Pierre d'Aubusson facts for kids
Pierre d'Aubusson (born 1423, died 1503) was a very important leader, known as a Grand Master, of a group of knights called the Knights Hospitaller. He was a strong opponent of the Ottoman Empire.
Pierre likely joined the Knights Hospitaller around 1444 or 1445, and then traveled to their main base in Rhodes.
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Early Life of Pierre
Pierre d'Aubusson was born in a castle called Le Monteil (now Le Monteil-au-Vicomte, in France). He was the fifth son of Jean d'Aubusson. His older brother, Antoine, had a successful career serving the kings of France, Charles VII and Louis XI. Pierre's other three brothers became bishops.
Becoming Grand Prior
Pierre d'Aubusson was chosen as the "Grand Prior" of the "Langue d'Auvergne" in early 1476. A "Langue" was like a regional branch of the Knights Hospitaller.
In June 1476, he was elected Grand Master of the Order. Before this, he had worked closely with the previous Grand Master, Piero Raimondo Zacosta. Pierre was in charge of fixing and updating the fortifications (defensive walls) of the city of Rhodes. He also improved other castles belonging to the Order on the islands of the Dodecanese and the Château Saint Pierre (now Bodrum, Turkey).
The Great Siege of Rhodes
The powerful Ottoman Sultan Mehmed II started to threaten parts of Europe. In May 1480, a large Ottoman fleet (a group of ships) arrived at Rhodes. They carried a huge army of about 100,000 soldiers led by Mesih Pasha.
The Knights of Rhodes received help from France. About 500 knights and 2000 soldiers arrived, led by Pierre d'Aubusson's brother, Antoine. The siege, which is when an army tries to take over a city by surrounding it, lasted until August.
After three failed attempts to break into the city, the Turkish army had to leave. They left behind 9000 dead soldiers. Pierre d'Aubusson was wounded three times during the siege, but his bravery made him famous across Europe.
Sultan Mehmed was very angry about the defeat and planned to attack Rhodes again. However, he died in 1481. After his death, his sons, Bayezid and Cem, fought over who would become the next Sultan. Cem lost to Bayezid and sought safety in Rhodes. Grand Master d'Aubusson and the Knights offered him protection.
Since Rhodes was not considered completely safe for Cem, he agreed to be sent to Bourganeuf in France. There, he was guarded by Guy de Blanchefort, who was Pierre d'Aubusson's nephew.
Guarding Prince Cem
Pierre d'Aubusson agreed to receive a payment of 45,000 ducats (a type of gold coin) each year from Sultan Bayezid II. In return, d'Aubusson promised to guard Cem very carefully. This was to prevent Cem from asking other Christian leaders for help against his brother, Bayezid.
As a reward for this important task, d'Aubusson was made a Cardinal in 1489. This meant he gained a high position in the Catholic Church. The Order of St. John also received the property of another group, the Order of the Holy Sepulchre, which joined with the Knights Hospitaller. They also gained control of several Italian commanderies (local branches) from the Knights of St. Lazarus.
Later Years
In his later years, d'Aubusson worked hard to improve the discipline and spirit within his Order. He also tried to organize a large crusade (a religious war) against the Ottoman Turks. However, during the time of the Renaissance, with Rodrigo Borgia as Pope, it was difficult to gather support for such a big effort.
Prince Cem died in 1495. His death meant that the most powerful tool against the Sultan was gone. In 1501, d'Aubusson led an expedition against Mytilene, but disagreements among his mixed group of soldiers made the mission fail completely. His last years were filled with sadness over these failures.
See also
In Spanish: Pierre d'Aubusson para niños
