was called in by the
communes (1020), drove out the count of Cinarca, reduced the barons to
order, and in harmony with the communes established a dominion which he
was able to hand on to his son. Towards the end of the 11th century,
however, the popes laid claim to the island in virtue of the donation of
Charlemagne, though the Frankish conqueror had promised at most the
reversion of the lands of the Church. The Corsican clergy supported the
claim, and in 1077 the Corsicans