UBBFriend: Email This Page to Someone!
  Castle Quest
  Individual Castles
  Lusignan castles of Nicosia Cyprus

Post New Topic  Post A Reply
profile | register | preferences | faq | search

next newest topic | next oldest topic
Author Topic:   Lusignan castles of Nicosia Cyprus
ipflo
Moderator
posted 03-08-2003 06:54 AM     Click Here to See the Profile for ipflo   Click Here to Email ipflo     Edit/Delete Message
Hi

Does any know where I can find more info on the Lusignan Castles of Nicosia. The only good info I can find on the moment are articles of newspapers like:
http://www.news.com.au/common/story_page/0,4057,4653793%255E13762,00.html

And I would like to know something more (like plans or pictures of the excavations etc), so if some one can help I would be very thankful.

Ipflo

Text of the article of the link above:

Crusader palace unearthed
From correspondents in Nicosia


WORKERS clearing the site for a new town hall for the Cypriot capital stumbled across the remains of a massive Crusader palace dating from the early 13th century, archaeologists believe.

"It's not every day you find a royal palace," a jubilant Pavlos Flourentzos, curator of antiquities, said.

"This is a rare find in the context of mediaeval Cyprus, it is very important because in all probability we have discovered the first Lusignan palace," he said.

The French Lusignan dynasty ruled Cyprus from 1192 to 1489, and the palace was completed in 1211.

When signs of ruins emerged as bulldozers in Nicosia began work to clear a former car park and outdoor market area, an excavation team was hastily sent in with a two-week mission to collect evidence and prove the site should be preserved.

They have so far uncovered the remains of a four-metre high wall, fragments of a fresco, a rusty sword, some pottery and a few Lusignan coins.

"What we do not know is how the palace looked at that time or how big it was.

"We are expecting to find out more as we dig deeper, clean the walls and reach down to the floors," Flourentzos explained.

The Lusignans built three king-size palaces in Cyprus during their three-centuries rule, but the location of the first and how it looked were a centuries-old mystery.

Of the second palace all that remains is a Gothic-style chamber room now used for receptions and concerts.

The third, located in what is now Turkish-held north Nicosia, was demolished by the British mandate rulers in 1904 because it was on the verge of collapse.

At the site itself scores of archaeologists are sifting through the soil. In one corner workers are excavating what they believe to be the main building, while elsewhere patches of crumbling ruins suggest a large and impressive network of structures.

"We are not sure whether the other walls are the external part of the palace or a different structure, it will take years to unravel what is really here," site manager Yiannis Violaris said.

Nevertheless, the main wall in the northern part of the plot bears the scars of fire damage, evidence of its sacking and torching by the Genoese in 1373, as noted in historical records.

At the time, the Genoese were competing with the Venetians for commercial and political dominance in the region. Though they did not remain in Nicosia, where Lusignan rule continued, they took over the important commercial coastal city of Famagusta and held it until 1464, when the Lusignan King James II retook it.

King Richard I of England, known as the Lion Heart, who led several Crusader campaigns in the Middle East, had captured Cyprus in 1191 on his way to the Third Crusade.

The next year, he offered the island to his French ally Guy de Lusignan, who reigned over Jerusalem before its capture by the Arab leader Saladin.

De Lusignan moved to Cyprus where he laid the foundations of a feudal monarchy that survived for three centuries and then was ceded to the Venetians.

Under the Lusignan reign the island remained a base for counterattacks against the Muslims.

Among the well-known members of the dynasty was Peter I, who lived in the Nicosia palace and ruled from 1359-1369. He led some successful campaigns in the Middle East, but came to a tragic end when he was assassinated in his bedroom by discontented nobles.

Cyprus, which over the centuries has been ruled by Persians, Greeks, Romans, Byzantines and Ottoman Turks, is a minefield of historical relics.

Ruins often emerge at the start of a construction project, forcing a redesign or sometimes a relocation.

"If the new municipal building and the antiquities cannot co-exist then the town hall will have to go elsewhere," said Flourentzos.

Agence France-Presse


Peter
Member
posted 03-09-2003 04:40 AM     Click Here to See the Profile for Peter   Click Here to Email Peter     Edit/Delete Message
Hi Ipflo,
This quote may not be the same place,but it sounds a good bet;
" Nicosia's citadel also underwent many radical changes during this period. By the 1350's it is difficult to ascertain what state the original castle built between 1192 and 1212 (and possible extened by Henry II) was in. If this stronghold still existed, it may have been demolished by Peter 1, who was responsible for establishing a new citadel on a hill on the ouitskirts of the city"

There are many more snippets on Guy in 'Unknown Crusader Castles' by Kristian Molin.

All times are PT (US)

next newest topic | next oldest topic

Administrative Options: Close Topic | Archive/Move | Delete Topic
Post New Topic  Post A Reply
Hop to:

Contact Us | Castles on the Web

Powered by: Ultimate Bulletin Board, Version 5.40
© Infopop Corporation (formerly Madrona Park, Inc.), 1998 - 1999.



Castles on the WebHome
Castles on the WebIntroduction
Castles on the WebCastle Quest
Castles on the WebSite of the Day
Castles on the WebCastle Tours
Castles on the WebCastle Collections
Castles on the WebNew Sites
Castles on the WebPopular Sites
Castles on the WebPhoto Archive
Castles on the WebMiscellaneous
Castles on the WebCastles for Kids
Castles on the WebCastle Glossary
Castles on the WebPalaces & Homes
Castles on the WebMedieval Studies
Castles on the WebAccommodations
Castles on the WebTop Rated
Castles on the WebCastle Postcards
Castles on the WebHeraldry Links
Castles on the WebMyths & Legends
Castles on the WebOrganizations
Castles on the WebCastle Books
Castles on the WebAbbeys & Churches
Castles on the WebWeapons/Supplies
Castles on the WebRandom Site
Castles on the WebAdd A Castle Site
Castles on the WebAcknowledgements
Castles on the WebSearch Options
Castles on the WebPlease Help Us!
Castles on the WebPlease Link To Us
Castles on the WebContact Us

Castles on the Web Copyright 1995- | Privacy Policy