House of Lusignan

House of Lusignan
*Maison de Lusignan*
House of Lusignan; Maison de Lusignan
Crusader royal family
	Royal banner of Janus of Cyprus
Country	Kingdom of France; Kingdom of Jerusalem; Kingdom of Cyprus; Kingdom of Cilician Armenia
Etymology	From the city of Lusignan, Vienne
Place of origin	Poitou, France
Founded	10th century
Founder	Hugh I of Lusignan
Current head	None; extinct
Final ruler	James III
Titles	Lord of Lusignan; (10th century–1308); Count of La Marche; (1199–1309); Count of Angoulême; (1246–1309); King of Jerusalem; (1186–1192; still titular); King of Cyprus; (1192–1474); King of Armenia (Cilicia); (1342–1464);
Motto	Pour Loyauté Maintenir; (To retain loyalty)
Estate(s)	Château de Lusignan (ancestral seat); Royal Palace (Cypriot seat)
Dissolution	1267 (agnatic line); 1487 (cognatic line)

The House of Lusignan (/ˈluːzɪn.jɒn/ LOO-zin-yon; French: [lyziɲɑ̃]) was a royal house of French origin, which at various times ruled several principalities in Europe and the Levant, including the kingdoms of Jerusalem, Cyprus, and Armenia, from the 12th through the 15th centuries during the Middle Ages. It also had great influence in England and France.

The family originated in Lusignan, in Poitou, western France, in the early 10th century. By the end of the 11th century, the family had risen to become the most prominent petty lords in the region from their castle at Lusignan. In the late 12th century, through marriages and inheritance, a cadet branch of the family came to control the kingdoms of Jerusalem and Cyprus. In the early 13th century, the main branch succeeded to the Counties of La Marche and Angoulême.

As Crusader kings in the Latin East, they soon had connections with the Hethumid rulers of the Kingdom of Cilicia, which they inherited through marriage in the mid-14th century. The Armenian branch fled to France,^[1] and eventually Russia,^[2]^{[unreliable source?]} after the Mamluk conquest of their kingdom.

The claim was taken by the Cypriot branch,^[3]^[4] until their line failed. This kingdom was annexed by the Republic of Venice in the late 15th century.

^ Basmadjian, K. J. (Nov–Dec 1920). "Cilicia: Her Past and Future". The New Armenia. 12 (11–12): 168–9.
^ The Advocate: America's Jewish Journal, Volume 44. 21 December 1921 p. 628
^ Cite error: The named reference Badmoutioun Hayots, Volume II was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
^ Hill, George (2010). A History of Cyprus, Vol. 2 (1 ed.). Cambridge University Press. p. 441. ISBN 978-1108020633. Retrieved 4 June 2015.

[basmadjian-1] Basmadjian, K. J. (Nov–Dec 1920). "Cilicia: Her Past and Future". The New Armenia. 12 (11–12): 168–9.

[2] The Advocate: America's Jewish Journal, Volume 44. 21 December 1921 p. 628

[Badmoutioun_Hayots,_Volume_II-3] Cite error: The named reference Badmoutioun Hayots, Volume II was invoked but never defined (see the help page).

[4] Hill, George (2010). A History of Cyprus, Vol. 2 (1 ed.). Cambridge University Press. p. 441. ISBN 978-1108020633. Retrieved 4 June 2015.

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