The
Kingdom of Cyprus was a Crusader kingdom on the island of
CyprusCyprus , officially the Republic of Cyprus , is a Eurasian island country situated in the eastern Mediterranean, south of Turkey and west of Syria and Lebanon....
in the high and late
Middle AgesThe Middle Ages of European history is a period of European history covering roughly a millennium in the 5th century through 16th centuries. More specific starting and ending points are sometimes adopted by scholars to suit their respective specializations or current focus...
, between 1192 and 1489. It was ruled by the French House of Lusignan.
The island was conquered from Isaac Comnenus, an upstart local governor and self-proclaimed
emperorThe Byzantine Empire or Eastern Roman Empire, was the continuation of the Roman Empire during the Middle Ages, centered on the capital of Constantinople, and ruled by Emperors in direct and de jure succession to the ancient Roman Emperors...
claiming the empire of Constantinople, in 1191 by King
Richard I of EnglandRichard I was King of England from 6 July 1189 until his death in 1199.He also ruled as Duke of Normandy, Duke of Aquitaine, Duke of Gascony, Lord of Ireland, Lord of Cyprus, Count of Anjou, Count of Maine, Count of Nantes and Overlord of Brittany at various times during the same period...
during the
Third CrusadeThe Third Crusade , also known as the Kings' Crusade, was an attempt by European leaders to reconquer the Holy Land from Saladin ....
. Richard then sold it to the
Knights TemplarThe Poor Fellow-Soldiers of Christ and of the Temple of Solomon , commonly known as the Knights Templar or the Order of the Temple , were among the most famous of the Western Christian military orders...
, who in turn sold it to
Guy of LusignanGuy of Lusignan, Guy of Jerusalem or Guy of Cyprus was a French Knight who, through marriage, became King of Jerusalem, and led the kingdom to disaster at the Battle of Hattin in 1187....
,
jure uxorisJure uxoris is a Latin term that means "by right of his wife". It is commonly used to refer to a title held by a man whose wife holds it in her own right....
King of Jerusalem, in 1192 after the failure of Richard's crusade and when Guy was dispossessed of his late wife's kingdom.
The
Kingdom of Cyprus was a Crusader kingdom on the island of
CyprusCyprus , officially the Republic of Cyprus , is a Eurasian island country situated in the eastern Mediterranean, south of Turkey and west of Syria and Lebanon....
in the high and late
Middle AgesThe Middle Ages of European history is a period of European history covering roughly a millennium in the 5th century through 16th centuries. More specific starting and ending points are sometimes adopted by scholars to suit their respective specializations or current focus...
, between 1192 and 1489. It was ruled by the French House of Lusignan.
History
The island was conquered from Isaac Comnenus, an upstart local governor and self-proclaimed
emperorThe Byzantine Empire or Eastern Roman Empire, was the continuation of the Roman Empire during the Middle Ages, centered on the capital of Constantinople, and ruled by Emperors in direct and de jure succession to the ancient Roman Emperors...
claiming the empire of Constantinople, in 1191 by King
Richard I of EnglandRichard I was King of England from 6 July 1189 until his death in 1199.He also ruled as Duke of Normandy, Duke of Aquitaine, Duke of Gascony, Lord of Ireland, Lord of Cyprus, Count of Anjou, Count of Maine, Count of Nantes and Overlord of Brittany at various times during the same period...
during the
Third CrusadeThe Third Crusade , also known as the Kings' Crusade, was an attempt by European leaders to reconquer the Holy Land from Saladin ....
. Richard then sold it to the
Knights TemplarThe Poor Fellow-Soldiers of Christ and of the Temple of Solomon , commonly known as the Knights Templar or the Order of the Temple , were among the most famous of the Western Christian military orders...
, who in turn sold it to
Guy of LusignanGuy of Lusignan, Guy of Jerusalem or Guy of Cyprus was a French Knight who, through marriage, became King of Jerusalem, and led the kingdom to disaster at the Battle of Hattin in 1187....
,
jure uxorisJure uxoris is a Latin term that means "by right of his wife". It is commonly used to refer to a title held by a man whose wife holds it in her own right....
King of Jerusalem, in 1192 after the failure of Richard's crusade and when Guy was dispossessed of his late wife's kingdom. His brother and successor, Amalric I of Cyprus, received the royal crown and title from
Henry VI, Holy Roman EmperorHenry VI was King of Germany from 1190 to 1197, Holy Roman Emperor from 1191 to 1197 and King of Sicily from 1194 to 1197.-Early years:Born in Nijmegen,...
. A small minority Roman Catholic population of the island was mainly confined to some coastal cities, such as
FamagustaFamagusta is a city on the east coast of Cyprus and is capital of the Famagusta District. It is located in a bay between Capes Greco and Eloea, east of Nicosia, and possesses the deepest harbour in the island. Since the 1974 Turkish invasion the city has resided in the de facto Turkish Republic...
