E32 - Forgotten Crusader Queens of Cyprus

For three decades in the late 1400s, the throne of Cyprus would be fought over by two women, each with a claim on its title. Although mostly forgotten today, this political battle would draw in all of the great powers of the region, from Egypt to the papacy.

The lives of Charlotte of Lusignan and Caterina Cornaro offer an incredible window into both the opportunities for power and politicking available to women at the time, and to the limits. Both would have legacies on the Italian renaissance that would continue after their deaths.

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