Caterina Cornaro

Caterina Cornaro (or Corner) (1454 – 1510) was born on the Grand Canal in the Palazzo Corner della Regina into the wealthiest family in Venice, who made their fortune on Cyprus, and would produce no fewer than four doges. But they reached the summit of their fame when their daughter Caterina, age 14 was betrothed to James II 'the Bastard', the Lusignan king of Cyprus, the last Crusader state. It was an arranged marriage that promised protection: Venice had helped him to the throne over the claim of his half sister Carlotta, who was married to the Duke of Savoy.

At the time, Venice was slowly losing the Aegean outposts it had claimed after the Fourth Crusade, and the future marriage presented an opportunity too good to be missed. Before the marriage took place, the Republic of Venice held a one-off ceremony that officially adopted Caterina as a ward of the Serene Republic and 'Daughter of Saint Mark' ('I didn't know that he was married,' quipped the Bishop of Turin).