Hands Across the Divide
March 3, 2022Η Πριγκίπισσα Άννα της Κύπρου
March 3, 2022Princess Anne of Cyprus, the daughter of Janus and Charlotte of Bourbon is born in Nicosia in 1418. In 1431, at the age of 14, is betrothed to Amadeus, the son of the Duke of Savoy, who dies a few days after the signature of their marriage contract. Six months later she is betrothed to his younger brother Louis. Their marriage is initially celebrated in Nicosia, through representation in October 1433. On the 7th of February 1434 the wedding is celebrated again, in splendidness, in Chambery the capital of Savoy.
Anna, a dynamic woman, proud of her royal descent, who is described by her contemporaries as the most beautiful woman of her time, takes with her an entourage of 86 persons, and according to the historians transforms Chambery, the capital of Savoy into a small Nicosia. She also takes with her, as part of her dowry the famous Cypriot-french codex known as Codex of Torino J.II.9, that contains Cypriot medieval music and vine-shouts, from which they produce until today, the well known wine roussete de Savoie.
Louis her husband, a handsome prince, who loves her dearly, prefers poetry and art to political affairs and leaves the governance of the country to Anna. The feudal lords that belong to the nationalist party detest being ruled by a foreigner and moreover by a woman. They accuse her that she destroyed the country, that she spends the treasure of the country on entertainments and gifts to her favorites, and that she sends money to Cyprus to help her son, who is married to queen Charlotte of Cyprus, to regain his throne of Cyprus. Anna gives birth to 18 children, but only fourteen survive. She marries her children into the most important families of Europe and her children and grandchildren are kings and queens of France, Germany, Austria, Poland, Hungary and other European countries. Some of the most well known of her descendants are Francois I, Louis XIV who ruled over France, the queen of Poland, the queen of Germany and Mary Stuart the Queen of Scots. Some historians say that princess Diana, prince William and Winston Churchill are also her descendants. Anna dies at the age of 44 alone, sad and humiliated. Today, six hundred years later, her memory is being restored by recent research, her history is rewritten and Anna of Cyprus is finally taking the place that she deserves in world history.
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