Catherine Cornaro's story is closely linked to the wishes of her father: the ambitious Venetian patrician Marco Cornaro, who gave the benefit of his fortune to King John II of Cyprus, and later to his son James II.
Of course, these loans were not made without ulterior motives. King James II of Cyprus soon understood that it was becoming complicated to pay him back. It was then that Marco Cornaro offered him his fourteen year old daughter, Caterina.
Being still a minor, formally the Republic of Venice adopted Caterina making her a ward of the Republic. The purpose of the maneuver was obviously to make the Republic the designated heir, through Catherine. In other words, if Catherine had inherited Cyprus and then died, Cyprus would have belonged to Venice.
In Cyprus, the beautiful young Venetian quickly found her way, within the important Venetian community that obviously included members of her family. Cypriots liked him and were overall happy. The only dissatisfaction was her husband, twelve years older than her, whom she barely saw. Suddenly, in June 1473, only 10 months after they met, King James II died suddenly.
Catherine Cornaro soon became a woman of character, remaining queen for 16 years and holding the kingdom alone until she was forced by the Republic of Venice to surrender the island. Cyprus was then sold to the Republic of Venice, exactly as her father and the state had planned... She returned to the Serenissima, recreating her own court in the enchanting Asolo.
An enchanting day, discovering the court of the Queen of Cyprus and its magical surroundings?
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