Conrad of Montferrat

Conrad of Montferrat was a nobleman who lived a long time ago, from about 1146 until he died in 1192. He was an important person during a big journey called the Third Crusade. This was a time when many people from Europe traveled to the Holy Land for religious reasons.

Conrad became known as King of Jerusalem because he married a queen named Isabella I of Jerusalem. He was called king in November 1190, and he was officially elected king just a few days before he died in April 1192.

Besides being a king, Conrad was also the Marquess of Montferrat, meaning he ruled a region called Montferrat. His life was full of adventure and leadership during an interesting time in history.

Early life

Conrad was the second son of Marquess William V of Montferrat, "the Elder", and his wife Judith of Babenberg. He was born in Montferrat, a region in northwest Italy. This area was part of the Kingdom of Italy in the Holy Roman Empire. Conrad was a cousin of important leaders like Frederick Barbarossa, Holy Roman Emperor, Louis VII of France, and Leopold V of Austria.

Conrad grew up to be a brave and smart man. He was good with words and became skilled in diplomacy and leading armies. He married a lady before 1179, but she passed away by 1186. They did not have any children who lived. Later, he would play an important role in history.

Byzantine Empire

In 1179, Conrad led an army against forces led by Archbishop Christian of Mainz. He won the battle at Camerino in September and captured the Chancellor. Conrad left him with his brother and went to Constantinople, where the emperor rewarded him.

In 1186–1187, the Byzantine emperor offered to marry his sister to Conrad’s brother Boniface, but Conrad, who was recently widowed, accepted the offer instead. He married her and was given a high rank. Soon after, he helped the emperor fight a revolt led by General Alexios Vranas. Conrad fought bravely and helped defeat Vranas. Feeling unsettled, Conrad decided to leave for the Kingdom of Jerusalem in 1187. Some stories say he was running from trouble, but this is likely a misunderstanding of the events.

Defense of Tyre

Conrad sailed to Tyre after the nearby city of Acre fell to Saladin. He joined the remaining Crusader forces there. Saladin had captured several cities, but Conrad helped organize the city's defense with help from Italian merchants. When Saladin's army came, they found Tyre well-prepared and had to attack other places instead.

Later, Saladin returned to attack Tyre again. Conrad, still leading the city, had made its defenses stronger. During this time, Saladin tried to trick Conrad by offering to release his captured father if Conrad gave up the city. Conrad's father told him to stay strong, and Conrad refused. In the end, Saladin's forces were defeated again and had to leave.

Struggle for the crown

In the summer of 1188, the leader Saladin let go of king Guy of Lusignan. Guy arrived at the city of Tyre in 1189 with his brother Geoffrey and asked Conrad of Montferrat for the keys to the city. Conrad said no because Guy lost his right to be king after the Battle of Hattin in 1187. Conrad wanted to keep the city safe until kings from Europe arrived.

Later, Queen Sibylla and her daughters sadly passed away from disease. This meant Guy no longer had a good claim to be king. The rightful heir was Isabella, Queen Sibylla’s half-sister. Conrad married Isabella after her first marriage ended, even though some people disagreed. With this marriage, Conrad became the true king of Jerusalem.

Assassination

In April 1192, leaders chose Conrad to be king of Jerusalem. But he could not become king. On April 28, Conrad was hurt badly by two men. These men were part of a secret group. Conrad was taken to a church but sadly died. His death was a big loss.

The reason for Conrad’s attack is still not known. Some believed others were involved, but the truth is unclear.

Family

Conrad had an interesting family. His brother Boniface led the Fourth Crusade. Their sister was Azalaïs, Marchioness of Saluzzo. Another brother, Renier, was connected to the Byzantine emperor Manuel I Comnenus. The oldest brother, William, was married to Sibylla and had a son named Baldwin V of Jerusalem.

Conrad was the Marquis of Montferrat for a short time after his father passed away in 1191. After Conrad, Boniface took over. Conrad may have had a daughter named Maria. She later became Queen of Jerusalem. His former wife, Theodora, lived into the late 1190s.

Role in fiction, film and art

The Monferrine court was famous for its Occitan culture and helped many poets. Poets like Bertran de Born and Peirol wrote about Conrad during the Third Crusade. People saw him as a hero who protected the city of Tyre.

Some stories and films show Conrad in a bad way because he was an opponent of King Richard I. But a few books and movies show him as a sad or brave person. In art, there are drawings and paintings that try to show what Conrad looked like, but they are just guesses from that time.