Lady of the Well

From Fox News:

Archeologists have discovered a water well in Cyprus that was built as long as 10,500 years ago, and the skeleton of a young woman at the bottom of it, an official said Wednesday.

Pavlos Flourentzos, the nation's top antiquities official, said the 16-foot (5-meter) deep cylindrical shaft was found last month at a construction site in Kissonerga, a village near the Mediterranean island nation's southwestern coast.

After the well dried up it apparently was used to dispose trash, and the items found in it included the poorly preserved skeleton of the young woman, animal bone fragments, worked flints, stone beads and pendants from the island's early Neolithic period, Flourentzos said.

The skeleton could be as old as the well itself, but archeologists don't know how the girl died or when and why the skeleton was left there, he said. Radiocarbon dating found the well is between 9,000 to 10,500 years old, he said.

Cypriot archaeologists studied the well in collaboration with Edinburgh University. The university has excavated in the area over the last three decades, unearthing several settlements dating from the Chalcolithic Period (3800-2500 B.C.).

Caterina Cornaro

CATERINA CORNARO (1453 - 1510)
Queen of Cyprus (1469 - 1489)

Caterina was the daughter of a prominent Venetian merchant family.

She was married by proxy to Jacques (James) II (1468), and given surname Veneto - 'daughter of St. Mark' . This ensured that as a daughter of Republic, Cyprus would pass to Venice if Caterina survived both her husband and heirs. Caterina underwent a formal marriage at Famagusta (1469).

Following the death of husband, Jacques II, Caterina's infant son Jacques III succeeds but mysteriously dies aged 2 months old (1469).

Caterina succeeds to Cyprus in own right (1473). However, it is not before long that power is taken out of her hands by Venice (1489) and she is "persuaded" to abdicate. Venice assumes direct rule of Cyprus.

Caterina spent remainder of her years in voluntary exile in Italian town of Asolo.

~~~ Melisende (first pub: 1998 Women of History)

Charlotte

Charlotte
Queen of Cyprus (Jerusalem and Armenia) (c.1458/9 - 1460)

Charlotte was the daughter of King Jean II of Cyprus and Helena Palaeologus, daughter of Theodore Paleaologus, Ruler of the Peloponnese. Charlote was twice married: (1) John, Duke of Coimbra (grandson of the King of Portugal), and (2) Louis, Count of Savoy. She managed to persuade her half-brother Archbishop Jacques to kill a royal chamberlain said to have been implicated in death of her husband John, who had incurred the emnity of Queen Helena and died in mysterious circumstances, though most likely poisoned. Aged 22, Charlotte succeeded father (c.1459).

After her accession, Charlotte married her second husband Louis, Count of Savoy and her cousin (1459). But things did not go as planned - her half brother Jacques declared himself to be heir of Cyprus (1460). In the ensuing dispute for the crown of Cyprus, Charlotte had the support of nobility against Jacques, who landed with Muslim army.

Charlotte retreated to castle of Kyrenia but the castle was surrounded and besieged (1460-1463). Somehow she managed to extricate herself and fled to Rome with her husband (1463). Jacques was declared and crowned King of Cyprus. Charlotte died (1487) bequething sovereignty of Cyprus to Savoy. I am unsure whether her husband was Louis, Duke of Savoy (1440-1465) and therefore mother of Amadeus IX, Duke of Savoy, but considering her bequest of Cyprus to Savoy it is possible.

~~~ Melisende (first pub:1998 - Women of History)

Isabella of Ibelin

Isabella of Ibelin
Lady of Beirut & Queen of Cyprus (d.1282)

Isabella was the eldest daughter of John II of Ibelin, Lord of Beirut (dc.1273) and Alice de la Roche of Athens. She had been previously married as a child to the child-King of Cyprus, Hugh II. The marraige was not consummated.

Following the death of her husband Hugh (Dec. 1267), Hugh III of Cyprus hoped to use her as an eligible heiress to attract some distinguished King to the East. Although a virgin-widow, her virginity of short duration, and she became notorious for her lack of chastity. Isabella undertook a brief liaison with Julian of Sidon.

A papal bull was issued urging her to marry. As an act of defiance, Isabella gave herself and her lordship to an Englishman Hamo L'Estrange (or the Foreigner), a companion of Prince Edward of England (1272). On Hamo's death (1273), she put herself and her fief under the protection of Bairbars.

Hugh of Cyprus tried to carry her off. Isabella returned to Beirut, but this time with a Mameluke guard installed to protect her. On the death of Bairbars, Hugh resumed control of the fief. Isabella married twice more (3. Nicholas L'Aleman, and 4. William Barlais) before her death (1282). Beirut the passed to her sister Eschiva, wife of Humphrey of Montfort (d.1283).

~~~ Melisende (first pub: 1988 - Women of History)