Editing Eighth Crusade (section)

===Plaisance returns to Acre===

[[Plaisance of Antioch|Plaisance of Cyprus]] was both queen of Cyprus and regent to Jerusalem. In February 1258, she and her five-year-old son, [[Hugh II of Cyprus]], came to [[Tripoli, Lebanon|Tripoli]] to meet her brother [[Bohemond VI of Antioch]], who escorted her to Acre. The [[High Court of Jerusalem|Haute Cour of Jerusalem]] was convened and Bohemond asked it to confirm the claim of Hugh II as next heir after [[Conradin]], long absent from the kingdom. It was requested that Hugh be recognized as the royal power with Plaisance as regent. Bohemond had hoped that his sister's presence would still the civil war. The [[House of Ibelin|Ibelins]] recognized the claims of Hugh and Plaisance, along with the Templars and Teutonic Knights. The Hospitallers nevertheless declared that no decision was possible in absence of Conradin. Thus the royal family was drawn into the civil war. The Venetians supported Plaisance and her son. Genoa, the Hospitallers and Philip of Montfort supported Conradin, despite the fact that they were in the past bitter opponents of [[Frederick II, Holy Roman Emperor|Frederick II]]. A majority vote acknowledged Plaisance as regent. John of Arsuf resigned as ''[[Officers of the Kingdom of Jerusalem#Bailiffs|bailli]],'' only to be immediately reappointed. She and Bohemond then returned to Cyprus, instructing her ''bailli'' to act decisively against the rebels.{{sfn|Runciman|1954|pp=284–285|loc=Queen Plaisance at Acre (1258)}}

The problems came to a head before the new Latin patriarch could arrive in Acre. While James Pantaleon had shown great ability in dealing with the Prussians, the situation in the Holy Land presented a much larger problem. He supported Plaisance, appealing to Alexander IV to take action. The pope summoned delegates from the three republics to his court at [[Viterbo]] and ordered an immediate armistice. The Venetian and Pisan diplomats were to go to Syria on a Genoese ship, and the Genoese on a Venetian ship. The envoys set out in July 1258, actually after the major conflicts had occurred. Genoa had sent a fleet under admiral Rosso della Turca, arriving off Tyre in June and there joining the deployed Genoese squadrons. On 23 June, a fleet set sail from Tyre, while Philip of Montfort's soldiers marched down the coast. The Venetians and Pisan had a smaller force under [[Lorenzo Tiepolo]], who was not a military man and later elected [[Doge of Venice]]. The decisive [[Battle of Acre (1258)|Battle of Acre]] took place on 24 June 1258, with the Genoese retreating in disorder to Tyre. Philip's advance was halted by the Acrean militias, and the Genoese quarter within the city was overrun. Consequently, the Genoese abandoned Acre and established their headquarters at Tyre.{{sfn|Runciman|1954|pp=285-286|loc=The Battle of Acre, 1258}}

In April 1259, the pope sent a legate to the East, Thomas Agni, then [[Roman Catholic Diocese of Bethlehem in the Holy Land|bishop of Bethlehem]] and later Latin patriarch, with orders to resolve the quarrel. About the same time the ''bailli'' John of Arsuf died and Plaisance came to Acre and appointed [[Geoffrey of Sergines|Geoffrey of Sargines]] as ''bailli.'' He worked with Agni to secure an armistice. In January 1261, in a meeting between the Haute Cour and delegates of the Italians, an agreement was reached. The Genoese maintained their headquarters at Tyre and the Venetians and Pisans theirs at Acre. The warring nobles and Military Orders were also reconciled. But the Italians never regarded the arrangement as final, with their war soon beginning again, to the detriment of all the commerce and the shipping along the Syrian coast, with [[War of Saint Sabas#Naval skirmishing, 1261–1270|naval skirmishes]] through 1270.{{sfn|Richard|1979|pp=364–406|loc=The war of St Sabas}}

Geoffrey of Sargines restored some semblance of order to the kingdom. His authority did not however extend into the [[County of Tripoli]]. There, Geoffrey's vassal, Henry of Jebail, was at war with Bohemond VI. Henry's cousin [[Bertrand Embriaco]] had attacked Bohemond in Tripoli itself despite the fact the Bertrand was regent to daughter [[Lucia, Countess of Tripoli|Lucia of Tripoli]]. In 1258, the barons marched on Tripoli, laying siege to the city where Bohemond was residing. Bohemond was defeated and wounded by Bertrand and the Templars sent men to rescue him. One day, Bertrand was attacked by unknown farmers and killed. He was beheaded and his head sent as a gift to Bohemond. No one doubted that Bohemond had inspired the murder. The rebels retreated to [[Byblos|Jebail]] and there was now a blood-feud between Antioch and the Embriaco family.{{sfn|Runciman|1954|pp=287–288|loc=Bohemond in Tripoli}}