Editing Sixth Crusade (section)

===Stopover in Cyprus===
The route of Frederick's fleet can be traced day-by-day. On 29 June 1228 it stopped in [[Otranto]], whence it crossed the [[Adriatic Sea]] to the island of [[Othonoi]] on 30 June. It was in [[Corfu]] on 1 July, Porto Guiscardo in [[Cephalonia]] on 2 July, [[Methoni, Messenia|Methoni]] on 4 July, Portocaglie near [[Cape Matapan]] on 5 July, [[Cerigo]] on 6 July and it reached [[Souda Bay]] on [[Crete]] on 7 July. The fleet moved slowly along the Cretan coast, pausing for a whole day at [[Heraklion]] before crossing the [[Aegean Sea]] to [[Rhodes]] during 12–15 July. They sailed along the [[Anatolia]]n coast to Phenika, where they stayed on 16–17 July replenishing their water supplies. The fleet then crossed the sea to Cyprus, arriving at [[Limassol]] on 21 July.{{sfn|Van Cleve|1972|pp=206–213|loc=Frederick II as Crusader}}

The [[Kingdom of Cyprus]] had been an imperial fief since the emperor [[Henry VI, Holy Roman Emperor|Henry VI]], Frederick's father, had accepted the homage of [[Aimery of Cyprus|Aimery of Lusignan]] and made him king on the eve of the [[German Crusade]] in 1196. [[Hugh I of Cyprus]] had ruled the island kingdom since the death of his father Aimery in 1205. Upon his death, his wife [[Alice of Champagne]] became regent of the young king [[Henry I of Cyprus]]. Alice was the aunt of the empress Isabella II and had attended her coronation in Tyre. In the meantime, [[John of Ibelin, the Old Lord of Beirut|John of Ibelin]], the Old Lord of Beirut, had been appointed regent without the knowledge of either Alice or Frederick.{{sfn|Runciman|1954|pp=179–183|loc=Frederick lands in Cyprus (1228)}}<ref>La Monte, John L. “[https://www.jstor.org/stable/44169728?read-now=1&refreqid=excelsior%3Ade73b765fe642b77035382671877d769&seq=1#page_scan_tab_contents John d'Ibelin: The Old Lord of Beiruit, 1177–1236].” ''Byzantion'', Volume 12, No. 1/2, Peeters Publishers (1937), pp. 417–448.</ref>

The emperor arrived with the clear intent of stamping his authority on the kingdom and was treated cordially by the local barons. Frederick claimed that the regency of John of Ibelin was illegitimate and demanded the surrender of John's mainland fief of [[Beirut#Middle Ages|Beirut]] to the imperial throne. Here he erred, for John pointed out that the kingdoms of Cyprus and Jerusalem were constitutionally separate and he could not be punished for offences in Cyprus by seizure of Beirut. This would have important consequences for the crusade, as it alienated the powerful [[House of Ibelin|Ibelin faction]], turning them against the emperor.{{sfn|Edbury|1997|loc=John of Ibelin}}

Frederick sailed to Acre from [[Famagusta]] on 3 September 1228. He was accompanied by the king Henry I of Cyprus, John of Ibelin, and many Cypriote nobles. He left the Cypriote baron [[Amalric Barlais]] as ''bailli'' of Cyprus, supported by Gavin of Chenichy.{{sfn|Furber|1969|pp=610–612|loc=Frederick at Cyprus}}