Anne of Cyprus
| Anne de Lusignan | |
|---|---|
| Duchess consort of Savoy | |
| Tenure | 1440–1462 |
| Born | 24 September 1418 Nicosia, Cyprus |
| Died | 11 November 1462 (aged 44) Geneva, Switzerland |
| Spouse | Louis, Duke of Savoy |
| Issue more... |
Amadeus IX, Duke of Savoy Louis, Count of Geneva and King of Cyprus Philip II, Duke of Savoy Margaret, Margravine of Montferrat and Countess of Saint-Pol Charlotte, Queen of France Maria, Countess of Saint-Pol Bona, Duchess of Milan Jacques, Count of Romont |
| House |
House of Lusignan Savoy |
| Father | Janus of Cyprus |
| Mother | Charlotte de Bourbon |
Anne of Cyprus (or Anne de Lusignan) (24 September 1418 – 11 November 1462) was the daughter of King Janus of Cyprus and Charlotte of Bourbon; and a member of the celebrated Lusignan crusader dynasty. She was Duchess of Savoy as the wife of Louis, Duke of Savoy.
On 9 August 1431 was signed the marriage contract between Anne and Amadeus, Prince of Piamonte and titular Prince of Achaea, eldest surviving son and heir of Amadeus VIII, Duke of Savoy (who later became Antipope Felix V); however, the Prince died only twenty days later, on 29 August.
Five months later, on 1 January 1432, was signed a second marriage contract for Anne, this time with Louis of Savoy, Amadeus' younger brother and new heir of the Duchy of Savoy. The wedding took place two years later, on 12 February 1434. in Chambéry. A few months later, on 7 November, Duke Amadeus VIII resigned the government in the hands of his son Louis, although he officially abdicated in his favor only when he was elected as Antipope, in 1440.
Anne's husband, who was more interested in poetry than his duchy, but very much in love with his wife, gradually left her to manage affairs of state. She, due to nostalgia for her own country, organized many receptions on behalf of the most powerful Cypriot lords. To impress the visitors, she decorated the castles, organized festivals, and offered gifts to the guests, the expense of which caused much protest from the peasants and nobles of the county of Vaud.
To relieve some of her debts, Anne organized a match for one of her daughters, which was an advantageous alliance for the house of Savoy. In 1451, at the age of ten years, her daughter Charlotte married the dauphin of France, the future King Louis XI. He later would claim default of the promised dowry, new strongholds, and seized several castles in Bresse and several chief towns of Vaud.
In 1452, Anne bought the Shroud of Turin from Jeanne de Charny in exchange for the castle of Varambon. Years later Pope Paul II authorised Yolande of France to deposit the relic of the Holy Shroud in the vault of the castle of Chambéry from which she raised a tower above the sacristy, as a religious symbol.
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