Melisende_of_Arsuf

Melisende of Arsuf

Melisende of Arsuf

French noblewoman


Melisende (born before 1177 – died after 1215) was the hereditary Lady of Arsuf from 1177 and the second wife of the powerful nobleman John, Old Lord of Beirut.

Quick Facts Born, Died ...

Life

She was born sometime before 1177, the eldest daughter of Guy, Lord of Arsuf. Her mother's name is unknown. She had a brother, Lord Jean, who married Helvis de Brie.[1] When Jean died childless, Melisende inherited the lordship of Arsuf.[1][2]

On an unknown date, Melisende married firstly Thierry d'Orca.[1] In 1207, she married secondly John of Ibelin, Lord of Beirut, former Constable of Jerusalem,[1] and Regent in Acre for his half-niece Queen Maria.

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:

Death

Melisende died on an unknown date.


References

  1. Lignages d'Outremer, Marciana MS Francese 20, CC LXXXIX, p.63
  2. Lock 2006, p. 490.

Sources

  • Lignages d'Outremer, Marciana MS Francese 20, CCLXXXIX, p. 63[full citation needed]
  • Lock, Peter (2006). The Routledge Companion to the Crusades. Routledge.
  • Roll, Israel; Tal, Oren (1999). Apollonia-Arsuf: The Persian and Hellenistic periods. Tel Aviv University Press.
  • Women in Power (1150–1200)[full citation needed]

Share this article:

This article uses material from the Wikipedia article Melisende_of_Arsuf, and is written by contributors. Text is available under a CC BY-SA 4.0 International License; additional terms may apply. Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.