The Embriaco were a prominent Genoese family, who played an important role in the history of the

Crusader states The Crusader States, also known as Outremer, were four Catholic realms in the Middle East that lasted from 1098 to 1291. These feudal polities were created by the Latin Catholic leaders of the First Crusade through conquest and political in ...

. It also gave consuls, admirals and ambassadors to the

Republic of Genoa The Republic of Genoa ( lij, Repúbrica de Zêna ; it, Repubblica di Genova; la, Res Publica Ianuensis) was a medieval and early modern maritime republic from the 11th century to 1797 in Liguria on the northwestern Italian coast. During the Lat ...

. The family ruled the city of

Byblos Byblos ( ; gr, Βύβλος), also known as Jbeil or Jubayl ( ar, جُبَيْل, Jubayl, locally ; phn, 𐤂𐤁𐤋, , probably ), is a city in the Keserwan-Jbeil Governorate of Lebanon. It is believed to have been first occupied between 880 ...

(in present-day

Lebanon Lebanon ( , ar, لُبْنَان, translit=lubnān, ), officially the Republic of Lebanon () or the Lebanese Republic, is a country in Western Asia. It is located between Syria to the north and east and Israel to the south, while Cyprus li ...

), styling themselves "Lord (Signore) of Gib(e)let" or "Gibelletto", the name which the city was called at the time. Their rule lasted for almost 200 years, from 1100 to the late 13th century.

History

They arrived in the

Kingdom of Jerusalem The Kingdom of Jerusalem ( la, Regnum Hierosolymitanum; fro, Roiaume de Jherusalem), officially known as the Latin Kingdom of Jerusalem or the Frankish Kingdom of Palestine,Example (title of works): was a Crusader state that was establishe ...

as early as 1099, with

Guglielmo Embriaco Guglielmo Embriaco (Latin ''Guillermus Embriacus'', Genoese ''Ghigærmo de ri Embrieghi'', English ''William the Drunkard''; born c. 1040), was a Genoese merchant and military leader who came to the assistance of the Crusader States in the afterm ...

and his brother Primo di Castello. They had Byblos, given to Ugo I Embriaco by

Bertrand of Toulouse Bertrand of Toulouse (or Bertrand of Tripoli) (died 1112) was count of Toulouse, and was the first count of Tripoli to rule in Tripoli itself. Bertrand was the eldest son of Raymond IV of Toulouse, and had ruled Toulouse since Raymond left on the ...

, from about 1110, thanks to Embriaco's military assistance in the creation of the

, on behalf of the

. Guglielmo Embriaco's son, Ugo I, was the first administrator of "Gibelletto" in the name of the Genoese republic, he then obtained the city as a hereditary fief, undertaking to pay an annual fee to Genoa and to the church of San Lorenzo. The family always protected the Genoese traders in the Levant, exempting them from all duties. Their power in Byblos lasted, apart from occupation by

Saladin Yusuf ibn Ayyub ibn Shadi () ( – 4 March 1193), commonly known by the epithet Saladin,, ; ku, سه‌لاحه‌دین, ; was the founder of the Ayyubid dynasty. Hailing from an ethnic Kurdish family, he was the first of both Egypt and ...

1187–1197, to the end to the thirteenth century, when they were defeated by Bohemond VII of Tripoli, and finally pushed out by

Muslim Muslims ( ar, المسلمون, , ) are people who adhere to Islam, a monotheistic religion belonging to the Abrahamic tradition. They consider the Quran, the foundational religious text of Islam, to be the verbatim word of the God of Abrah ...

advances. The Embriacos were Lords of lands in

Liguria Liguria (; lij, Ligûria ; french: Ligurie) is a Regions of Italy, region of north-western Italy; its Capital city, capital is Genoa. Its territory is crossed by the Alps and the Apennine Mountains, Apennines Mountain chain, mountain range and is ...

and in

Lunigiana The Lunigiana () is a historical territory of Italy, which today falls within the provinces of Massa Carrara, Tuscany, and La Spezia, Liguria. Its borders derive from the ancient Roman settlement, later the medieval diocese of Luni, which no long ...

. And had properties and a square in Genoa. The

male line Patrilineality, also known as the male line, the spear side or agnatic kinship, is a common kinship system in which an individual's family membership derives from and is recorded through their father's lineage. It generally involves the inheritan ...

of the family died out in the half of the 15th century.

