Henry I Embriaco (also known as Henry I of Gibelet; born after October 1, 1214 – died before June 2, 1271) was the Lord of

Gibelet Byblos ( ; ), also known as Jebeil, Jbeil or Jubayl (, Lebanese Arabic, locally ), is an ancient city in the Keserwan-Jbeil Governorate of Lebanon. The area is believed to have been first settled between 8800 and 7000BC and continuously inhabited ...

from 1241 until his death in 1271. He was a member of the prominent

Embriaco family The Embriaco family were a prominent Genoese family, who played an important role in the history of the Crusader states. It also gave consuls, admirals and ambassadors to the Republic of Genoa. The family ruled the city of Byblos (in present-d ...

Biography

Henry was the son of Guido I Embriaco and Alice of Antioch, herself the daughter of

Bohemond III of Antioch Bohemond III of Antioch, also known as Bohemond the Child or the Stammerer (; 1148–1201), was Prince of Antioch from 1163 to 1201. He was the elder son of Constance of Antioch and her first husband, Raymond of Poitiers. Bohemond ascended to the ...

. During the

War of Saint Sabas The War of Saint Sabas (1256–1270) was a conflict between the rival Italian maritime republics of Genoa (aided by Philip of Montfort, Lord of Tyre, John of Arsuf, and the Knights Hospitaller) and Venice (aided by the Count of Jaffa and Asca ...

in 1256, Henry aligned with the

Republic of Genoa The Republic of Genoa ( ; ; ) was a medieval and early modern Maritime republics, maritime republic from the years 1099 to 1797 in Liguria on the northwestern Italy, Italian coast. During the Late Middle Ages, it was a major commercial power in ...

, honoring his family's Genoese roots by sending Genoese troops to

Acre The acre ( ) is a Unit of measurement, unit of land area used in the Imperial units, British imperial and the United States customary units#Area, United States customary systems. It is traditionally defined as the area of one Chain (unit), ch ...

. His overlord,

Bohemond VI Bohemond VI (–1275), also known as the Fair, was the prince of Antioch and count of Tripoli from 1251 until his death. He ruled while Antioch was caught between the warring Mongol Empire and Mamluk Sultanate. He allied with the Mongols against ...

, attempted to remain neutral but leaned toward the

Republic of Venice The Republic of Venice, officially the Most Serene Republic of Venice and traditionally known as La Serenissima, was a sovereign state and Maritime republics, maritime republic with its capital in Venice. Founded, according to tradition, in 697 ...

. Tensions between Bohemond VI and the Embriaco family escalated, and by 1261, their feud had erupted into open conflict. With Genoese support, Henry I effectively asserted his independence from Bohemond VI. His cousin

Bertrand Embriaco Bertrand Embriaco (died after 1258) was a nobleman of Republic of Genoa, Genoese origin and a prominent member of a younger branch of the Embriaco family, lords of Gibelet in the County of Tripoli. Biography Bertrand was the son of Hugh Embriaco an ...

even launched an attack on Bohemond in

Tripoli Tripoli or Tripolis (from , meaning "three cities") may refer to: Places Greece *Tripolis (region of Arcadia), a district in ancient Arcadia, Greece * Tripolis (Larisaia), an ancient Greek city in the Pelasgiotis district, Thessaly, near Larissa ...

. This hostility persisted beyond Henry's death in 1271. It was only in 1282 that the conflict was settled, when Bohemond’s son and successor, Bohemond VII, captured Henry's sons Guido II, Giovanni, and Baldovino.

Marriage and issue

In 1250, Henry married Isabelle d'Ibelin, daughter of

Balian of Beirut Balian III of Beirut (died 1247) was the lord of Beirut, the second of his family, from 1236, and a son of the famous John of Ibelin, the Old Lord of Beirut, "Old Lord" John of Ibelin, by his second wife Melisende of Arsuf. From his father he ...

. Together, they had five children: #Baliano (died 26 August 1313 in

Nicosia Nicosia, also known as Lefkosia and Lefkoşa, is the capital and largest city of Cyprus. It is the southeasternmost of all EU member states' capital cities. Nicosia has been continuously inhabited for over 5,500 years and has been the capi ...

) # Guido II (died 1282 in

Nephin Nephin or Nefin (), at 806 metres (2646 ft), is the highest standalone mountain in Ireland and the second-highest peak in Connacht (after Mweelrea). It is to the west of Lough Conn in County Mayo. Location It lies in the centre of Gl ...

), succeeded his father as Lord of Gibelet (1271–1282) #Giovanni (died 1282 in Nephin) #Baldovino (died 1282 in Nephin) #Maria (died c. 1290), who married Balian II Grenier, titular

Lord of Sidon The Lordship of Sidon (), later County of Sidon, was one of the four major fiefdoms of the Kingdom of Jerusalem,According to the 13th-century writer John of Ibelin one of the Crusader States. However, in reality, it appears to have been much sm ...

References

Bibliography

* * * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Embriaco, Henry I 13th-century births 1271 deaths Christians of the Crusades 13th-century rulers Embriaco family