, as well as inland
NicosiaNicosia, known locally as Lefkosia , is the capital and largest city of Cyprus. Located on the River Pedieos and situated almost in the centre of the island, it is the seat of government as well as the main business centre...
, the traditional capital. Roman Catholics kept the reins of power and control, while the
GreekThe Greeks , also known as Hellenes, are a nation and ethnic group native to Greece, Cyprus and neighbouring regions, who can also be found in diaspora communities around the world....
inhabitants lived in the countryside; this was much the same as the arrangement in the
Kingdom of JerusalemThe Kingdom of Jerusalem was a Christian kingdom established in the Levant in 1099 after the First Crusade. It lasted nearly two hundred years, from 1099 until 1291 when the last remaining possession, Acre, was destroyed by the Mamluks....
. The independent
Eastern OrthodoxThe Orthodox Church, also officially called the Orthodox Catholic Church and commonly referred to in English speaking countries as the Eastern Orthodox Church, is the world's second largest Christian communion, estimated to number 225 million members...
Church of CyprusThe ancient Greek Orthodox Church of Cyprus is one of the fourteen or fifteen independent Eastern Orthodox churches, which are in communion and in doctrinal agreement with one another but not all subject to one patriarch. It is one of the oldest autocephalous churches...
, with its own archbishop and subject to no patriarch, was allowed to remain on the island, but the
Latin ChurchCatholicism is a broad term for the body of the Catholic faith, its theologies and doctrines, its liturgical, ethical, spiritual, and behavioral characteristics, as well as a religious people as a whole...
largely displaced it in stature and holding property.
After the death of Amalric of Lusignan, the Kingdom continually passed to a series of young boys who grew up as king. The
IbelinIbelin was a castle in the crusader Kingdom of Jerusalem in the 12th century , which gave its name to an important family of nobles.-The castle:...
family, which had held much power in Jerusalem prior its downfall, acted as regents during these early years. In 1229 one of the Ibelin regents was forced out of power by
Frederick II, Holy Roman EmperorFrederick II of Hohenstaufen was Holy Roman Emperor from his papal coronation in 1220 until his death; he was also a pretender to the title of King of the Romans from 1212 and unopposed holder of that monarchy from 1215. As such, he was King of Germany, of Italy, and of Burgundy...
, who brought the struggle between the
Guelphs and GhibellinesThe Guelphs and Ghibellines were factions supporting, respectively, the Pope and the Holy Roman Emperor in central and northern Italy during the 12th and 13th centuries...
to the island. Frederick's supporters were defeated in this struggle by 1233, although it lasted longer in
PalestinePalestine is a conventional name used, among others, to describe a geographic region between the Mediterranean Sea and the Jordan River, and various adjoining lands.As a geographical term, Palestine can also refer to 'ancient Palestine,' an area...
and in
EuropeEurope is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally divided from Asia to its east by the water divide of the Ural Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian Sea, the Caucasus Mountains , and the Black Sea to the southeast...
. Frederick's
HohenstaufenThe House of Hohenstaufen was a dynasty of German kings lasting from 1138 to 1254. Three of these kings were also crowned Holy Roman Emperor. In 1194 the Hohenstaufen also became Kings of Sicily...
descendants continued to rule as kings of Jerusalem until 1268 when Hugh III of Cyprus claimed the title and its territory of Acre for himself upon the death of Conrad III of Jerusalem, thus uniting the two kingdoms. The territory in Palestine was finally lost while
Henry IIHenry 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...
was king in 1291, but the kings of Cyprus continued to claim the title.
Like Jerusalem, Cyprus had a
Haute Cour (High Court), although it was less powerful than it had been in Jerusalem. The island was richer and more feudal than Jerusalem, so the king had more personal wealth and could afford to ignore the Haute Cour. The most important vassal family was the multi-branch House of
IbelinIbelin was a castle in the crusader Kingdom of Jerusalem in the 12th century , which gave its name to an important family of nobles.-The castle:...
. However, the king was often in conflict with the
ItalianItaly , officially the Italian Republic , is a country located on the Italian Peninsula in Southern Europe and on the two largest islands in the Mediterranean Sea, Sicily and Sardinia. Italy shares its northern, Alpine boundary with France, Switzerland, Austria and Slovenia...
merchants, especially because Cyprus had become the centre of European trade with
AfricaAfrica is the world's second-largest and second most-populous continent, after Asia. At about 30.2 million km² including adjacent islands, it covers 6% of the Earth's total surface area and 20.4% of the total land area. With a billion people in 61 territories, it accounts for about 14.8% of the...
and
AsiaAsia is the world's largest and most populous continent, located in the eastern and northern hemispheres. It covers 8.6% of the earth's total surface area and with approximately 4 billion people, it hosts 60% of the world's current human population.Asia is traditionally defined as part of the...
after the
fall of AcreThe Siege of Acre took place in 1291 and resulted in the loss of the Crusader-controlled city of Acre to the Muslims. It is considered one of the most important battles of the time period. Although the crusading movement continued for several more centuries, the capture of the city marked the end...
in 1291.
