RRR: Correspondence/envoy
1747
year: 1217
initiator: Pope Honorius III
recipient: King of Jerusalem, the patriarch of Jerusalem, and the magistri of the Kinghts Templar and the Hospitallers of Saint John
text: Jul. 24. Ferentino. Pope Honorius III informs the king of Jerusalem, the patriarch of Jerusalem, and the magistri of the Knights Templar and the Hospitallers of St John that the king of Hungary, the duke of Austria and other crusaders plan to muster on Cyprus on the Feast of the Nativity of the the Blessed Virgin Mary [8 September]. They should meet and advise them.
Jul. 24. Ferentino. Pope Honorius III informs the king of Jerusalem, the patriarch of Jerusalem, and the magistri of the Knights Templar and the Hospitallers of St John that the king of Hungary, the duke of Austria and other crusaders plan to muster on Cyprus on the Feast of the Nativity of the the... more
sources: Schabel, Bullarium 1:185-6, nos. c-4, c-5
RRR: Correspondence/envoy
1748
year: 1217
initiator: Pope Honorius III
recipient: Western prelates
text: Jul. 24. Ferentino. Pope Honorius writes to western prelates, telling them that he has informed the patriarch of Jerusalem, the king of Jerusalem and the magistri of the Hospitallers of St John of Jerusalem and the Knights Templar that the king of Hungary, the duke of Austria and other crusaders are planning to muster in Cyprus on the following Feast of the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary [8 September], where they should meet them and decide what to do. Cardinal Pelagius of Albano has been appointed papal legate. He will act on the advice of the Hospitallers and Knights Templar on matters such as the redemption of vows. No crusader is to visit the church of the Holy Sepulchre in Jerusalem, because this involves making payments to the Sarraceni.
Jul. 24. Ferentino. Pope Honorius writes to western prelates, telling them that he has informed the patriarch of Jerusalem, the king of Jerusalem and the magistri of the Hospitallers of St John of Jerusalem and the Knights Templar that the king of Hungary, the duke of Austria and other crusaders... more
sources: Schabel, Bullarium 1:183-5, no. c-3
RRR: Correspondence/envoy
1808
year: 1218
initiator: James of Vitry
recipient: Pope Honorius III
text: Sept. 14 and 22. In the army besieging Damietta. James of Vitry [I. Acconensis ecclesie minister] writes to Pope Honorius and to his friends. He narrates how, after returning from Caesarea, the Christian army in Palestine built a new castle [Castrum Peregrinorum] by the sea, at a place on the road to Jerusalem called Districte, how the Sarraceni made an unsuccessful attack on Caesarea, how, after the Christian army had returned to Acre, a fleet of 40 Frisian and German cogones arrived not long after Easter and a council-of-war [commune consilium] decided to invade Egypt [Egyptum]. He describes the wealth of Egypt, its flatness, the absence of major fortifications other than Damiata, Babylonia - called Kayre by the Egyptians - and Alexandria, the sites of Christian pilgrimage in the country and the fact that it is the centre of the production of balsam. He maintains that most of the population are still Christian, if pacific, and comments on the fact that there are Christian populations in the East. He narrates how on 24 May the patriarch of Jerusalem embarked with the relic of the True Cross, which was a splinter of that which had been lost [at Hattin], how the army voyaged to Egypt, arrived before Damietta and established an encampment on an island before the city. He describes the practice of the incubination of hen eggs, the situation of the city, the flooding of the river Nile, sickness in the army, the difficulty, even with siege engines, of ship-borne assaults on a strong tower in the middle of the river from which a chain barred the progress of shipping. The attacks continued for 4 months until the Frisians, under magister Oliverus Coloniensis cancellarius, constructed a magnificent and expensive floating siege engine on 2 ships and the tower was captured. At the time of writing [14 September] the Christians, who were expecting reinforcements, were planning a crossing of the Nile to attack Damietta. Many Sarraceni were deserting and being baptized, while part of the garrison of Mons Thabor had been sent to Egypt and their castle had been destroyed, as had been the city of Gibelet [Gibel ?] and 5 fortresses between Tyre and Damascus, at a time when the Christians had strengthened the fortresses [munitiones] of Districtum and Caesarea on the way to Jerusalem. Further, the sultan of Egypt had died from sorrow at the loss of the tower in the Nile. James of Vitry asks for prayers that the Christians successfully take Egypt. In the copy of his letter to the pope, James reports that 9 ships with domnus Petrus Hanibal and other Romans arrived in the week after 24 August. Cardinal Pelagius of Albano, the papal legate, has reached Acre with a Roman prince and is daily expected in Egypt. In the copy of his letter to his friends, James of Vitry asks for prayers for those who have died, including magister Walterus de Tornacho archidiaconus ecclesie Acconensis, who did much good in Acre; magister Constantius de Duacho decanus ecclesie Acconensis; domnus Iohannes de Cameracho ecclesie Acconensis cantor; domnus Reinerus, a cleric in James’s household who became Sancti Michaelis in Accon pastor; H. serviens episcopi Acconensis; magister Thomas cancellarius Noviomensis; magister Leonius qui legebat de Theologia in civitate Acconensi; magister Alexander nepos magistri R. cardinalis; Iohannes iunior de Cameraco nepos cantoris ecclesie Acconensis; magister Reinaldus de Barbachon ecclesie Acconensis thesaurarius. James adds that he was very ill for 2 months in the camp before Damietta.
