Melisende of Arsuf
Encyclopedia
Melisende of Arsuf, Sovereign Dame of Arsuf, Lady of Beirut (born before 1177), was an heiress, and the second wife of the powerful Crusader
noble John of Ibelin, the Old Lord of Beirut
(1179–1236) who led the opposition to Emperor Frederick II when he tried to impose Imperial authority in the kingdom of Jerusalem
and the Kingdom of Cyprus
, as well as the lordship of Beirut.
She was the daughter of Guy of Arsuf. From 1177, she was Sovereign Dame of Arsuf. Upon her marriage to John of Ibelin, she passed the lordship of Arsuf
to her husband.
Arsuf
or Arsur, as it was known by the Crusaders, was a lordship in the Kingdom of Jerusalem
. Melisende's uncle, Jean of Arsuf is recorded as having subscribed the charter, in 1177, under which King Baldwin IV of Jerusalem
donated property to the Church of the Holy Sepulchre
.
in Acre
for his half-niece Queen Maria
. He was the son of Balian of Ibelin
and Maria Komnene
. His half-sister was Isabella, Queen of Jerusalem. Melisende was his second wife. His first wife, Helvis of Nephim, had died without leaving surviving children.
Upon their marriage, Melisende passed the lordship of Arsuf to John, increasing his territory in the Kingdom of Jerusalem. Beirut was effectively an independent state under his rule, while remaining a vassal of the Sovereign
. After rebuilding the city which had been destroyed by the forces of Saladin
, during the latter's conquest of the Crusader kingdom, Ibelin constructed a magnificent palace.
John of Ibelin and Melisende had six sons and one daughter:
Melisende had many descendants, some of which included Anne of Lusignan, King Charles VIII of France
, Anne of France
, and all of the Dukes of Savoy, beginning with Amadeus IX
.
Crusades
The Crusades were a series of religious wars, blessed by the Pope and the Catholic Church with the main goal of restoring Christian access to the holy places in and near Jerusalem...
noble John of Ibelin, the Old Lord of Beirut
John of Ibelin, the Old Lord of Beirut
John of Ibelin , called the Old Lord of Beirut, was a powerful crusader noble in the 13th century, one of the best known representatives of the influential Ibelin family...
(1179–1236) who led the opposition to Emperor Frederick II when he tried to impose Imperial authority in the 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....
and the Kingdom of Cyprus
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:...
, as well as the lordship of Beirut.
She was the daughter of Guy of Arsuf. From 1177, she was Sovereign Dame of Arsuf. Upon her marriage to John of Ibelin, she passed the lordship of Arsuf
Arsuf
Arsuf also known as Arsur or Apollonia, was an ancient city and fortress located in Israel, about 15 kilometres north of modern Tel Aviv, on a cliff above the Mediterranean Sea. The city site, Tel Arsuf, was intensively excavated from 1994...
to her husband.
Family
She was born sometime before 1177, the eldest daughter of Guy of Arsuf. Her mother's name is unknown. She had a brother, Jean, Lord of Arsuf who married Helvis de Brie. When Jean died childless, Melisende inherited the lordship of Arsuf. She had two younger sisters whose names are not recorded. One married the Chamberlain of Antioch, and the other married Adam of Antioch., by whom she had a son, John, Marshal of Antioch.Arsuf
Arsuf
Arsuf also known as Arsur or Apollonia, was an ancient city and fortress located in Israel, about 15 kilometres north of modern Tel Aviv, on a cliff above the Mediterranean Sea. The city site, Tel Arsuf, was intensively excavated from 1994...
or Arsur, as it was known by the Crusaders, was a lordship in the 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....
. Melisende's uncle, Jean of Arsuf is recorded as having subscribed the charter, in 1177, under which King Baldwin IV of Jerusalem
Baldwin IV of Jerusalem
Baldwin IV of Jerusalem , called the Leper or the Leprous, the son of Amalric I of Jerusalem and his first wife, Agnes of Courtenay, was king of Jerusalem from 1174 to 1185. His full sister was Queen Sibylla of Jerusalem and his nephew through this sister was the child-king Baldwin V...
donated property to the Church of the Holy Sepulchre
Church of the Holy Sepulchre
The Church of the Holy Sepulchre, also called the Church of the Resurrection by Eastern Christians, is a church within the walled Old City of Jerusalem. It is a few steps away from the Muristan....
.
