The Lusignan and Venetian Eras

The Byzantine rule of Cyprus was immediately followed by the Lusignan and Venetian eras. When Richard the Lionheart conquered Cyprus and then sold it to the Knights Templars they too sold it off to Guy de Lusignan who was the deposed king of Jerusalem. That marked the beginning of the Lusignan and Venetian eras in the history of Cyprus.

During the Lusignan period (1192 A.D-1489 A.D), which is also known as the Frankish period, Cyprus had a feudal set up and the Greek Orthodox Church got replaced by the Catholic Church. But though stifled, the Greek Orthodox Church managed to exist in Cyprus. Under Lusignan era of Cyprus, the city of Ammochostos became one of the richest cities in Near East.

It was in the Lusignan period that the name of the cities of Lefkosia, Lemesos and Ammochostos were changed to NicosiaLimassol and Famagusta respectively. The Lusignan era of Cyprus ended with Queen Catherina Cornaro giving up Cyprus to the Venetians in 1489.

For the Venetians Cyprus was the final resort to escape from the attacks of the Ottomans. Large scale fortifications made during the Venetian era of Cyprus led to the destruction of beautiful structures of the island. The main purpose was to abridge the city boundaries and fortify it within huge walls. The walls that were constructed during the Venetian period of Cyprus were impressive in character and reflected the magnificence of Venetian architecture. The Lusignan and Venetian eras of Cyprus gave way to the Ottoman period in the history of Cyprus.