Sept. 14 and 22. In the army besieging Damietta. James of Vitry [I. Acconensis ecclesie minister] writes to Pope Honorius and to his friends. He narrates how, after returning from Caesarea, the Christian army in Palestine built a new castle [Castrum Peregrinorum] by the sea, at a place on the road... more
sources: James of Vitry, Lettres, pp. 101-11, no. 4 (RRH no. 915)
RRR: Correspondence/envoy
1809
year: 1218
initiator: Pope Honorius III
recipient: Cardinal Pelagius of Albano, the papal legate
institution: Hospital of Saint John of Jerusalem
additional institution: Templars
text: Nov. 24. Lateran. In view of rumours circulating in Europe about the poor performance of the military orders, Pope Honorius III states that Cardinal Pelagius of Albano, the papal legate, and others have reported very favourably on the efforts and achievements of the Hospitallers of St John of Jerusalem and Knights Templar, stressing their need for funds and their support in the army before Damietta with nearly 2000 persons and 700 mounts.
Nov. 24. Lateran. In view of rumours circulating in Europe about the poor performance of the military orders, Pope Honorius III states that Cardinal Pelagius of Albano, the papal legate, and others have reported very favourably on the efforts and achievements of the Hospitallers of St John of... more
sources: Rodenberg, Epistolae 1:57-8, no. 79
RRR: Correspondence/envoy
1811
year: 1218
initiator: Petrus plebanus ecclesiae S. Marci de Tyro
recipient: Yvo abbas sancti Leonardi de Monte Sion
text: Dec. 4. Acre. Under the portal [sub porticali] of the church of St Leonard. Dominus Laurenzus plebanus ecclesie Sancti Marci de Achone, dominus Bartholomeus bailius, Andreas de Vitale, Joannes de Canale and sansus de Venetiis are present when dominus Petrus plebanus ecclesie Sancti Marci de Tyro reports that he has presented Yvo abbas sancti Leonardi de Monte Sion with the letter from Damietta [of Nov. 25] sealed by Cardinal Pelagius of Albano, the papal legate. Manzius sacri palacii notarius was present and wrote this document.
Dec. 4. Acre. Under the portal [sub porticali] of the church of St Leonard. Dominus Laurenzus plebanus ecclesie Sancti Marci de Achone, dominus Bartholomeus bailius, Andreas de Vitale, Joannes de Canale and sansus de Venetiis are present when dominus Petrus plebanus ecclesie Sancti Marci de Tyro... more
sources: Rey, ‘Chartes de l’abbaye du Mont-Sion’, pp. 54-5 (RRH no. 917)
RRR: Correspondence/envoy
1812
year: 1218
initiator: Petrus plebanus ecclesiae S. Marci de Tyro
text: Dec. 8. Acre. In the street near the church of St Mark. Petrus plebanus S. Marci de Tyro confirms in the presence of Gerardus capellanus episcopi Mantuani, presbiter Henricus plebanus ecclesie S. Marci de Accon and Azzo confallonerius de Mantua, that he has the letter from Cardinal Pelagius of Albano [sent from Damietta on Nov. 25]. Mancius sacri palatii notarius was present and wrote this document on the orders of the plebanus.
