The Harbour of All This Sea and Realm offers an overview of the Lusignan, Genoese and Venetian history of the main port city of Cyprus, a Mediterranean crossroads. The essays contribute to the understanding of Famagusta’s social and administrative structure, as well as the influences on its architectural, artisan, and art historical heritage from the thirteenth to sixteenth centuries. We read of crusader bishops from central France, metalworkers from Asia Minor, mercenaries from Genoa, refugees from Acre, and traders from Venice. The themes of the city’s diasporas and cultural hybridity permeate and unify the essays in this collaborative effort.

Some of the studies use archival sources to reconstruct the early stages of appearances of various buildings. Such research is of vital importance, given the threat to Famagusta’s medieval and early modern heritage by its use as a military base since 1974.

List of Illustrations
Acknowledgments
Introduction
Michael J.K. Walsh, Tamas Kiss and Nicholas S.H. Coureas

Section One: History

Philippe Trelat Nicosia and Famagusta during the Frankish Period (1192–1474): Two Capitals for One Kingdom?
Pierre-Vincent Claverie Stephen de Mezel Bishop of Famagusta and his Age (1244–1259)
David Jacoby Refugees from Acre in Famagusta around 1300
Nicholas Coureas Apprentice Artisans and Craftsmen in Famagusta in the Notarial Deeds of Lamberto di Sambuceto and Giovanni da Rocha, 1296–1310
Michel Balard The Mercenaries of Genoese Famagusta in the Fifteenth Century
Benjamin Arbel Maritime Trade in Famagusta during the Venetian Period (1474–1571)

Section Two: Material Culture

Ulrike Ritzerfeld Made in Cyprus? Fourteenth Century Mamluk Metal Ware for the West: The Question of Provenance
Maria Paschali Crusader Ideology, Propaganda and the Art of the Carmelite Church in Fourteenth Century Famagusta
Michele Bacci Identity Markers in the Art of Fourteenth-Century Famagusta
Allan Langdale Pillars and Punishment: Spolia and Colonial Authority in Venetian Famagusta
Thomas Kaffenberger Harmonizing the Sources: An Insight into the Appearance of the Saint Georgios Complex at Various Stages of its Building History

List of Contributors
Index

Comitatus: A Journal of Medieval and Renaissance Studies

"The title immediately refers to the economic and political significance of this Cypriot city, inhabited by Greeks, Franks, Italians, Syrians, and Arabs, because of its role as a trading hub in the eastern Mediterranean. The articles gathered in this volume are the result of an international symposium on Famagusta, Historic Famagusta: A Millennium in Words and Images, hosted at Central European University in 2012. While these investigations advance our knowledge of medieval and Renaissance Famagusta, they also reveal questions that require further inquiry, whether due to a lack of sources or the poor accessibility of some monuments. The authors and editors seem aware of the state of research on this historic harbor. The raising of unexplored questions—central to the understanding of this important site—is linked with an international campaign advocating greater engagement in Famagusta’s preservation. This book will primarily interest historians and art historians focusing on... more

Journal of Greek Archaeology

"This volume derives from the editors’ desire to stimulate interest in the fascinating medieval town of Famagusta, located on the east coast of Cyprus, and to underpin the urgency in saving its valuable heritage. In their introduction the editors write that they and the contributors hope this book will ‘underpin the urgency of saving Famagusta’s valuable heritage’. In this they have undoubtedly succeeded. The volume brings to light the fascinating history of Cyprus, and Famagusta in particular, during the later Middle Ages. A real strength is its combination of micro and macro histories drawn from a wealth of material, ranging from archives to architecture. This volume serves a real purpose and thanks to its very specific time-frame and focus on Famagusta, it has a coherency and rationale that makes it an interesting read for any scholar of the eastern Mediterranean."