The "Queen's House", Famagusta

Many buildings in Famagusta from the rule of the Lusignan dynasty have (partly) survived, but not a single monument of importance can be identified with any certainty as belonging to the period of the Genoese Occupation of the city, which beginning in 1372 lasted for a century. The Venetians (1489-1571) have left us the imposing fortifications and a few traces of more domestic architecture.

The lack of contemporary documents (many were destroyed after the Ottoman Turkish conquest of Cyprus, 1570/1) and the wholesale clearances of sites for the sake of the old building stone (1880-1900) today make it extremely difficult if not impossible to suggest with probability who lived where and when.

A fine example of the total uncertainty is the on many web sites and in many books so-called "Queen's Palace", a house in the style of the Italian Renaissance with a north-facing entrance. It is believed by many people that the last Lusignan Queen of Cyprus, Caterina Cornaro, lived here immediately prior to her abdication in 1489. But nothing is factually known of its history! The house is located in the same street (Naim Effendi) where a doorway from a Venetian mansion, known as "Biddulph's Gate", survived.

Does the mansion named "Queen's House" deserve this name or is it one of the many Cyprus fairy tales? Is there any proof that the tragic Queen Caterina lived here? Well known historical authors like Dreghorn (1985) and Gunnis (1936) do not shed any light on this question and neither does the British architect Jeffery (1918). However, an interesting line in his work: "Until recently it was known as the "Queen's House"." But again: hearsay - no source, no proof!

As usual our best source is Enlart (1899). I'll quote him in extenso, but I have edited some parts.

"Immediately after passing through the Sea Gate, if the traveller then proceeded up the main shopping street he would have on his left the bishop's palace and at the point where the street debouched into the main square he could see on the far side the front of the royal palace.

On the right another important shopping street entered the square in which was a row of loggias belonging to the various states which had consuls in Famagusta.

We know that the Genoese loggia had a flat roof and that it adjoined the monastery of the Friars Minor (No 4 on the plan) which was between it and the palace.

We also know that all the loggias were in this same long street which ran into the square (Piloti). Given that we know the location of the Genoese loggia from another source (Machaeras) we can deduce that it and the others were on the opposite side from the twin chapels which I have conjecturally ascribed to the Templars and the Hospitallers."

"In the street of the loggias, a little beyond St. Francis and opposite the twin chapels, is a Renaissance building which might have been the Genoese loggia, since that was approximately where it was located. It was probably rebuilt after Famagusta was repossessed by James II under a capitulation which guaranteed them their privileges. Another possibility is that it was the Queen's palace, which is marked on Gibellino's engraving of the 1571 siege of Famagusta as No. 11."

"From 1473-1476 Caterina Cornaro, the adoptive "Daughter of the Venetian Republic" and with James the Bastard his Queen of Cyprus, resided at Famagusta - most probably in the Venetian Palace, opposite the St Nicholas Cathedral (now the Lala Mustapha Pasha mosque)."

"It was probably about 1475 that Catherine, despoiled of her authority and of her possessions (a Venetian plot to force her to abdicate), discouraged and intimidated, handed over her palace at Famagusta to be the residence of the Venetian Provveditori (Governor). She herself went to live close at hand in a new and smaller palace. Shortly afterwards she moved to the quieter, and healthier, city of Nicosia'."

"The engraving of the siege of Famagusta in 1571 also shows, to the north of the Venetian palace and on the same alignment, a second palace of almost the same size entitled 'palazzo de la regnina', clearly meant for 'regina'. This was presumably the private house of Caterine Cornaro."

Quod erat demonstrandum.


	DID THE LAST CYPRUS QUEEN CATERINA CORNARO LIVE IN THIS MANSION...? THE "QUEEN'S HOUSE", FAMAGUSTA
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Many buildings in Famagusta from the rule of the Lusignan dynasty have (partly) survived, but not a single monument of importance can be identified with any certainty as belonging to the period of the Genoese Occupation of the city, which beginning in 1372 lasted for a century. The Venetians (1489-1571) have left us the imposing fortifications and a few traces of more domestic architecture. The lack of contemporary documents (many were destroyed after the Ottoman Turkish conquest of Cyprus, 1570/1) and the wholesale clearances of sites for the sake of the old building stone (1880-1900) today make it extremely difficult if not impossible to suggest with probability who lived where and when. A fine example of the total uncertainty is the on many web sites and in many books so-called "Queen's Palace", a house in the style of the Italian Renaissance with a north-facing entrance. It is believed by many people that the last Lusignan Queen of Cyprus, Caterina Cornaro, lived here immediately prior to her abdication in 1489. But nothing is factually known of its history! The house is located in the same street (Naim Effendi) where a doorway from a Venetian mansion, known as "Biddulph's Gate", survived. Does the mansion named "Queen's House" deserve this name or is it one of the many Cyprus fairy tales? Is there any proof that the tragic Queen Caterina lived here? Well known historical authors like Dreghorn (1985) and Gunnis (1936) do not shed any light on this question and neither does the British architect Jeffery (1918). However, an interesting line in his work: "Until recently it was known as the "Queen's House"." *But again: hearsay - no source, no proof!* As usual our best source is Enlart (1899). I'll quote him in extenso, but I have edited some parts. "Immediately after passing through the Sea Gate, if the traveller then proceeded up the main shopping street he would have on his left the bishop's palace and at the point where the street debouched into the main square he could see on the far side the front of the royal palace. On the right another important shopping street entered the square in which was a row of loggias belonging to the various states which had consuls in Famagusta. We know that the Genoese loggia had a flat roof and that it adjoined the monastery of the Friars Minor (No 4 on the plan) which was between it and the palace. We also know that all the loggias were in this same long street which ran into the square (Piloti). Given that we know the location of the Genoese loggia from another source (Machaeras) we can deduce that it and the others were on the opposite side from the twin chapels which I have conjecturally ascribed to the Templars and the Hospitallers." "In the street of the loggias, a little beyond St. Francis and opposite the twin chapels, is a Renaissance building which might have been the Genoese loggia, since that was approximately where it was located. It was probably rebuilt after Famagusta was repossessed by James II under a capitulation which guaranteed them their privileges. Another possibility is that it was the Queen's palace, which is marked on Gibellino's engraving of the 1571 siege of Famagusta as No. 11." "From 1473-1476 Caterina Cornaro, the adoptive "Daughter of the Venetian Republic" and with James the Bastard his Queen of Cyprus, resided at Famagusta - most probably in the Venetian Palace, opposite the St Nicholas Cathedral (now the Lala Mustapha Pasha mosque)." "It was probably about 1475 that Catherine, despoiled of her authority and of her possessions (a Venetian plot to force her to abdicate), discouraged and intimidated, handed over her palace at Famagusta to be the residence of the Venetian Provveditori (Governor). She herself went to live close at hand in a new and smaller palace. Shortly afterwards she moved to the quieter, and healthier, city of Nicosia'." "The engraving of the siege of Famagusta in 1571 also shows, to the north of the Venetian palace and on the same alignment, a second palace of almost the same size entitled 'palazzo de la regnina', clearly meant for 'regina'. This was presumably the private house of Caterine Cornaro." Quod erat demonstrandum.
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