The kingdom eventually came to be dominated more and more in the 14th century by the
GenoeseGenoa is a city and an important seaport in northern Italy, the capital of the Province of Genoa and of the region of Liguria. The city has a population of about 610,000 and the urban area has a population of about 900,000...
merchants. Cyprus therefore sided with the
Avignon PapacyThe Avignon Papacy, also known as the "Babylonian Captivity", was the period from 1305 to 1378 during which seven Popes resided in Avignon . The period was one of conflict and controversy during which French Kings held considerable sway over the Papacy and rulers across Europe felt sidelined by the...
in the
Great SchismThe Great Schism of Western Christianity or Papal Schism was a split within the Roman Catholic Church from 1378 to 1417. By its end, three men simultaneously claimed to be the true pope. Driven by politics rather than any real theological disagreement, the schism was ended by the Council of...
, in the hope that the
FrenchFrance , officially the French Republic , is a country located in Western Europe, with several overseas islands and territories located on other continents. Metropolitan France extends from the Mediterranean Sea to the English Channel and the North Sea, and from the Rhine to the Atlantic Ocean...
would be able to drive out the Italians. The Mameluks then made the kingdom a tributary state in 1426; the remaining monarchs gradually lost almost all independence, until 1489 when the last Queen, Catherine Cornaro, was forced to sell the island to
VeniceVenice is a city in northern Italy, the capital of the region Veneto, a population of 271,367 . Together with Padua, the city is included in the Padua-Venice Metropolitan Area . The city historically was an independent nation...
.
List of Monarchs of Cyprus
- Guy of Lusignan
Guy of Lusignan, Guy of Jerusalem or Guy of Cyprus was a French Knight who, through marriage, became King of Jerusalem, and led the kingdom to disaster at the Battle of Hattin in 1187....
(1192-1194)
- Amalric of Lusignan
Amalric II of Jerusalem or Amalric I of Cyprus, born Amalric of Lusignan , King of Jerusalem 1197–1205, was an older brother of Guy of Lusignan....
(1194-1205) (Amaury)
- Hugh I
Hugh I of Cyprus or Hugues I de Lusignan 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 King-Consort of Jerusalem...
(1205-1218)
- Henry I
Henry I of Cyprus, nicknamed the Fat, aka Henry of Lusignan or Henri I le Gros de Lusignan was King of Cyprus from 1218 to 1253. He was the son of Hugh I of Cyprus and Alice of Champagne of Jerusalem. When his father Hugh I died on January 10, 1218, the 8-month-old Henry became king...
(1218-1253) (Le Gros)
- Hugh II
Hugh II of Cyprus or Hugues II de Lusignan was king of Cyprus and, from the age of 5 years, also Regent of the Kingdom of Jerusalem....
(1253-1267) (Huguet)
- Hugh III (1267-1284)
- John I
John 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...
(1284-1285)
- Henry II
Henry 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...
(1285-1324)
- Amalric of Tyre (1306-1310), Regent and usurper
- Hugh IV
Hugh IV of Cyprus or Hughues IV de Lusignan was King of Cyprus from 1324 to his abdication, on 24 November 1358 and, nominally, King of Jerusalem, as Hugh II, until his death...
(1324-1359)
- Peter I
Peter I of Cyprus or Pierre I de Lusignan was King of Cyprus, and Titular King of Jerusalem from his father's abdication on November 24, 1358 until his own death in 1369. He was also Latin King of Armenia from either 1361 or 1368...
(1359-1369)
- Peter II
Peter II of Cyprus or Pierre II le Gros de Lusignan , called The Fat, was king of Cyprus from January 17 1369 until his death. He was the son of Peter I of Cyprus and his second wife Eleanor of Aragon. He ascended the throne underage, at the murder of his father...
(1369-1382) (Perrin)
- James I
James I of Cyprus or Jacques I de Lusignan was Regent of Cyprus for his infant nephew Peter from 1369. When Peter died in 1382, James became King of Cyprus that year. James was also Titular King of Armenia and Titular King of Jerusalem 1382 – 1398...
(1382-1398)
- Janus
Janus of Cyprus , sometimes John II of Cyprus, was a King of Cyprus, King of Armenia and a Titular King of Jerusalem from 1398 to 1432.Janus succeeded to the throne upon the death of his father James I...
