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