Hugh IV of Cyprus
Encyclopedia
Kingdom of Cyprus
The Kingdom of Cyprus was a Crusader kingdom on the island of Cyprus in the high and late Middle Ages, between 1192 and 1489. It was ruled by the French House of Lusignan.-History:...
from 31 March 1324 to his abdication, on 24 November 1358 and, nominally, King of Jerusalem, as Hugh II, until his death. The son of Guy of Cyprus
Guy of Cyprus
Guy of Cyprus may refer to:* Guy of Lusignan , King of Cyprus from 1192–1194. Son of Hugh VIII of Lusignan* Guy of Ibelin, constable of Cyprus , husband of Philippa, daughter of Aimery Berlais...
, Constable of Cyprus (son of Hugh III of Cyprus
Hugh III of Cyprus
Hugh III of Cyprus , born Hughues de Poitiers, later Hughues de Lusignan , called the Great, was the King of Cyprus from 1267 and King of Jerusalem from 1268 . He was the son of Henry of Antioch and Isabella of Cyprus, the daughter of Hugh I...
and wife 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 :...
), and Eschiva of Ibelin
Eschive 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:...
, Hugh succeeded his father as Constable of Cyprus in 1318, and later succeeded to the throne of Cyprus
Cyprus
Cyprus , officially the Republic of Cyprus , is a Eurasian island country, member of the European Union, in the Eastern Mediterranean, east of Greece, south of Turkey, west of Syria and north of Egypt. It is the third largest island in the Mediterranean Sea.The earliest known human activity on the...
on the death of his uncle Henry II
Henry II of Jerusalem
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...
, since Henry II had no son. He was a member of the House of Lusignan.
History
Hugh appears to have been content to rule Cyprus, as he prevented his son, Peter IPeter I of Cyprus
Peter I of Cyprus or Pierre I de Lusignan was King of Cyprus, and Titular King of Jerusalem from his father's abdication on 24 November 1358 until his own death in 1369. He was also Latin King of Armenia from either 1361 or 1368...
, from going to Western Europe
Western Europe
Western Europe is a loose term for the collection of countries in the western most region of the European continents, though this definition is context-dependent and carries cultural and political connotations. One definition describes Western Europe as a geographic entity—the region lying in the...
to recruit support for a new crusade to recover their Kingdom of Jerusalem
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....
. In 1344, he joined a league with Venice
Venice
Venice is a city in northern Italy which is renowned for the beauty of its setting, its architecture and its artworks. It is the capital of the Veneto region...
and the Knights Hospitallers which burnt a Turkish fleet in Smyrna
Smyrna
Smyrna was an ancient city located at a central and strategic point on the Aegean coast of Anatolia. Thanks to its advantageous port conditions, its ease of defence and its good inland connections, Smyrna rose to prominence. The ancient city is located at two sites within modern İzmir, Turkey...
and captured the city. In 1345 the allies defeated the Turks at Imbros
Imbros
Imbros or Imroz, officially referred to as Gökçeada since July 29, 1970 , is an island in the Aegean Sea and the largest island of Turkey, part of Çanakkale Province. It is located at the entrance of Saros Bay and is also the westernmost point of Turkey...
by land and sea, but Hugh could see little benefit for his kingdom in these endeavors and withdrew from the league.
He was crowned as King of Cyprus 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 15 April or 25 April 1324. In the same year, on 13 May, he was crowned at Saint Nicholas Cathedral
Lala Mustafa Pasha Mosque
The Lala Mustafa Pasha Mosque originally known as the Saint Nicolas Cathedral and later as the Ayasofya Mosque of Magusa, is the largest medieval building in Famagusta, North Cyprus. Built between 1298 and c.1400 it was consecrated as a Christian cathedral in 1328...
, in Famagusta
Famagusta
Famagusta is a city on the east coast of Cyprus and is capital of the Famagusta District. It is located east of Nicosia, and possesses the deepest harbour of the island.-Name:...
as Titular King of Jerusalem. As a leader, King Hugh signed an agreement with Venice
Republic of Venice
The Republic of Venice or Venetian Republic was a state originating from the city of Venice in Northeastern Italy. It existed for over a millennium, from the late 7th century until 1797. It was formally known as the Most Serene Republic of Venice and is often referred to as La Serenissima, in...
