Cyprus was the home of the French de Lusignan family. They ruled over Cyprus from 1192 till 1474 when King James III died. Their descendants became the d’Armenia family who lived in Sicily, Italy.
The de Lusignan family bought Cyprus from Richard the Lionheart in 11921. Cyprus became a crucial staging post for the crusades. Many people decided to stay in Cyprus after the Crusades rather than return to their original homes in Europe. The island became rich and prominent because of these new residents.
The de Lusignans ruled and administered from Kyrenia but some also lived in Nicosia where many of the kings were crowned. Hugh IV took advantage of his summer villa in nearby Laphitos. They didn’t always have full control of the island due to trade wars between Genoese and Venetian merchants, or Egyptian and Ottoman attacks.
The island had sentimental value for the family. They buried many family members here even when they lived elsewhere. They also buried Henry of Antioch, married to a de Lusignan, in Nicosia.
The Cypriot part of the family tree is shown below. Click on any of the family members to learn more about them.
[family-tree root=”Hugh IV of Cyprus”]
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