Dec. 8. Acre. In the street near the church of St Mark. Petrus plebanus S. Marci de Tyro confirms in the presence of Gerardus capellanus episcopi Mantuani, presbiter Henricus plebanus ecclesie S. Marci de Accon and Azzo confallonerius de Mantua, that he has the letter from Cardinal Pelagius of... more
sources: Venezia, Arch. di stato, miscell. atti diplom., busta III a, no. 85, recorded by Röhricht (RRH no. 918)
RRR: Correspondence/envoy
1776
year: 1218
initiator: King Andrew of Hungary
recipient: Hospital of Saint John of Jerusalem
institution: Hospital of Saint John of Jerusalem
text: Jan. 12-18. Cratum? After praising the merits of the Hospital of St John of Jerusalem in Acre, King Andrew of Hungary describes how he travelled into the county of Tripoli and saw the castle of Cratum, witnessing how much work and expense had been spent on it. He therefore makes a sealed eleemosynary grant of a rent in Hungary to frater Raymundus de Pignano Crati castri castellanus and the Hospitaller brothers residing there. Witnesses: Johannes Strigoniensis archiepiscopus; Bertholdus Colocensis archiepiscopus; Calanus Quinqueecclesiensis episcopus; Desiderius Cenadiensis episcopus; Symon Waradiensis episcopus; Wilhelmus Transilvanus episcopus; Robertus Vesprimiensis episcopus; Petrus Joriensis episcopus; Jacobus Vaciensis episcopus; Stephanus Zagabriensis episcopus; Thomas Agriensis electus; Jula palatinus; Dionisius magister tavarnicorum et comes Novi Castri; Razaim voyvoda; Ocus curialis comes; Bancon banus; and others. The charter was drawn up by magister Huguerinus aule regie cancellarius.
Jan. 12-18. Cratum? After praising the merits of the Hospital of St John of Jerusalem in Acre, King Andrew of Hungary describes how he travelled into the county of Tripoli and saw the castle of Cratum, witnessing how much work and expense had been spent on it. He therefore makes a sealed... more
sources: Delaville Le Roulx, Cart Hosp 2:238-9, no. 1602 (RRH no. 908)
RRR: Correspondence/envoy
1785
year: 1218
initiator: Pope Honorius III
recipient: Archbishop of Tyre
institution: Saint Mark in Tyre
text: May 7. Rome. St Peter’s. Pope Honorius III reassures the archbishop of Tyre that he had no intention, when he wrote to Giacomo Barbo [March 8 1217] about the recovery of the Venetian church of St Mark in Tyre, of permanently infringing the archbishop’s rights.
May 7. Rome. St Peter’s. Pope Honorius III reassures the archbishop of Tyre that he had no intention, when he wrote to Giacomo Barbo [March 8 1217] about the recovery of the Venetian church of St Mark in Tyre, of permanently infringing the archbishop’s rights.
sources: Claverie, Honorius, pp. 328-9, no. 29 (RRH no. 893)
RRR: Correspondence/envoy
1787
year: 1218
initiator: Pope Honorius III
recipient: All the clergy and the laity in the Latin East
text: May 18. Rome. St Peter’s. Pope Honorius III writes to all the clergy and laity in the Latin East [in transmarinis partibus] attributing the failure of crusades in the past to the sins of the Christian people, exhorting them to piety in the face of the approaching crusade, the success of which has been foresignalled by achievements in Spain, and informing them of the appointment of Cardinal Pelagius of Albano as papal legate.
May 18. Rome. St Peter’s. Pope Honorius III writes to all the clergy and laity in the Latin East [in transmarinis partibus] attributing the failure of crusades in the past to the sins of the Christian people, exhorting them to piety in the face of the approaching crusade, the success of which has... more
sources: Schabel, Bullarium 1:194-6, no. c-14; also ed. Claverie, Honorius, pp. 330-2, no. 31
RRR: Correspondence/envoy
1796
year: 1218
initiator: Pope Honorius III
recipient: Queen of Cyprus
text: Jul. 12. Lateran. Pope Honorius III consoles the queen of Cyprus on the death of her husband King Hugh and, agreeing that dangers follow a vacuum in government, takes her and the kingdom of Cyprus under papal protection.
Jul. 12. Lateran. Pope Honorius III consoles the queen of Cyprus on the death of her husband King Hugh and, agreeing that dangers follow a vacuum in government, takes her and the kingdom of Cyprus under papal protection.
sources: Schabel, Bullarium 1:199-200, no. c-17