, which had to do with the activities of the Venician merchants who were settling in Cyprus. That caused problems with the Republic of Genoese
Genoa
Genoa |Ligurian]] Zena ; Latin and, archaically, English Genua) is a city and an important seaport in northern Italy, the capital of the Province of Genoa and of the region of Liguria....
who were rivals of the Venetians; however he negotiated with them and had agreement in 1329. The Genoese demanded that Hugh pay the debit of his uncle Henry II. He died 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...
.
During his reign, he was strict about issues relating to justice. When his two sons left wthout his permission for a trip in Europe
Europe
Europe 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 watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
, he arrested the man who helped them to leave the island, he imprisoned and tortured him, and he cut off a hand and a foot before he hanged him in April 1349. He managed to bring back his two sons and he imprisoned them.
Other sources show that he was well educated and had an interest in art, literature, and philosophy and had much knowledge of Latin literature. He owned a summer villa in Lapithos
Lapithos
Lapithos or Lapethos is a town of Kyrenia District on the northern coast of Cyprus. According to Strabo, the settlement was founded by Spartans. In Assyrian inscriptions, Lapithos is mentioned as one of the eleven Cypriot kingdoms. During the Persian rule, Lapithos was settled by Phoenicians...
and organised philosophical meetings. The Italian writer Boccaccio, wrote Genealogia Deorum Gentilium
Genealogia Deorum Gentilium
Genealogia deorum gentilium, known in English as On the Genealogy of the Gods of the Gentiles, is a mythography or encyclopedic compilation of the tangled family relationships of the classical pantheons of Ancient Greece and Rome, written in Latin prose from 1360 onwards by the Italian author and...
at the request of Hugh IV.
Hugh resigned the crown to his son, Peter I (rather than his grandson Hugh) in 1358, and died on 10 October 1359 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...
.
Family
Hugh was married twice, both times to ladies of the house of IbelinIbelin
Ibelin 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:...
, whose fathers were both named "Guy of Ibelin", one being Count of Jaffa and the other Seneschal of Cyprus.
- Hugh's first marriage was in 1307/1310 to Marie d'Ibelin (1294 – before 30 June 1318), daughter of Guy of Ibelin (1250–1304), Count of Jaffa, and wife and cousin Marie d'Ibelin, Lady of Askalon and NaumachiaNaumachiaThe naumachia in the Ancient Roman world referred to both the re-enactment of naval battles and the basin in which this took place....
. They had at least one son:- Guy of Lusignan (c. 1316 or 1315-1316 – soon before 24 September 1343 and buried in 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 (1336–1338) and Titular Prince of Galilee ca 1320. He married by proxy at the Château de Bourbon on 29 November 1328 and in person 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 15–30 January 1330 Marie of Bourbon (1315–1387 in NaplesNaplesNaples is a city in Southern Italy, situated on the country's west coast by the Gulf of Naples. Lying between two notable volcanic regions, Mount Vesuvius and the Phlegraean Fields, it is the capital of the region of Campania and of the province of Naples...
and buried there), Princess of AchaiaPrincipality of AchaeaThe Principality of Achaea or of the Morea was one of the three vassal states of the Latin Empire which replaced the Byzantine Empire after the capture of Constantinople during the Fourth Crusade. It became a vassal of the Kingdom of Thessalonica, along with the Duchy of Athens, until Thessalonica...
- later remarried on 9 September 1347 in NaplesNaplesNaples is a city in Southern Italy, situated on the country's west coast by the Gulf of Naples. Lying between two notable volcanic regions, Mount Vesuvius and the Phlegraean Fields, it is the capital of the region of Campania and of the province of Naples...
to Prince Robert II of TarentoRobert of TarantoRobert II of Taranto , of the Angevin family, Prince of Taranto , King of Albania , Prince of Achaea , Titular Emperor of Constantinople ....
(1299/1319 – 10 September 1364 in NaplesNaplesNaples is a city in Southern Italy, situated on the country's west coast by the Gulf of Naples. Lying between two notable volcanic regions, Mount Vesuvius and the Phlegraean Fields, it is the capital of the region of Campania and of the province of Naples...
and buried there), Titular Emperor of ConstantinopleEmperor of ConstantinopleEmperor of Constantinople can refer to:* the Byzantine Emperors, who ruled in the city from 330 to 1204 and from 1261 to 1453* the Latin Emperors, who ruled in the city from 1204 to 1261, as well as the later pretenders to this title...
in 1343, etc, without issue - and they left one son:- Hugh of Lusignan (1335–1385/1386 in CyprusCyprusCyprus , officially the Republic of Cyprus , is a Eurasian island country, member of the European Union, in the Eastern Mediterranean, east of Greece, south of Turkey, west of Syria and north of Egypt. It is the third largest island in the Mediterranean Sea.The earliest known human activity on the...
