Hugh III of Cyprus
Encyclopedia
Hugh III of Cyprus born Hughues de Poitiers, later Hughues de Lusignan (he adopted his mother's surname de Lusignan in 1267), called the Great, was the King of Cyprus from 1267 and King of Jerusalem
from 1268 (as Hugh I of Jerusalem). He was the son of Henry of Antioch
and Isabella of Cyprus
, the daughter of Hugh I
. He was a grandson of Bohemund IV of Antioch
and thus a descendant of Robert Guiscard
.
From 1261 he served as Regent for Hugh II of Cyprus
in Cyprus, as the Haute Cour of Cyprus considered him, as a male, a better regent than his mother Isabella. She was, however, accepted as the Regent of Jerusalem in 1263. She died in 1264, and Hugh became the acting regent of the Kingdom of Jerusalem as well as Cyprus. The regency was contested by his first cousin, Hugh of Brienne
, who was the son of Mary of Cyprus, the eldest daughter of Hugh I and hence the senior heir to Cyprus, and heir to Jerusalem after Hugh II. However, the Haute Cour of Jerusalem
declared Hugh of Antioch the next regent, as successor to Isabella in proximity of blood
.
Hugh II died in 1267 without heirs. As Hugh of Brienne did not advance his claim on the throne, Hugh of Antioch succeeded as uncontested King of Cyprus on 5 December and was crowned at Santa Sophia
, in Nicosia
, on 24 December. He claimed the Kingdom of Jerusalem as well in 1267 or 1268 upon the execution of Conradin
. However, the throne of Jerusalem was also claimed by Mary of Antioch
by proximity of blood to Conradin. The Haute Cour of Jerusalem rejected her claim and Hugh was crowned King of Jerusalem at Tyre on 24 September 1269.
Hugh and his descendants, the Kings of Cyprus, assumed his mother's surname of Lusignan
in 1267, having inherited Cyprus through that family, thus establishing the Second House of Lusignan.
Hugh disliked dealing with the various factions in the Kingdom of Jerusalem, and left for Cyprus in 1276 in disgust at their defiance of his authority. The next year, his bailiff
, Balian of Ibelin, Lord of Arsuf, was ejected by Roger of Sanseverino, the bailiff of Charles of Anjou
, who had purchased the claim of Mary of Antioch. The kingdom remained under Angevin control for the rest of Hugh's reign.
It is supposed that Thomas Aquinas' work On Kingship was written for Hugh III.
He was buried at Santa Sophia
, in Nicosia
.
He was married after 23 January 1255 to Isabella of Ibelin
(ca 1241 – 2 June 1324). He had eleven children:
Kingdom of Jerusalem
The Kingdom of Jerusalem was a Catholic kingdom established in the Levant in 1099 after the First Crusade. The kingdom lasted nearly two hundred years, from 1099 until 1291 when the last remaining possession, Acre, was destroyed by the Mamluks, but its history is divided into two distinct periods....
from 1268 (as Hugh I of Jerusalem). He was the son of Henry of Antioch
Henry of Antioch
Henry of Antioch , alternately known as Henri de Poitiers or Henry of Poitiers, was the son of Bohemond IV of Antioch, Prince of Antioch and his first wife Plaisance Embriaco de Giblet....
and Isabella of Cyprus
Isabella of Antioch
Isabella of Cyprus, also known as Isabelle de Lusignan , was the Princess of Antioch by her marriage. She was also Regent of the Kingdom of Jerusalem.-Family:...
, the daughter of Hugh I
Hugh I of Cyprus
Hugh I of Cyprus succeeded to the throne of Cyprus on April 1, 1205 underage upon the death of his elderly father Amalric of Lusignan, King of Cyprus and Jerusalem...
. He was a grandson of Bohemund IV of Antioch
Bohemund IV of Antioch
Bohemond IV of Antioch , also known as the One-Eyed , was ruler of the Principality of Antioch between 1201 and 1205, again between 1208 and 1216, and again from 1219 until his death...
and thus a descendant of Robert Guiscard
Robert Guiscard
Robert d'Hauteville, known as Guiscard, Duke of Apulia and Calabria, from Latin Viscardus and Old French Viscart, often rendered the Resourceful, the Cunning, the Wily, the Fox, or the Weasel was a Norman adventurer conspicuous in the conquest of southern Italy and Sicily...