Embriaco family tree

* Guglielmo I Embriaco of Gibelletto, Lord of Gibelletto (b. 1040) (r. 1109 – after 1118) ** Ugo I Embriaco of Gibelletto ( de), Lord of Gibelletto (c. 1110 – ?) (r. before 1127 – 1135), married Adelasia ***Guglielmo II Embriaco of Gibelletto ( de), Lord of Gibelletto (r. 1135−1157), married Sancha from

Provence Provence (, , , , ; oc, Provença or ''Prouvènço'' , ) is a geographical region and historical province of southeastern France, which extends from the left bank of the lower Rhône to the west to the Italian border to the east; it is bor ...

****Ugo II Embriaco of Gibelletto ( de), Lord of Gibelletto (r. 1157−1184) (d. 1184) ***** Ugo III Embriaco, Lord of Gibelletto ( de) (r. 1184−1187) (d. 1196), married Stephanie of Milly, and had: ******

Guido I Embriaco Guido I Embriaco or Guy I of Gibelet (born c. 1180; died after September 1238) was "Lord (Signore) of Gib(e)let" or "Gibelletto", the modern and historic Byblos in Lebanon.''Je m'appelle Byblos'', Jean-Pierre Thiollet, H & D, 2005. {{ISBN, 2-914266- ...

, Lord of Gibelletto (1197–1241) (d. 1241), married Alice, daughter of

Bohemond III of Antioch Bohemond III of Antioch, also known as Bohemond the Child or the Stammerer (french: Bohémond le Bambe/le Baube; 1148–1201), was Prince of Antioch from 1163 to 1201. He was the elder son of Constance of Antioch and her first husband, Raymond o ...

, in 1204 and had: *******Maria (born before October 1214) ******* Enrico I Embriaco of Gibelletto, Lord of Gibelletto (r. 1241−1271) (d. c. 1271), married c. 1250 Isabelle d'Ibelin, and had: ********Baliano Embriaco of Gibelletto (d. 26 August 1313,

Nicosia Nicosia ( ; el, Λευκωσία, Lefkosía ; tr, Lefkoşa ; hy, Նիկոսիա, romanized: ''Nikosia''; Cypriot Arabic: Nikusiya) is the largest city, capital, and seat of government of Cyprus. It is located near the centre of the Mesaor ...

) ********

Guido II Embriaco Guy II or Guido II, surnamed Embriaco (died 1282), was the lord of Gibelet (Arabic ''Jubayl'', Greek ''Byblos'') from about 1271 until his death. Guy was the eldest son of Henry I Embriaco and Isabella of the House of Ibelin, a daughter of Lord ...

of Gibelletto, Lord of Gibelletto (r. 1271−1282) (d. 1282 in

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

) married Margaret Grenier of Sidon, daughter of

Julian Grenier Julian Grenier (died 1275) was the Count of Sidon from 1239 to 1260, then becoming merely titular. He was the son and successor of Balian Grenier and Ida of Reynel. He did not exhibit the wisdom of his father in his dealings with the Saracens. ...

Lord of Sidon The Lordship of Sidon (french: Saete/Sagette), (Later County of Sidon) was one of the Vassals of the Kingdom of Jerusalem, four major fiefdoms of the Kingdom of Jerusalem,According to the 13th-century writer John of Ibelin (jurist), John of Ibelin ...

*********Maria Embriaco of Gibelletto ( es) (d. Nicosia 1331/4, buried there), married c. 1295 Philip of Ibelin, Seneschal of Cyprus and

Jerusalem Jerusalem (; he, יְרוּשָׁלַיִם ; ar, القُدس ) (combining the Biblical and common usage Arabic names); grc, Ἱερουσαλήμ/Ἰεροσόλυμα, Hierousalḗm/Hierosóluma; hy, Երուսաղեմ, Erusałēm. i ...

(1253–1318) **********Juan de Ibelin (1302 – after 1317) ********** Guy of Ibelin, married Margaret of Ibelin, with whom he had: ***********John of Ibelin (d. after 1367) ***********Alice of Ibelin (d. after 1374), married

John of Lusignan John of Lusignan ( French: ''Jean de Lusignan''; c. 1329 or 1329/1330 – 1375) was a regent of the Kingdom of Cyprus and titular Prince of Antioch. He was son of King Hugh IV of Cyprus and his second wife Alix of Ibelin. He was a member of the Hou ...

, with whom she had: James of Lusignan (died 1395/1397), Peter of Lusignan (died February 10, 1451, who had an illegitimate son

Phoebus of Lusignan Phoebus of Lusignan (died after July 1485 in Rome) (also called Febo or Febos in Portuguese) was a titular Marshal of Armenia and also titular Lord of Sidon, the illegitimate son of Peter of Lusignan, titular Count of Tripoli. Biography His f ...