), who succeeded his father as Titular Prince of Galilee in 1343, Senator of RomeRomeRome is the capital of Italy and the country's largest and most populated city and comune, with over 2.7 million residents in . The city is located in the central-western portion of the Italian Peninsula, on the Tiber River within the Lazio region of Italy.Rome's history spans two and a half...
on 12 August 1360 and Lord of Arnecha and Leondaki in January 1365. He married after Autumn 1365 Marie de Morphou (d. after 1383), dau.of Sir Jean de Morphou, Comte de Roucha, without issue
- Hugh of Lusignan (1335–1385/1386 in Cyprus
- Guy of Lusignan (c. 1316 or 1315-1316 – soon before 24 September 1343 and buried in Nicosia
- His second marriage took place on 18 June 318, to Alix of IbelinAlix of IbelinAlix of Ibelin , was Queen consort of Cyprus and nominal Queen consort of Jerusalem as the second wife of King Hugh IV of Cyprus. She was queen from 31 March 1324 until Hugh's abdication on 24 November 1358...
(1304/1306 – after 6 August 1386 and buried at Saint Dominic's, 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...
), daughter of Guy of Ibelin by his wife and cousin Isabelle d'IbelinIsabella of Ibelin (died 1315)Isabella of Ibelin was the daughter of Baldwin of Ibelin , lord of Korakou, and of Marguerite de Giblet.In 1303 she married her cousin Guy d'Ibelin and their daughter was Alix of Ibelin, queen of Cyprus by her marriage with Hugh IV....
. Children with Alice were:- Eschiva of Lusignan (c. 1323 or 1322-1324 – of the plague, 1363 and buried in 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...
), married after 5 March 1337/1339, separated since 22 April 1341, Infante Fernando (Ferran) of Majorca (March/April, 1317 – ca 1343/1347), Vicomte d'Omelas or Aumelàs. - Peter I of LusignanPeter I of CyprusPeter I of Cyprus or Pierre I de Lusignan was King of Cyprus, and Titular King of Jerusalem from his father's abdication on 24 November 1358 until his own death in 1369. He was also Latin King of Armenia from either 1361 or 1368...
(1328–1369), succeeded him as King of Cyprus and Jerusalem. - John of LusignanJohn of LusignanJohn of Lusignan , Regent of Cyprus and Titular Prince of Antioch. He was son of King Hugh IV of Cyprus and his second wife, Alix of Ibelin.He married twice, firstly in 1343 to Constance of Sicily John of Lusignan (or Jean de Lusignan) (ca 1329 or 1329/1330–1375), Regent of Cyprus and Titular...
(c. 1329 or 1329/1330–1375), Regent of Cyprus and Titular Prince of Antioch, murdered, married twice, firstly in 1343 to Constance, daughter of Frederick III of SicilyFrederick III of SicilyFrederick II was the regent and subsequently King of Sicily from 1295 until his death. He was the third son of Peter III of Aragon and served in the War of the Sicilian Vespers on behalf of his father and brothers, Alfonso and James...
and Eleanor of AnjouEleanor of AnjouEleanor of Naples was the Queen consort of Frederick III of Sicily. She was a member of the Capetian House of Anjou by birth.-Family:She was the third daughter of Charles II of Naples and Mary of Hungary....
, without issue, and secondly in 1350 to Alice d'Ibelin (d. after 1373), by whom he had issue - James I of LusignanJames I of CyprusJames I of Cyprus was Regent of Cyprus for his infant nephew Peter from 1369. When Peter died in 1382, James became King of Cyprus that year...
(1334–1398), succeeded his nephew Peter II of CyprusPeter II of CyprusPeter II of Cyprus or Pierre II le Gros de Lusignan , called The Fat, was king of Cyprus from 17 January 1369 until his death.-Biography:...
.
- Eschiva of Lusignan (c. 1323 or 1322-1324 – of the plague, 1363 and buried in Nicosia
Three other children of Hugh whose filiation is uncertain:
- Thomas of Lusignan (d. 15 November 1340), unmarried and without issue
- Perrot of Lusignan (d. 29 June 1353), unmarried and without issue
- Margaret of Lusignan, married in 1347/1349 Gautier de Dampierre(-sur-Salon) (d. after 1373), Seneschal of Cyprus.