.
From 1261 he served as Regent for Hugh II of Cyprus
Hugh II of Cyprus
Hugh II of Cyprus was king of Cyprus and, from the age of 5 years, also Regent of the Kingdom of Jerusalem....
in Cyprus, as the Haute Cour of Cyprus considered him, as a male, a better regent than his mother Isabella. She was, however, accepted as the Regent of Jerusalem in 1263. She died in 1264, and Hugh became the acting regent of the Kingdom of Jerusalem as well as Cyprus. The regency was contested by his first cousin, Hugh of Brienne
Hugh of Brienne
Hugh de Candie, Count of Brienne and Lecce was the second surviving son of Count Walter IV of Brienne and Marie de Lusignan of Cyprus....
, who was the son of Mary of Cyprus, the eldest daughter of Hugh I and hence the senior heir to Cyprus, and heir to Jerusalem after Hugh II. However, the Haute Cour of Jerusalem
Haute Cour of Jerusalem
The Haute Cour was the feudal council of the kingdom of Jerusalem. It was sometimes also called the curia generalis, the curia regis, or, rarely, the parlement.-Composition of the court:...
declared Hugh of Antioch the next regent, as successor to Isabella in proximity of blood
Proximity of blood
Proximity of blood, or closeness in degree of kinship, is one of the ways to determine hereditary succession based on genealogy. It was at loggerheads with primogeniture in numerous medieval succession disputes....
.
Hugh II died in 1267 without heirs. As Hugh of Brienne did not advance his claim on the throne, Hugh of Antioch succeeded as uncontested King of Cyprus on 5 December and was crowned at Santa Sophia
Selimiye Mosque (Nicosia)
Selimiye Mosque or Agia Sofia Cathedral, formerly Cathédrale Sainte Sophie, is located in the Turkish controlled northern part of the walled city of Nicosia. It is the main mosque in the city. It is housed in the largest and oldest surviving gothic church in Cyprus possibly constructed on the site...
, in Nicosia
Nicosia
Nicosia from , known locally as Lefkosia , is the capital and largest city in Cyprus, as well as its main business center. Nicosia is the only divided capital in the world, with the southern and the northern portions divided by a Green Line...
, on 24 December. He claimed the Kingdom of Jerusalem as well in 1267 or 1268 upon the execution of Conradin
Conradin
Conrad , called the Younger or the Boy, but usually known by the diminutive Conradin , was the Duke of Swabia , King of Jerusalem , and King of Sicily .-Early childhood:Conradin was born in Wolfstein, Bavaria, to Conrad...
. However, the throne of Jerusalem was also claimed by Mary of Antioch
Mary of Antioch
Maria of Antioch , daughter of Prince Bohemond IV of Antioch and his second wife Melisende de Lusignan, was the pretender to the throne of Jerusalem from 1269 to 1277...
by proximity of blood to Conradin. The Haute Cour of Jerusalem rejected her claim and Hugh was crowned King of Jerusalem at Tyre on 24 September 1269.
Hugh and his descendants, the Kings of Cyprus, assumed his mother's surname of Lusignan
Lusignan
The Lusignan family originated in Poitou near Lusignan in western France in the early 10th century. By the end of the 11th century, they had risen to become the most prominent petty lords in the region from their castle at Lusignan...
in 1267, having inherited Cyprus through that family, thus establishing the Second House of Lusignan.
Hugh disliked dealing with the various factions in the Kingdom of Jerusalem, and left for Cyprus in 1276 in disgust at their defiance of his authority. The next year, his bailiff
Bailiff
A bailiff is a governor or custodian ; a legal officer to whom some degree of authority, care or jurisdiction is committed...
, Balian of Ibelin, Lord of Arsuf, was ejected by Roger of Sanseverino, the bailiff of Charles of Anjou
Charles I of Sicily
Charles I , known also as Charles of Anjou, was the King of Sicily by conquest from 1266, though he had received it as a papal grant in 1262 and was expelled from the island in the aftermath of the Sicilian Vespers of 1282...
