History of Cyprus Volume 3
written by Hera Genakritou
Publisher Nikos Chr. Pattihis, Fileleftheros, Nicosia, Cyprus 2012
cover illustration by Kyriaki Costa
Volume 3 covers the period from Frankish rule until 1821 Revolution
Excerpts from the book, courtesy of Hera Genakritou & Publisher Nikos Chr. Pattihis, Fileleftheros.
The Franks are coming
The new conquerors of Cyprus, the Franks, who were Catholic and spoke French, ruled the island for about 300 years (1192-1489).
The new king of Cyprus, Guy de Lusignan, wanting to establish the feudal system on the island, made sure to bring with him several knights, as well as nobles from various European countries. He then divided the island into twelve provinces and began to give his people titles and pieces of land, the fiefdoms.
The French Royalty
Those who most enjoyed the beautiful island of Cyprus in those years were the rich who had manors. That is, the nobles, the nobles, the princes and the knights. They lived in opulence and luxury. They loved entertainment, horse riding, but most of all hunting in the dense forests, where, in addition to birds, they hunted for their delicious meat, wild boars and wild animals.
Rigena and the castles of legends
The castles of Agios Hilarion, Bufavento and Kantara, or in other words the “101 sparks of Rigena” are said to have belonged to the mythical queen of the island, which caused the imagination of people to give birth to hundreds of myths around her.
The persecution of the Christian clergy
The failure of the Franks to persuade the inhabitants of the island to renounce orthodoxy and become Catholics so enraged them that they took very harsh measures against the Christian clergy.
Famagusta, the aristocratic city
In the years of the reign of Hugh IV, but also later, of the son of Peter I, all the coastal cities on the island were rich. Among them, however, Famagusta or Famagusta, as the Lusignans called it, had a special place, which developed into the largest commercial center in the entire Eastern Mediterranean.
Peter I and the last crusade
The ninth in line and the most important king in the Lusignan years was Peter I. He succeeded his father, Hugh IV, to the throne when he was 30 years old, and during his reign the Frankish kingdom of Cyprus reached the height of its glory.
Cyprus in the hands of the Venetians
Having Cyprus in their hands, the Venetians, who were renowned sailors and merchants, made it a center of trade throughout Europe. Cyprus became the station of their ships, which traveled to and from the East, carrying cargoes of spices, carpets, silk fabrics, precious stones and more.
The Turks besiege Nicosia
February 1570. The Turkish ultimatum arrives in Venice. “I Selim, Ottoman Sultan, Emperor of the Turks, King of Kings, Shadow of God, Lord of the Earthly Paradise, ask you for Cyprus, which you will give me by your will or by force.
Marcαntonio Bragadinο
Following the fall of Nicosia, the two leaders of Famagusta, Markantonio Bragadinos and Astore Balione, along with the inhabitants, Greeks and Venetians, men and women of all ages, even the children, declared themselves ready to defend their city tooth and nail.
the ottoman empire
With the explosion of the Greek revolution against the Ottoman Empire, a Cypriot, Archimandrite Theophylactos (Theophilos) Theseus, nephew of the Archbishop, brought to Cyprus and distributed revolutionary proclamations and letters. But some of them fell into the hands of the Turks. The governor of the island Kuciuk Mehmet immediately asked the Sultan for reinforcements and permission to execute important figures of the island. The massacres began in May 1821 and continued until July. According to a report by the French consul Messiene, every day Kuciuk Mehmet executed Christians in Nicosia. Among them were the metropolitans of Paphos, Limassol, Kyrenia, many other high priests and prominent Cypriots. The three metropolitans were executed by beheading, while the archbishop Kyprianos was hanged.