(1398-1432)
- John II
John II or III of Cyprus was the King of Cyprus and Armenia and also titular King of Jerusalem from 1432 to 1458. He was previously a Titular Prince of Antioch...
(1432-1458)
- Charlotte
Charlotte of Cyprus or Charlotte de Lusignan , was the Queen of Cyprus, Titular Queen of Jerusalem and Armenia, and the suo jure Princess of Antioch. She was the eldest and only surviving daughter of King John II of Cyprus and Helena Palaiologina...
(1458-1464) and 1459-1464 with her husband Louis of SavoyLouis of Savoy, Count of Geneva was the second son and namesake of Louis, Duke of Savoy and his wife Anne of Lusignan, daughter of Janus of Cyprus. He was born at Geneva....
- James II
James II of Cyprus or Jacques II le Bâtard de Lusignan , was the illegitimate son of John II of Cyprus and Marietta de Patras.-Archbishop of Nicosia:...
(1464-1473) (Jacques le Bâtard)
- James III
James III of Cyprus or Jacques III de Lusignan was the only and posthumous child by marriage of James II of Cyprus and Catherine Cornaro and King of Cyprus from birth. He died in mysterious circumstances as an infant, leaving his mother as the last Queen of Cyprus. His death paved the way for...
(1473-1474)
- Catherine Cornaro
Nobil Donna Catherine Cornaro , was Queen of Cyprus from 1474 to 1489 and declared a "Daughter of Saint Mark" in order that Venice could claim control of Cyprus after the death of her husband, James II .-Family:She was born in Venice in 1454 and was the daughter of a well-known and powerful...
(1474-1489)
Pretenders of the Kingdom of Cyprus
- Eugene Matteo de Armenia (148?-1523), said by his own progeny to have been an illegitimate son of King James II of Cyprus
James II of Cyprus or Jacques II le Bâtard de Lusignan , was the illegitimate son of John II of Cyprus and Marietta de Patras.-Archbishop of Nicosia:...
and if born in the 1480s he was quite a posthumous specimen, alleged to have moved to Sicily then Malta, founder of the family of Baron di Baccari (Tal-Baqqar).
- Charlotte (d 1487) and Louis (d 1482), queen and king-consort, continued as pretenders, Charlotte renounced 1482 in favor of:
- Charles I of Savoy
Charles I , surnamed the Warrior, was the Duke of Savoy from 1482 to 1490 and titular king of Cyprus, Jerusalem, and Armenia from 1485 to 1490....
(1482-90), legitimate great-grandson of Janus of Cyprus, son of a first cousin of Charlotte, second cousin of James III, nephew of Louis
- Charles II of Savoy
Charles II or Charles John Amadeus , was the Duke of Savoy from 1490 to 1496 but his mother Blanche of Montferrat was the actual ruler as a Regent...
(1490-96)
- Yolande Louise of Savoy (1496-99) and Philibert II of Savoy (d 1504)
- Philip II of Savoy (1496-97), father of Philibert II, great-uncle of Charles II and of Yolande Louise, first cousin of Charlotte, grandson of Janus of Cyprus.
- and several others. The rights diverted de jure, but were claimed by the male line. See further under Cypriot claimants under Kings of Jerusalem. By 1476, the various claims were so diverse and weak that various monarchs sought former Cypriot queens to cede them their rights. Even the Republic of Venice briefly entertained the idea of setting up Anthony Woodville, 2nd Earl Rivers
Anthony Rivers, 2nd Earl Rivers was an English nobleman, courtier, and writer.He was the eldest son of Richard Woodville, 1st Earl Rivers and Jacquetta of Luxembourg. Like his father, he was originally a Lancastrian, fighting on that side at the Battle of Towton, but later became a Yorkist...
, the brother-in-law of England's King Edward IVEdward IV was King of England from 4 March 1461 until 2 October 1470, and again from 11 April 1471 until his death. He was the first Yorkist King of England...
(who was secretly negotiating a marriage to the Scottish princess Cecilia on Anthony's behalf), as a claimant by purchasing the rights of former Cypriot queens Charlotte and Catarina Cornaro. A convention in Venice of 1476 declared "Anthony Arnite" heir to the combined kingdom of Jerusalem-Cyprus but this came to nought when Anthony died before even his marriage to the sister of James Stewart, King of Scots could be celebrated, and the former Cypriot queens ceded their rights elsewhere. Charlotte to the Italian house of Savoy and Catarina Cornaro to the Republic of Venice which asserted its claim to the kingdom as a republic, without even a candidate for king.
See also
- Grand Officers of the Kingdom of Cyprus
The Kingdom of Cyprus, as an offshoot of the Kingdom of Jerusalem, maintained many of the same offices, such as: seneschal, constable, marshal, admiral, Chamberlain, and chancellor....