, who had purchased the claim of Mary of Antioch. The kingdom remained under Angevin control for the rest of Hugh's reign.
It is supposed that Thomas Aquinas' work On Kingship was written for Hugh III.
He was buried at Santa Sophia
Selimiye Mosque (Nicosia)
Selimiye Mosque or Agia Sofia Cathedral, formerly Cathédrale Sainte Sophie, is located in the Turkish controlled northern part of the walled city of Nicosia. It is the main mosque in the city. It is housed in the largest and oldest surviving gothic church in Cyprus possibly constructed on the site...
, in Nicosia
Nicosia
Nicosia from , known locally as Lefkosia , is the capital and largest city in Cyprus, as well as its main business center. Nicosia is the only divided capital in the world, with the southern and the northern portions divided by a Green Line...
.
He was married after 23 January 1255 to Isabella of Ibelin
Isabella of Ibelin (1241-1324)
Isabella of Ibelin , queen of Cyprus, was the daughter of Guy d'Ibelin, marshal and constable of Cyprus, and of Philippa Berlais.She married Hugh III of Cyprus and they had :...
(ca 1241 – 2 June 1324). He had eleven children:
- John II & I of LusignanJohn II of JerusalemJohn II of Jerusalem was the eldest son of Hugh III of Cyprus and Isabella of Ibelin. He succeeded his father as King of Cyprus on March 24 and was crowned at Santa Sophia, Nicosia on May 11, 1284. His succession as King of Jerusalem was opposed by Charles of Anjou, who had also disrupted his...
(died 1285) who succeeded him as King of Jerusalem and Cyprus - Bohemond of Lusignan (ca 1268 – Tyre, 3 November 1281, buried at the FranciscanFranciscanMost Franciscans are members of Roman Catholic religious orders founded by Saint Francis of Assisi. Besides Roman Catholic communities, there are also Old Catholic, Anglican, Lutheran, ecumenical and Non-denominational Franciscan communities....
Church of NicosiaNicosiaNicosia from , known locally as Lefkosia , is the capital and largest city in Cyprus, as well as its main business center. Nicosia is the only divided capital in the world, with the southern and the northern portions divided by a Green Line...
) - Henry of LusignanHenry II of JerusalemHenry II of Jerusalem and Henry II of Cyprus, born Henri de Lusignan was the last ruling and first titular King of Jerusalem and also ruled as King of Cyprus as Henry II...
(1271 – 31 August 1324) who succeeded John as King - Amaury II of Lusignan, Prince of TyreAmalric, Prince of TyreAmalric de Lusignan or Amaury II de Lusignan, Prince of Tyre , of the Lusignan family, was a son of Hugh III of Cyprus and Isabella of Ibelin.-Biography:...
(died 5 June 1310), Constable of JerusalemOfficers of the Kingdom of JerusalemThere were six major officers of the kingdom of Jerusalem: the constable, the marshal, the seneschal, the chamberlain , the butler and the chancellor...
, who displaced Henry and became Regent of Cyprus - Mary of LusignanMarie of Lusignan, Queen of AragonMarie of Lusignan was a daughter of Hugh III of Cyprus and his wife Isabella of Ibelin. She was Queen consort of Aragon by her marriage and was a member of the House of Lusignan.-Life:...
(1273 – September, 1322 at TortosaTortosa-External links:* *** * * *...
and buried at BarcelonaBarcelonaBarcelona is the second largest city in Spain after Madrid, and the capital of Catalonia, with a population of 1,621,537 within its administrative limits on a land area of...
) who married by proxy at Santa SophiaSelimiye Mosque (Nicosia)Selimiye Mosque or Agia Sofia Cathedral, formerly Cathédrale Sainte Sophie, is located in the Turkish controlled northern part of the walled city of Nicosia. It is the main mosque in the city. It is housed in the largest and oldest surviving gothic church in Cyprus possibly constructed on the site...
