Lucia of Segni, also called Lucienne, was a 13th-century princess and countess and later

regent In a monarchy, a regent () is a person appointed to govern a state because the actual monarch is a minor, absent, incapacitated or unable to discharge their powers and duties, or the throne is vacant and a new monarch has not yet been dete ...

of the

Principality of Antioch The Principality of Antioch (; ) was one of the Crusader states created during the First Crusade which included parts of Anatolia (modern-day Turkey) and History of Syria#Medieval era, Syria. The principality was much smaller than the County of ...

and

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 ...

. She was regent on behalf of her minor son in 1252. Lucia was born into the family of the

counts of Segni The counts of Segni (, , also known as ''Conti'' or ''De Comitibus'' for short) were an important noble family of medieval and early modern Italy originating in Segni, Lazio. Many members of the family acted as military commanders or ecclesiastica ...

. She was the grandniece of

Pope Innocent III Pope Innocent III (; born Lotario dei Conti di Segni; 22 February 1161 – 16 July 1216) was head of the Catholic Church and ruler of the Papal States from 8 January 1198 until his death on 16 July 1216. Pope Innocent was one of the most power ...

and cousin of

Pope Gregory IX Pope Gregory IX (; born Ugolino di Conti; 1145 – 22 August 1241) was head of the Catholic Church and the ruler of the Papal States from 19 March 1227 until his death in 1241. He is known for issuing the '' Decretales'' and instituting the Pa ...

, who arranged for her to become the second wife of

Bohemond V Bohemond V of Antioch (1199 − 17 January 1252)Runciman, ''History of the Crusades, vol. III, p. 278 was ruler of the Principality of Antioch, a Crusader state, from 1233 to his death. He was simultaneously Count of Tripoli. Life Bohemond V ...

, the

prince of Antioch Prince of Antioch was the title given during the Middle Ages to Normans, Norman rulers of the Principality of Antioch, a region surrounding the city of Antioch, now known as Antakya in Turkey. The Princes originally came from the County of Sicil ...

and

count of Tripoli The count of Tripoli was the ruler of the County of Tripoli, a crusader state from 1102 through to 1289. Of the four major crusader states in the Levant, Tripoli was created last. The history of the counts of Tripoli began with Raymond IV, Coun ...

. The marriage took place in 1238. Lucia was responsible for Bohemond's close relations with the

Holy See The Holy See (, ; ), also called the See of Rome, the Petrine See or the Apostolic See, is the central governing body of the Catholic Church and Vatican City. It encompasses the office of the pope as the Bishops in the Catholic Church, bishop ...

, but his barons resented the number of Roman relatives and friends she invited to the Latin East. For this reason Bohemond was not popular with the Greek-dominated

Commune of Antioch The Commune of Antioch was a medieval commune in the Principality of Antioch. It was formed in 1194 in the courthouse of the Church of Saint Peter by a congregation of citizens headed by the Latin Patriarch of Antioch, Latin patriarch, Radulph II of ...

and resided instead 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 ...

. Princess Lucia may have influenced the appointment of the new

Greek Orthodox patriarch of Antioch The patriarch of Antioch is one of the Eastern Orthodox patriarchs, the leader of the autocephalous Greek Orthodox Church of Antioch. The term "Greek" does not refer to ethnic origin; the majority of these patriarchs were not ethnic Greeks, but ...

, David, in 1240, and she had her brother

Paul Paul may refer to: People * Paul (given name), a given name, including a list of people * Paul (surname), a list of people * Paul the Apostle, an apostle who wrote many of the books of the New Testament * Ray Hildebrand, half of the singing duo ...

installed as the

bishop of Tripoli A bishop is an ordained member of the clergy who is entrusted with a position of authority and oversight in a religious institution. In Christianity, bishops are normally responsible for the governance and administration of dioceses. The role ...

. Lucia and Bohemond V had two children, Plaisance and

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 ...

. Bohemond V died in January 1252 when Bohemond VI, his successor, was aged 15 and thus still a minor. Lucia assumed

regency In a monarchy, a regent () is a person appointed to govern a state because the actual monarch is a minor, absent, incapacitated or unable to discharge their powers and duties, or the throne is vacant and a new monarch has not yet been dete ...

for her son, but was an irresponsible administrator. She stayed in Tripoli, leaving Antioch to be governed by her Roman relatives. Such was her unpopularity that the young Bohemond asked

Pope Innocent IV Pope Innocent IV (; – 7 December 1254), born Sinibaldo Fieschi, was head of the Catholic Church and ruler of the Papal States from 25 June 1243 to his death in 1254. Fieschi was born in Genoa and studied at the universities of Parma and Bolo ...

to be declared of age a few months early. Innocent agreed. King

Louis IX of France Louis IX (25 April 1214 – 25 August 1270), also known as Saint Louis, was King of France from 1226 until his death in 1270. He is widely recognized as the most distinguished of the Direct Capetians. Following the death of his father, Louis VI ...

, who was in the Latin East on the

Seventh Crusade The Seventh Crusade (1248–1254) was the first of the two Crusades led by Louis IX of France. Also known as the Crusade of Louis IX to the Holy Land, it aimed to reclaim the Holy Land by attacking Egypt, the main seat of Muslim power in the Nea ...

and encamped in

Jaffa Jaffa (, ; , ), also called Japho, Joppa or Joppe in English, is an ancient Levantine Sea, Levantine port city which is part of Tel Aviv, Tel Aviv-Yafo, Israel, located in its southern part. The city sits atop a naturally elevated outcrop on ...

, mediated in the dispute between mother and son. The dowager princess, thus deprived of power, was compensated with a substantial income. She nevertheless succeeded in keeping Romans in important posts after her regency, leading to an unsuccessful baronial rebellion against her son.

References

Sources

* * * {{cite book , last=Kostick, first=Conor, author-link=Conor Kostick, year=2010, title=The Crusades and the Near East: Cultural Histories, publisher=Routledge, isbn=978-1136902482 13th-century women regents 13th-century regents Princesses of Antioch Countesses of Tripoli Regents of Antioch 13th-century countesses consort 13th-century princesses consort