Lucia, Countess of Tripoli facts for kids
Lucia (died after 1292 or around 1299) was the last countess of Tripoli. Tripoli was a Crusader state, which was a Christian-ruled area in the Middle East during the time of the Crusades.
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Lucia's Early Life and Family
Lucia was the daughter of Bohemund VI, who was the Prince of Antioch, and Sibylla of Armenia. She had a brother named Bohemund VII of Tripoli.
Becoming Countess of Tripoli
In 1287, Lucia's brother, Bohemund VII, died. After his death, their mother chose Bertrand of Gibelet to rule Tripoli for a short time. He was called a "regent," which means someone who rules a country when the rightful ruler is too young, absent, or unable to rule.
However, the people of Tripoli, known as the "commune," did not like Bertrand. A commune was a group of citizens who worked together to govern their city. The commune of Tripoli decided to create their own government instead.
In 1288, Lucia traveled from Apulia, a region in Italy, to Tripoli. She wanted to take control of the county, as it was her right. But both the commune and the people from Genoa, an Italian city, were against her. This was partly because Lucia had married Narjot de Toucy a few years earlier, around 1275 or 1278.
Alliances and Conflicts
The Genoese, led by Benedetto I Zaccaria, tried to put their own official in charge of Tripoli. This official was called a podestà. If this had happened, Tripoli would have become like a colony of Genoa.
At first, the leader of the commune agreed to accept Lucia as their ruler. But then, Lucia made a surprising choice: she allied herself with the Genoese instead.
This made the people from Venice and Pisa, two other Italian cities that traded with Tripoli, very upset. They were so shocked that they supposedly worked with the Mamluk sultan Qalawun to attack Tripoli. The Mamluks were powerful rulers in Egypt and Syria.
Lucia tried to get help from the Mongols, a strong empire at the time. The Mongols knew that Tripoli was too weak to defend itself, even with their help. So, they asked for support from Europe, but no help arrived.
The Fall of Tripoli
Sultan Qalawun started a siege on Tripoli in 1289. A siege is when an army surrounds a city to try and capture it. The siege lasted for one month. On April 26, 1289, the Mamluks captured Tripoli. This event is known as the Fall of Tripoli (1289).
Two years later, in 1291, Acre, which was the last Crusader stronghold in the Holy Land, was also captured. This marked the end of the Crusader states in the Middle East.
Lucia's husband, Narjot, never came to Tripoli. He was busy with his affairs in the Kingdom of Naples in Italy. He died there in 1292. We do not know the exact date when Lucia died. Lucia and Narjot had one son, Philippe II de Toucy. He inherited his father's lands and later, after Lucia's death, he also inherited the claim to Antioch.