, NicosiaNicosiaNicosia from , known locally as Lefkosia , is the capital and largest city in Cyprus, as well as its main business center. Nicosia is the only divided capital in the world, with the southern and the northern portions divided by a Green Line...
on 15 June 1315 and in person at GironaGironaGirona is a city in the northeast of Catalonia, Spain at the confluence of the rivers Ter, Onyar, Galligants and Güell, with an official population of 96,236 in January 2009. It is the capital of the province of the same name and of the comarca of the Gironès...
on 27 November 1315 James II of AragonJames II of AragonJames II , called the Just was the King of Sicily from 1285 to 1296 and King of Aragon and Valencia and Count of Barcelona from 1291 to 1327. In 1297 he was granted the Kingdom of Sardinia and Corsica...
(10 August 1267 – 2 November 1327) - Aimery of Lusignan (1274–1280 – soon before 9 April 1316), succeeded Guy as Constable of Cyprus in 1303, briefly succeeded Amalric as Regent of Cyprus and Governor of Cyprus on June 6, 1310
- Guy of Lusignan (1275-1280–1303, probably buried at NicosiaNicosiaNicosia from , known locally as Lefkosia , is the capital and largest city in Cyprus, as well as its main business center. Nicosia is the only divided capital in the world, with the southern and the northern portions divided by a Green Line...
), Constable of Cyprus ca 1291, married on 7 December 1291 Eschiva of IbelinEschive d'Ibelin (1253-1312)Eschive d'Ibelin was the daughter of Jean d'Ibelin , lord of Beirut, and of Alice de la Roche sur l'Ognon.She became lady of Beirut on the death of her sister Isabelle d'Ibelin in 1282.-Marriages and children:...
, Lady of Beirut (1253–1312), parents of:- Hugh IV of Lusignan, King of CyprusHugh IV of CyprusHugh IV of Cyprus was King of Cyprus from 31 March 1324 to his abdication, on 24 November 1358 and, nominally, King of Jerusalem, as Hugh II, until his death...
- Isabella of Lusignan (1296–1300 – after 1340), married on 21 July 1322 Eudes de Dampierre, Titular Constable of Jerusalem (died 1330)
- Hugh IV of Lusignan, King of Cyprus
- Margaret of LusignanMargaret of LusignanMargaret of Lusignan was Queen consort of Armenia as the first wife of King Thoros III. She was Queen from 1293 until her death, three years later. She had two sons, Leo, who ruled for four years as king, and Bohemond, whose fate is unknown....
(ca 1276 – in ArmeniaArmenian Kingdom of CiliciaThe Armenian Kingdom of Cilicia , also known as the Cilician Armenia, Kingdom of Cilician Armenia or New Armenia, was an independent principality formed during the High Middle Ages by Armenian refugees fleeing the Seljuk invasion of Armenia...
, 1296), who married 9 January 1288 Thoros III of ArmeniaThoros III of ArmeniaThoros III or Toros III was king of the Armenian Kingdom of Cilicia, ruling from 1293 to 1298. He was the son of Leo II of Armenia and Kyranna de Lampron, and was part of the Hethumid dynasty. In 1293 his brother Hethum II abdicated in his favour; however, Thoros recalled Hethum to the throne in... - Alice of Lusignan (1277–1280 – after March, 1324), married 1292–1295 or ca 1292/1294 Balian of Ibelin (died 1315/1316 in Kerynia, soon before 19 April 1316), Titular Prince of Galilee and Bethlehem
- Helvis of Lusignan (died after March, 1324), married Hethum II of ArmeniaHethum II of ArmeniaHethum II was king of the Armenian Kingdom of Cilicia, ruling from 1289 to 1293, 1295 to 1296 and 1299 to 1303, while Armenia was a subject state of the Mongol Empire...
- Isabella of Lusignan (ca 1280–1319), married firstly in 1285/1290 Constantine of Neghir, Lord of Partzerpert (died 1308), and secondly ca 1310 King Oshin of ArmeniaOshin of ArmeniaOshin was king of the Armenian Kingdom of Cilicia, ruling from 1307 to 1320. He was a member of the Hetoumid-family, the son of Leo II, King of Armenia and Queen Keran....
, who divorced her before or in 1316