Jump to content

James II of Cyprus: Difference between revisions

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Browse history interactively
← Previous editNext edit →
Content deleted Content added
VisualWikitext
Citation bot (talk | contribs)
Bots
5,064,539 edits
Alter: title, url. URLs might have been anonymized. Add: date, title. Changed bare reference to CS1/2. | Use this bot. Report bugs. | Suggested by BrownHairedGirl | Linked from User:BrownHairedGirl/Articles_with_bare_links | #UCB_webform_linked 240/783
Rc 13 (talk | contribs)
99 edits
Line 25: Line 25:
==King of Cyprus==
==King of Cyprus==
In 1458, his father died, and his half-sister [[Charlotte of Cyprus|Charlotte]] became Queen of [[Cyprus]]. In 1460, with support from the [[Mamluk Sultanate (Cairo)|Egyptian Mamluk]] sultan [[Sayf ad-Din Inal]], James challenged her right to the throne, blockading her and her husband, [[Louis of Cyprus|Louis of Savoy]],<ref>"Women in the Middle Ages", Greenwood Press 2004 p. 221</ref> in the castle of [[Kyrenia]] for three years. When Charlotte fled to [[Rome]] in 1463, James was crowned king. In gratitude, he made his friend and supporter Juan Tafures [[Master of the Household|Master of his Household]] and titular [[Count of Tripoli]].
In 1458, his father died, and his half-sister [[Charlotte of Cyprus|Charlotte]] became Queen of [[Cyprus]]. In 1460, with support from the [[Mamluk Sultanate (Cairo)|Egyptian Mamluk]] sultan [[Sayf ad-Din Inal]], James challenged her right to the throne, blockading her and her husband, [[Louis of Cyprus|Louis of Savoy]],<ref>"Women in the Middle Ages", Greenwood Press 2004 p. 221</ref> in the castle of [[Kyrenia]] for three years. When Charlotte fled to [[Rome]] in 1463, James was crowned king. In gratitude, he made his friend and supporter Juan Tafures [[Master of the Household|Master of his Household]] and titular [[Count of Tripoli]].

[[File:Silver coin of James II of Cyprus.jpg|thumb|400px|Silver coin of James II of Cyprus showing him on horseback on one side and [[Jerusalem Cross]] on reverse. Legends: IACOBS DEI G / R IERUS CIPRI ET ARMIA]]


==Marriage, death and succession==
==Marriage, death and succession==

Revision as of 03:06, 30 July 2021

James II
King of Cyprus
Reign1463 – 10 July 1473
PredecessorCharlotte
SuccessorJames III
Bornc. 1438/1439 or c. 1440
Died10 July 1473
SpouseCatherine Cornaro
IssueJames III of Cyprus
HousePoitiers-Lusignan
FatherJohn II of Cyprus
MotherMarietta de Patras (concubine)

James II (French: Jacques; c. 1438/1439 or c. 1440 – 10 July 1473) was the penultimate King of Cyprus, reigning from 1463 until his death.

Archbishop of Nicosia

James was born in Nicosia as the illegitimate son of John II of Cyprus and Marietta de Patras.[1] He was a great favourite of his father, and in 1456, at the age of 16, he was appointed to the archbishopric of Nicosia. After murdering Iacopo Urri, the royal chamberlain, on 1 April 1457,[2] he was deprived of the archbishopric and fled to Rhodes on a ship of the Catalan Juan Tafures. He was pardoned by his father, and the archbishopric was returned to him.

King of Cyprus

In 1458, his father died, and his half-sister Charlotte became Queen of Cyprus. In 1460, with support from the Egyptian Mamluk sultan Sayf ad-Din Inal, James challenged her right to the throne, blockading her and her husband, Louis of Savoy,[3] in the castle of Kyrenia for three years. When Charlotte fled to Rome in 1463, James was crowned king. In gratitude, he made his friend and supporter Juan Tafures Master of his Household and titular Count of Tripoli.

Silver coin of James II of Cyprus showing him on horseback on one side and Jerusalem Cross on reverse. Legends: IACOBS DEI G / R IERUS CIPRI ET ARMIA

Marriage, death and succession

In Venice, on 30 July 1468, seeking political support, he married a 14-year-old Venetian, Catherine Cornaro, by proxy.[4] She finally travelled to Cyprus and married in person at Famagusta in October or November, 1472.[4] James died a few months later in Famagusta, amidst some suspicion that he might have been poisoned by agents of Venice, possibly by Catherine's uncles. According to his will, Catherine, who was pregnant, became regent. The couple's son, James III, died under suspicious circumstances in 1474 before his first birthday, leaving Catherine as regent of Cyprus.[5] During her reign, the island was controlled by Venetian merchants.[5] In 1489, Venice forced her to abdicate, and Cyprus became a colony of the Republic of Venice.[5]

Illegitimate children

Prior to his marriage, King James II had four natural children [6] [7] with N. Flatro, a mistress:

