Hugh III Embriaco or Hugo III of Gibelet (also called "The Limping One"; ; born before 1164 – died c. 1196) 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 ...

, located in the

County of Tripoli The County of Tripoli (1102–1289) was one of the Crusader states. It was founded in the Levant in the modern-day region of Tripoli, Lebanon, Tripoli, northern Lebanon and parts of western Syria. When the Crusades, Frankish Crusaders, mostly O ...

Biography

Hugh III was the son of Hugh II Embriaco, Lord of Gibelet. Upon his father's death around 1184, he succeeded him as ruler of the city. Like his predecessor, Hugh III promoted the interests of Genoese merchants, particularly the powerful viscount families who dominated trade between Genoa and

Syria Syria, officially the Syrian Arab Republic, is a country in West Asia located in the Eastern Mediterranean and the Levant. It borders the Mediterranean Sea to the west, Turkey to Syria–Turkey border, the north, Iraq to Iraq–Syria border, t ...

. This policy allowed the

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 ...

to assert increasing autonomy from the Genoese Republic itself—an evolution that drew protests from Popes Alexander III and Urban III, though without tangible consequences. In 1187, during the

Battle of Hattin The Battle of Hattin took place on 4 July 1187, between the Crusader states of the Levant and the forces of the Ayyubid sultan Saladin. It is also known as the Battle of the Horns of Hattin, due to the shape of the nearby extinct volcano of ...

, Hugh was captured by Sultan

Saladin Salah ad-Din Yusuf ibn Ayyub ( – 4 March 1193), commonly known as Saladin, was the founder of the Ayyubid dynasty. Hailing from a Kurdish family, he was the first sultan of both Egypt and Syria. An important figure of the Third Crusade, h ...

. In order to secure his release, he was forced to cede Gibelet. The city was later reclaimed by his son Guido I Embriaco during Emperor Henry VI's

Crusade of 1197 The Crusade of 1197, also known as the Crusade of Henry VI () or the German Crusade (''Deutscher Kreuzzug''), was a Crusades, crusade launched by the House of Hohenstaufen, Hohenstaufen emperor Henry VI, Holy Roman Emperor, Henry VI in response ...

Marriage and issue

By 1179 at the latest, Hugh III had married Stephanie of Milly, the widow of William Dorel, Lord of

Botron Batroun ( ';, ancient Botrys (), is a coastal city in North Lebanon, northern Lebanon and one of the List of oldest continuously inhabited cities, oldest continuously inhabited cities in the world. It is the capital city of Batroun District. Th ...

. They had four children: * Guido I, Lord of Gibelet – married Alice of Antioch, daughter of

Bohemond III 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 th ...

*Hugo * Plaisance (d. 1217) – married Prince

Bohemond IV of Antioch Bohemond IV of Antioch, also known as Bohemond the One-Eyed (; 11751233), 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 of Antioch. The dying Raymond ...

*Pavia – married Werner of Egisheim (also known as Garnier l’Aleman)

References

Bibliography

* * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Embriaco, Hugh III 12th-century births 1190s deaths Christians of the Crusades 12th-century rulers People of the Crusades Embriaco family