), Eleanor of Lusignan (died c. 1414), married c. 1406 her cousin

Henry of Lusignan Henry of Lusignan or Henri de Lusignan (died 7 July 1426), Titular Prince of Galilee, a military leader in Egypt, killed in action at Battle of Khirokitia, Khirokitia or Chirokhitia. He was son of James I of Cyprus and his first wife Helvis of Brun ...

and Loysia of Lusignan married her cousin Eudes/Odo of Lusignan ***********Margaret of Ibelin **********Balinese of Ibelin (died 1349), married a woman also named Margaret of Ibelin **********Isabel de Ibelin (1300 – after 1342), married

Ferdinand of Majorca Ferdinand of Majorca ( ca, Ferran de Mallorca; 1278 – 5 July 1316) was an ''infant'' of the Kingdom of Majorca; he was born at Perpignan, the third son of King James II. He was Viscount of Aumelas and Lord of Frontignan from 1311 and c ...

**********Helvis de Ibelin (1307 – after 1347), married

Henry II, Duke of Brunswick-Grubenhagen Henry II, Duke of Brunswick-Lüneburg, (before 1296 – after 1351), also called ''de Graecia'' ("of Greece"), was the eldest son of Henry I, Duke of Brunswick-Lüneburg and Agnes of Meissen. On their father's death in 1322, his sons agreed ...

, with whom she had:

Philip Philip, also Phillip, is a male given name, derived from the Greek (''Philippos'', lit. "horse-loving" or "fond of horses"), from a compound of (''philos'', "dear", "loved", "loving") and (''hippos'', "horse"). Prominent Philips who popularize ...

(c. 1332 – 4 August 1369/70), Riddag (c. 1334 – 1364/67), Balthazar (c. 1336 – aft. 14 January 1384), Thomas (c. 1338 – c. 1384),

Melchior Melchior is the name traditionally given to one of the biblical Magi appearing in the Gospel of Matthew. There are many notable people with this name, or close variations. As a first name * Melchior Anderegg (1828–1914), Swiss mountain guide * ...

(c. 1341 – 6 June 1381) and Helvis, married Louis de Nores *********Catherine Embriaco of Gibelletto, married Jean of Antioch *********

Peter Embriaco of Giblet Peter Embriaco of Gibelet, lord of the fief of Gibelet (modern Byblos), was the last prince of the House of Giblet (Embriaco family) in the Levant. Biography He became the Lord of Gibelet, following the death of his father Guido II Embriaco. Howev ...

(r. 1282−1289) (d. after 1310), the last Lord of Gibelletto married Douce de Gaurelée, then Agnes Embriaco of Gibelletto *********Silvestre Embriaco of Gibelletto ********Giovanni Embriaco of Gibelletto (d. January 1282 in Nephin), married daughter of Hugh l'Aleman ********Baldovino Embriaco of Gibelletto (d. January 1282 in Nephin) ********Maria Embriaco of Gibelletto (d. c. 1290), married Balian II Grenier, titular

*******Raimondo Embriaco of Gibelletto ( es) (died after 1238) *******Bertrando Embriaco of Gibelletto (died after 1271) *******Agnes Embriaco of Gibelletto, married Barthelemy of Saint Simeon, Lord of Soudin ******Ugo Embriaco of Gibelletto ****** Plaisance Embriaco of Gibelletto (d. c. 1217), married

Bohemond IV of Antioch Bohemond IV of Antioch, also known as Bohemond the One-Eyed (french: Bohémond le Borgne; 1175–1233), was Count of Tripoli from 1187 to 1233, and Prince of Antioch from 1201 to 1216 and from 1219 to 1233. He was the younger son of Bohemond III ...

******Pavia, married

Garnier l'Aleman Werner of Egisheim (died after 1231) was a German Crusader, better known by his French name of Garnier l’Aleman (''Werner the German''). Life Belonging to a German noble family from Egisheim in Alsace, he is first recorded in Acre in the entour ...

**** Raimondo Embriaco of Gibelletto ( es) (before 1135 – after 1204), married a noblewoman from

Principality of Antioch The Principality of Antioch was one of the crusader states created during the First Crusade which included parts of modern-day Turkey and Syria. The principality was much smaller than the County of Edessa or the Kingdom of Jerusalem. It extende ...