Marriages and issue
On an unknown date, Melisende married firstly Thierry d'Orca, by whom she had seven daughters, all of whom died young. In 1207, she married secondly John of Ibelin, Lord of Beirut, former Constable of Jerusalem, and RegentRegent
A regent, from the Latin regens "one who reigns", is a person selected to act as head of state because the ruler is a minor, not present, or debilitated. Currently there are only two ruling Regencies in the world, sovereign Liechtenstein and the Malaysian constitutive state of Terengganu...
in Acre
Acre
The acre is a unit of area in a number of different systems, including the imperial and U.S. customary systems. The most commonly used acres today are the international acre and, in the United States, the survey acre. The most common use of the acre is to measure tracts of land.The acre is related...
for his half-niece Queen Maria
Maria of Montferrat
Maria of Montferrat was Queen of Jerusalem, the daughter of Conrad of Montferrat and Isabella, Queen of Jerusalem...
. He was the son of Balian of Ibelin
Balian of Ibelin
Balian of Ibelin was an important noble in the crusader Kingdom of Jerusalem in the 12th century.-Early life:Balian was the youngest son of Barisan of Ibelin, and brother of Hugh and Baldwin. His father, a knight in the County of Jaffa, had been rewarded with the lordship of Ibelin after the...
and Maria Komnene
Maria Komnene, Queen consort of Jerusalem
Maria Komnene or Comnena , , was the second wife of King Amalric I of Jerusalem and mother of Queen Isabella of Jerusalem. She was the daughter of John Komnenos, sometime Byzantine dux in Cyprus, and Maria Taronitissa, a descendant of the ancient Armenian kings...
. His half-sister was Isabella, Queen of Jerusalem. Melisende was his second wife. His first wife, Helvis of Nephim, had died without leaving surviving children.
Upon their marriage, Melisende passed the lordship of Arsuf to John, increasing his territory in the Kingdom of Jerusalem. Beirut was effectively an independent state under his rule, while remaining a vassal of the Sovereign
Sovereign
A sovereign is the supreme lawmaking authority within its jurisdiction.Sovereign may also refer to:*Monarch, the sovereign of a monarchy*Sovereign Bank, banking institution in the United States*Sovereign...
. After rebuilding the city which had been destroyed by the forces of Saladin
Saladin
Ṣalāḥ ad-Dīn Yūsuf ibn Ayyūb , better known in the Western world as Saladin, was an Arabized Kurdish Muslim, who became the first Sultan of Egypt and Syria, and founded the Ayyubid dynasty. He led Muslim and Arab opposition to the Franks and other European Crusaders in the Levant...
, during the latter's conquest of the Crusader kingdom, Ibelin constructed a magnificent palace.
John of Ibelin and Melisende had six sons and one daughter:
- Balian of IbelinBalian of BeirutBalian of Ibelin was the Lord of Beirut, the second of his family, from 1236, and a son of the famous "Old Lord" John of Ibelin, by his second wife Melisende of Arsuf. From his father he assumed the leadership of the nobility in the War of the Lombards, fought against the agents of the Emperor...
(1210- 4 September 1247 Askalon), succeeded his father as Lord of Beirut. Leader of the nobility in the War of the LombardsWar of the LombardsThe War of the Lombards was a civil war in the Kingdom of Jerusalem and the Kingdom of Cyprus between the "Lombards" , the representatives of the Emperor Frederick II, largely from Lombardy, and the native aristocracy, led first by the Ibelins and then by the Montforts...
. In 1230, he married Eschiva de Montfaucon, daughter of Walter de Montfaucon de Montbéliard and Bourgogne de LusignanLusignanThe Lusignan family originated in Poitou near Lusignan in western France in the early 10th century. By the end of the 11th century, they had risen to become the most prominent petty lords in the region from their castle at Lusignan...
of Cyprus, by whom he had four children, including John II of BeirutJohn II of BeirutJohn of Ibelin , often called John II, was the Lord of Beirut from 1254, named after his grandfather John I, the famous "Old Lord of Beirut"...
., who in turn married Alice de la Roche sur l'OgnonAlice de la RocheAlice de la Roche, Lady of Beirut, Regent of Beirut was the wife of John II of Ibelin, Lord of Beirut, in the Kingdom of Jerusalem. She was a daughter of Guy I, Lord of Athens. Alice is sometimes referred to as Alice of Athens...
. In 1231, Balian and Eschiva were excommunicated by Pope Gregory IX on the grounds of consanguinityConsanguinityConsanguinity refers to the property of being from the same kinship as another person. In that respect, consanguinity is the quality of being descended from the same ancestor as another person...
. In 1239, they received a papal dispensation for their marriage. - John of IbelinJohn of ArsufJohn of Ibelin was the Lord of Arsuf from 1236 and Constable of Jerusalem from 1251. He was a younger son of John I of Beirut. His elder brother, Balian, inherited Beirut. He served as regent of Jerusalem on two occasions: 1253-1254 for Conrad II and 1256-1258 for Conrad III...
