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Cornaro Patisserie

When her husband King Jacques II died, Caterina Cornaro was appointed queen until the birth of an heir, which was shortly expected, and the management of affairs was entrusted to a council of regency among whom were the uncles of the queen. Her son King Jacques III, was born in August 1473, but only lived one year. The Venetians, who were already numerous and powerful on the island, acquired increased importance from the fact that the sovereign was a Venetian and adopted daughter of the republic. Their pretensions were resented by the Cypriot nobility, who with the support of the Pope and Ferdinand, the King of Naples, designed to place on the throne of Cyprus Alfonso.

The Latin archbishop, Fabricius, who was the leader of Alfonso’s party, arrived in Cyprus from Naples with two armed galleys and a letter from the Pope denouncing the uncles of the queen as murderers of Jacques II. The conspirators broke into the palace at Famagusta and, in the fracas which ensued, Andrea Cornaro and Marco Bembo were killed. But the conspiracy was not supported by the Cypriots, who had no desire to go come under the rule of Naples. On the arrival of a Venetian fleet at Famagusta to demand satisfaction for the murder of the uncles of the queen, Fabricius and the other conspirators saw that their position was hopeless and sought safety in flight.

The republic of Venice was now in a position to pursue her own schemes without any interference. Caterina was allowed for fifteen years to remain queen of Cyprus, but she had no real power, since all the principal offices of the kingdom were in the hands of the Venetians. But, the position was not entirely satisfactory to Venice. Catarina was still young  and there was a possibility of her marrying Alfonso, son of the king of Naples, and leaving an heir to the throne. To guard against any contingencies, the republic persuaded the queen to leave Cyprus. To compensate her for the loss of her throne, she was allowed to retain the title of queen, with an ample allowance to enable her to live in a manner befitting her rank. In 1507 BC, Queen Catherina Cornaro was found dead in a monastery in the Kyrenia region.