Hugh de Candie,
Count of Brienne and
Lecce (c. 1240 –
August 8,
1296) was the second surviving son of Count
Walter IV of Brienne and Mary de Lusignan of
Cyprus.
His father,
Count of Jaffa and Ascalon in
Palestine, was murdered in 1246 in
Cairo, and was succeeded by his elder son,
John.
On the death of John (c. 1260), Hugh inherited the County of Brienne, in
France, and the family's claims in southern Italy, including the
Principality of Taranto and the County of Lecce, which had been confiscated in 1205.
He claimed the regency of the
Kingdom of Jerusalem (and, indirectly, a place in the succession) in 1264 as senior heir of
Alice of Jerusalem and
Hugh I of Cyprus, being the son of their eldest daughter, but was passed over by the
Haute Cour in favor of his cousin
Hugh of Antioch, and thereafter took little part in the affairs of
Outremer. His first cousin King
Hugh II of Cyprus died in 1267, and despite Hugh's rights as the senior heir, Hugh of Antioch, was crowned as Hugh III of Cyprus. When his second cousin's son
Conradin, King of Jerusalem, was killed in 1268, the succession again went to the junior cousin Hugh III.
Hugh decided to seek his fortune in
Europe rather than
Outremer, and took service under
Charles I of Naples. Charles made him Captain-General of
Brindisi,
Otranto and
Apulia and Lord of
Conversano, and he was an enthusiastic partisan of the
Angevin cause in Italy. For this service, his family's County of Lecce was restored to him. He was taken prisoner at the
Battle of the Gulf of Naples in 1284 with
Charles II of Naples and again at the
Battle of the Counts in 1287, both times in sea battles against
Roger of Lauria. On one of these occasions, he obtained his parole by leaving his only son
Walter as a hostage. He was killed in Sicily, at the
Battle of Gagliano, fighting Catalan
Almogavars, and was succeeded by Walter.
Succession
Hugh's first wife was
Isabella de la Roche, heiress of Thebes. She bore him two children:
- Agnes of Brienne, married John, Count of Joigny
His second wife was Helena Komnena Dukaina of Epirus-Neopatras, heiress of Lamia and Larisa. She bore him one daughter:
Category:1240 birthsCategory:1296 deathsCategory:Counts of BrienneCategory:Christians of the CrusadesCategory:French people of Cypriot descentCategory:Military personnel killed in actionCategory:Regents of JerusalemCategory:Articles lacking sources (Erik9bot)Category:House of Briennede:Hugo von Lecce (Brienne)es:Hugo de Briennefr:Hugues de Briennenl:Hugo van Brienneru:Гуго де Бриенн