(1212- December 1258), Lord of ArsufArsufArsuf also known as Arsur or Apollonia, was an ancient city and fortress located in Israel, about 15 kilometres north of modern Tel Aviv, on a cliff above the Mediterranean Sea. The city site, Tel Arsuf, was intensively excavated from 1994...
, Constable of Jerusalem. Married Alix of Caiphas, daughter of Rohart of Caiphas and Aiglantine of Nephim, by whom he had a son BalianBalian of ArsufBalian of Ibelin was the Lord of Arsuf from 1258 until the early 1260s , when he sold it to the Knights Hospitaller. He was the son and successor of John of Arsuf, Constable of Jerusalem...
, who succeeded him as Lord of Arsuf. Balian married Plaisance of AntiochPlaisance of AntiochQueen Plaisance of Cyprus, born Plaisance of Antioch or Plaisance de Poitiers was a daughter of Bohemund V of Antioch and his second wife, the Italian noblewoman Lucienne dei Conti di Segni, kinswoman of Pope Innocent III...
. - Raoul of Ibelin
- Hugh of IbelinHugh of Ibelin (died 1238)Hugh of Ibelin , called the Strong , was the third of five sons of John I of Beirut. He and his elder brother Balian were hostages at the court of Frederick II, Holy Roman Emperor, in 1228–1229. He led the first battaile at the Battle of Agridi in 1232 and thus withstood the brunt of the...
(1213–1238), led the vanguard at the Battle of AgridiBattle of AgridiThe Battle of Agridi was fought in 15 June 1232 between the forces loyal to Henry I of Cyprus and the imperial army of Frederick II, composed mostly of men from Lombardy...
in 1232. - Baldwin of Ibelin, Seneschal of CyprusBaldwin of Ibelin, Seneschal of CyprusBaldwin of Ibelin was the fourth of five sons of John I of Beirut and his second wife Melisende of Arsuf.He commanded the third battaile at the Battle of Agridi in 1232. In 1246, he was appointed Seneschal of Cyprus and was taken captive at the Battle of Mansurah in 1250.Baldwin married Alix,...
, (died 21 February 1267), In 1246, was appointed SeneschalSeneschalA seneschal was an officer in the houses of important nobles in the Middle Ages. In the French administrative system of the Middle Ages, the sénéchal was also a royal officer in charge of justice and control of the administration in southern provinces, equivalent to the northern French bailli...
of Cyprus. At the Battle of Agridi, he commanded the rearguard. He married Alix, daughter of Walter III de Bethsan and Theodora Komnene Lathoumena, by whom he had six children. - Guy of Ibelin, constable of CyprusGuy of Ibelin, constable of CyprusGuy of Ibelin was marshal and constable of the kingdom of Cyprus. He was the fifth son of John of Ibelin, the Old Lord of Beirut, and of Melisende of Arsuf...
(c.1215- May 1255), was appointed marshal and Constable of Cyprus. He married Philippa, daughter of Aimery Berlais, by whom he had ten children, including Isabella of Ibelin, Queen consort of King Hugh III of CyprusHugh III of CyprusHugh 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...
, by whom she had issue. - Isabelle of Ibelin, became a nun
Legacy
Melisende died on an unknown date. Her husband John of Ibelin died in 1236 when he was crushed by his fallen horse, while on a military campaign against the Muslims.Melisende had many descendants, some of which included Anne of Lusignan, King Charles VIII of France
Charles VIII of France
Charles VIII, called the Affable, , was King of France from 1483 to his death in 1498. Charles was a member of the House of Valois...
, Anne of France
Anne of France
Anne of France was the eldest daughter of Louis XI of France and his second wife, Charlotte of Savoy. Anne was the sister of King Charles VIII of France, for whom she acted as regent during his minority; and of Joan of France, who was briefly queen consort to Louis XII...
, and all of the Dukes of Savoy, beginning with Amadeus IX
Amadeus IX, Duke of Savoy
The Blessed Amadeus IX , surnamed the Happy, was the Duke of Savoy from 1465 to 1472. He was the son of Louis, Duke of Savoy, and Anne de Lusignan, daughter of Janus of Cyprus, King of Cyprus....
.
Sources
- Charles Cawley, Medieval Lands, Jerusalem, Nobility, Foundation for Medieval Genealogy 2006-2008
- Lignages d'Outremer, Marciana MS Francese 20,CCLXXXIX, p. 63
- Women in Power (1150–1200)