  • Eugene of Lusignan also styled d'Armenia (d. Venice, 1536), married Dona Paola Mazzara of Sicily in 1508.Together they had five children (three sons and two daughters).[a] His descendants adopted the surname d'Armenia and settled in Malta.[b][8] Further note, Pietro d’Armenia to whom was granted the fief of the vineyard or garden of Baccari with its lands (Girghenti and the pond of S. Giorgio) in 1508, but was never invested having been killed in a naval battle with the Moors in the sea of the Barbary Coast. He captained a ship belonging to Giovanni di Nava but also had one of his own.[9] "States that King James II left in his will if his legitimate daughter died without issue, Eugene would inherit the throne of Cyprus"], Further note fought the Turks at sea when the Order of St John was still in Rhodes., He was praised for his bravery by Grand Master Ursino in 1470 and by Emperor Charles V, married 1508 to Donna Paola Mazzara, with issue.
    • James Antonio Blasio d'Armenia, (d. 1558), 2nd Barone di Baccari, created Barone di Benuwarrad in 1514 by the King of Sicily and claimant to the throne of Cyprus, Jerusalem, Armenia after his father's death., married to Dona Isabella di Avello, [10]with issue.
      • Don Fr Leone d'Armenia, (1541-1557), an Abbott.
      • Don Masi d'Armenia, 3rd Barone di Baccari, 2nd Barone di Benuwarrad, (1543-1589), Titular claimant of Cyprus from 1588-1589), married 1564 at Matrice, Gozo to Bernardina Zuppardo, with issue.
        • Donna Isabella d'Armenia, (1566-1621), 4th Baroness di Baccari, and 3rd Baroness di Benuwarrad, Titular claimant of Cyprus from 1589-1621), married to Matteo Ciumi, without issue.
      • Donna Isabella d'Armenia, (1540-1598), purchased the fiefdom of Baccari from niece and married 1563 to Don Albano Inguanez, Baroncino di Ghariexem e Tabia, with issue. (Her descendants are claimants to the Throne of Cyprus.
  • Janus of Lusignan (d. after 1552), married (1) 1504 to N de Toro, married (2) 1547 to Virginia Cosanza dei Duchi di San Sava, with issue.
    • Maddalena de Armenia, (1531-), dunm.
    • Francois de Armenia, (1509-1531), married 1525 at Rome to Donna Concetta Sayd, dsp.
    • Bernardo de Armenia, (1509-1530), married to Virginia Crispo dei Duchi di Naxos, with issue.
  • Charlotte of Lusignan (d. c. 1469), married after 1463 Sor de Naves, without issue.
    • Giacomo de Nave, Duca di Pendia, married to Donna Eleanora Peralta, with issue.
      • Charlotte de Nave, married c. 1520 to Marcantonio Metaxi.
      • Caterina de Nave, married to Niccolo d'Argenta.
      • Clara de Nave, married to Luca d'Argenta.
    • Eleanora de Nave, married to Vincenzo la Rocca, Barone di Militello in Val Demone.
    • Isabella de Nave, married to Tommaso d'Amato of Palermo.
    • Charlotte de Nave, married to Don Edoardo Peralta.
    • Vennera de Nave, married to Andrea Cauchi.
  • Charla of Lusignan (27 July 1468–in prison in Padua, 1480), she was either married or engaged to the designated heir of her aunt, Alonso, batard d'Aragona (1460–1510), a son of Ferdinand I of Naples. She was imprisoned by Queen Charlottte's opponents and died in captivity shortly before her twelfth birthday.[11]

He had another mistress, by the name of Eschive de Nores (d. after 1468), who married his cousin, Philippe, Titular Prince of Galilee, a natural son of his great-uncle, Henry. However, there is no record of any children with her.

Notes

  1. ^ James Antonio, Filippe, Gio Leonardo, Chiara and Perna, respectively, as cited in reference n. 8.
  2. ^ The d'Armenia family were holders of the fief of the vineyard or garden of Baccari with its lands (Girghenti and the pond of S. Giorgio), Viceportulano of Malta and Gozo, and holders of the parts of the fief of Benuarrat. This family is listed as a noble family in “Descrittione di Malta” (1647), as cited in reference n. 8.

References

  1. ^ Letts 2016, p. 252.
  2. ^ Benjamin Arbel and David Jacoby, Intercultural Contacts in the Medieval Mediterranean, p. 45, published by Frank Cass, London, Google Books, retrieved on 19 June 2009
  3. ^ "Women in the Middle Ages", Greenwood Press 2004 p. 221
  4. ^ a b De Girolami Cheney 2013, p. 16.
  5. ^ a b c De Girolami Cheney 2013, p. 17.
  6. ^ Sanudo, Marino; Stefani, F.; Berchet, G.; Barozzi, N.; Deputazione di storia patria per la Venezie (1882). I diarii di Marino Sanuto. Vol. 8. F. Visentini. p. 648. Retrieved May 12, 2011.
  7. ^ Latrie, L. M. (1873). Nouvelles preuves de l'histoire de Chypre sous le reigne des princes de la maison de Lusignan. J. Baur et Detaille. p. 44. Retrieved May 12, 2011.
  8. ^ Melitensia Book Club, Issue 1, Abela Commendatore Fra Gian. Francesco, Della Descrittione di Malta isola nel mare siciliano con le sue antichita’, ed altre notizie. Libr Quattro Facsimile edition. Malta, 1984, p. 455.
  9. ^ Ladies of Medieval Cyprus and Caterina Cornaro by Leto Severis, Nicosia 1995; ISBN 9963-8102-1-7. pp 152
  10. ^ "Eugene d'Armenia". 6 December 2017.
  11. ^ Hill 1948, p. 655.

Sources

  • De Girolami Cheney, Liana (2013). "Caterina Cornaro, Queen of Cyprus". In Barrett-Graves, Debra (ed.). The Emblematic Queen Extra-Literary Representations of Early Modern Queenship. Palgrave Macmillan.
  • Hill, George (1948). A History of Cyprus. Vol. The Frankish Period, 1432–1571. Cambridge University Press.
  • Letts, Malcolm (2016). The Pilgrimage of Arnold von Harff, Knight, from Cologne, 1496-1499. Routledge.
Regnal titles
Preceded by King of Cyprus
1464–1473 		Vacant
Title next held by
James III
Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=James_II_of_Cyprus&oldid=1036199572"