, Constable of Tripoli *****Guglielmo Embriaco of Gibelletto, married Eva ****** John de Embriaco ( de) (before 1228 – around 1262), Marshal of Jerusalem, married Femia de Cesarea, daughter of

Walter III of Caesarea Walter III (French: ''Gautier''), sometimes called Walter de Brisebarre or Walter Grenier (bef. 1180 – 24 June 1229), was the Constable of the Kingdom of Cyprus from 1206 and Lord of Caesarea in the Kingdom of Jerusalem from 1216. He was the eld ...

, lord of Cesarea, with whom he had Isabel, who married Guillermo Filangieri; then he married Juana de Lanelée, with whom he had Balian, Juan and Femia (Eufemia), who married Guido de Soissons. ****Bertrando I Embriaco of Gibelletto (d. after 1217), married Doleta, daughter of Stephen of Armenia *****Ugo Embriaco of Gibelletto (d. after 1264), married Marie Porcelet ******Bertrando II Embriaco of Gibelletto ( es) (murdered 1258) *******Barthelemy Embriaco of Gibelletto (killed on 26 April 1289 during the Fall of Tripoli), married Helvis, daughter of Pierre de Scandelion ******** Bertrando III Embriaco of Gibelletto ********Ugo Embriaco of Gibelletto, married Catherine de la Roche ********Agnes Embriaco of Gibelletto, married Gauvain de la Roche, then

*******Guglielmo Embriaco of Gibelletto (murdered in January 1282 in Nephin) *******Lucie Embriaco of Gibelletto, married Juan de Botron ( es) *******Marguerite Embriaco of Gibelletto, married Baudouin Ibelin ****Guglielmo III Embriaco of Gibelletto ( de), (d. after December 1204), married Fadie, daughter of

Manasses of Hierges Manasses of Hierges was an important crusader and constable of the Kingdom of Jerusalem. He was lord of Ramla from 1150 to 1152. Biography Early years He was the son of Hodierna of Rethel and Héribrand II of Hierges; Hodierna was daughter ...

****Agnes Embriaco of Gibelletto, married Guermond II ( de), with whom she had a daughter, Helvis who later married Roland de Lucca

Offspring of Guglielmo III

*Guglielmo III Embriaco of Gibelletto ** Ugo di Gibelletto ( de) (d. c. 1220), Lord of Besmedin, married Agnes de Ham and had: *** Raimondo di Gibelletto ( de) (d. c. 1253), Lord of Besmedin, married firstly Marguerite de Scandelion and secondly Alix de Soudin, and had: **** Giovanni I di Gibelletto, married Poitevine, daughter of a Marshal of Tripoli ***** Giovanni II di Gibelletto (d. c. 1315), married Marguerite du Plessis, without issue. ***** Maria di Gibelletto **** Ugo di Gibelletto, died young **** Enrico di Gibelletto ( de) (d. 1310), Lord of Besmedin, married Marguerite de Morf, without issue **** Bertrando di Gibelletto, died young **** Eschiva di Gibelletto, married Raymundo Visconti **** Agnese di Gibelletto **** Susanna di Gibelletto, died young **** Maria di Gibelletto, married Guy de Montolif *** Gerardo de Ham di Gibelletto (d. 1225) *** Guglielmo II di Gibelletto (d. c. 1243), married Anne de Montignac, and had: **** Eudes di Gibelletto, died young **** Girard di Gibelletto, died young **** Giovanni III di Gibelletto, Lord of Saint-Foucy, married Gillette d'Angiller, and had: ***** Guglielmo III di Gibelletto, married in 1318 Marie de Verny, without issue ***** Maria di Gibelletto ***** Eschiva di Gibelletto (d. c. 1350), married Simon Petit (d. 1355/1338) **** Stefania di Gibelletto, married Amaury le Bernier **** Maria di Gibelletto, married Amaury le Flamenc **** Eufemia di Gibelletto, died young **** Agnese di Gibelletto, died young *** Adamo di Gibelletto ( de), Lord of Adelon *** Agnese di Gibelletto, married

Thierry de Termonde Thierry of Termonde (also Terremonde or Tenremonde, died in 1206 in Battle of Rusion, Rusion) was lord of Adelon for marriage in the Kingdom of Jerusalem, and constable of Latin Empire of Constantinople. He was the youngest son of Gautier II de Ter ...

References

External links

Tripoli
at fmg.ac. {{Republic of Genoa Republic of Genoa families History of Byblos de:Herrschaft Gibelet

History

Embriaco family tree

Offspring of Guglielmo III

See also

References

External links