House of Lusignan

The House of Lusignan, (/luznjn/) is a royal house of French origin, which ruled much
of Europe and the Levant, including the kingdoms ofJerusalem, Cyprus, and Armenia, and had great
influence in England andFrance.
It originated in Poitou near Lusignan in western France in the early 10th century. By the end of the
11th century, they had risen to become the most prominent petty lords in the region from their castle
at Lusignan. In the late 12th century, through marriage and inheritance, a cadet branch of the family
came to control the Kingdoms of Jerusalem and of Cyprus, while in the early 13th century, the main
branch succeeded in the Counties of La Marche andAngoulme. As Crusader kings in the Latin
East, they soon had connections with the Hethumid rulers of the Kingdom of Cilicia, which they
inherited through marriage in the mid-14th century. The Armenian branch fled to France, and
eventually Russia, after the Mamluk conquest of their kingdom, and the claim was taken by
the Cypriot branch, until their line failed and the kingdom was annexed by Republic of Venice.