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

regent A regent (from Latin : ruling, governing) is a person appointed to govern a state '' pro tempore'' (Latin: 'for the time being') because the monarch is a minor, absent, incapacitated or unable to discharge the powers and duties of the monarchy ...

of the

Principality of Antioch The Principality of Antioch was one of the crusader states created during the First Crusade which included parts of modern-day Turkey and Syria. The principality was much smaller than the County of Edessa or the Kingdom of Jerusalem. It extende ...

and County of Tripoli. 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 ( it, Conti di Segni, la, de Comitibus Signie, 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 ac ...

. She was the grandniece of

Pope Innocent III Pope Innocent III ( la, Innocentius III; 1160 or 1161 – 16 July 1216), born Lotario dei Conti di Segni (anglicized as Lothar of Segni), was the head of the Catholic Church and ruler of the Papal States from 8 January 1198 to his death in 16 J ...

and cousin of

Pope Gregory IX Pope Gregory IX ( la, Gregorius IX; born Ugolino di Conti; c. 1145 or before 1170 – 22 August 1241) was head of the Catholic Church and ruler of the Papal States from 19 March 1227 until his death in 1241. He is known for issuing the '' Decre ...

, who arranged for her to become the second wife of

Bohemond V Bohemond V of Antioch (1199 − January 17, 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 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 of Toulou ...

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

Holy See The Holy See ( lat, Sancta Sedes, ; it, Santa Sede ), also called the See of Rome, Petrine See or Apostolic See, is the jurisdiction of the Pope in his role as the bishop of Rome. It includes the apostolic episcopal see of the Diocese of Rome ...

, 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, Radulph II. The prince, Bohemond III, w ...

and resided instead in

Tripoli Tripoli or Tripolis may refer to: Cities and other geographic units Greece *Tripoli, Greece, the capital of Arcadia, Greece * Tripolis (region of Arcadia), a district in ancient Arcadia, Greece * Tripolis (Larisaia), an ancient Greek city in ...

. Princess Lucia may have influenced the appointment of the new Greek Orthodox patriarch of Antioch, David, in 1240, and she had her brother Paul installed as the

bishop of Tripoli The Latin Diocese of Tripoli was established in 1104 in the aftermath of the First Crusade. It remained a residential bishopric until 1289, after which it became a titular bishopric, which it remains today in the Catholic Church. Tripoli, Lebanon, ...

. 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. In 1268 Antioch was captured by t ...

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

of age Coming of age is a young person's transition from being a child to being an adult. The specific age at which this transition takes place varies between societies, as does the nature of the change. It can be a simple legal convention or can be ...

a few months early. Innocent agreed. King

Louis IX of France Louis IX (25 April 1214 – 25 August 1270), commonly known as Saint Louis or Louis the Saint, was King of France from 1226 to 1270, and the most illustrious of the Direct Capetians. He was crowned in Reims at the age of 12, following the ...

, who was in the Latin East on the Seventh Crusade and encamped in

Jaffa Jaffa, in Hebrew Yafo ( he, יָפוֹ, ) and in Arabic Yafa ( ar, يَافَا) and also called Japho or Joppa, the southern and oldest part of Tel Aviv-Yafo, is an ancient port city in Israel. Jaffa is known for its association with the b ...

, 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 rulers Princesses of Antioch Countesses of Tripoli Regents of Antioch 13th-century viceregal rulers