Geoffrey de Donjon | |
---|---|
11th Grand Masters of the Knights Hospitaller | |
In office 1193–1202 | |
Preceded by | Garnier de Nablus |
Succeeded by | Fernando Afonso of Portugal |
Personal details | |
Died | 1202 Acre,Kingdom of Jerusalem |
Geoffroy de Donjon (died 1202 in Acre),also known as or Geoffroy de Duisson, was the eleventhth Grand Master of the Knights Hospitaller serving from 1193 through his death in 1202. [1] He succeeded Garnier de Nablus who died in August 1192. [2]
It is not known if Geoffroy was from Picardie or Auvergne. His name is first mentioned for the first time in an act of April 1185 where he appears as a simple brother in the Holy Land,arriving with the Crusaders some time before that date. The second time was when he was elected Grand Master at the general chapter meeting held in Margat in January 1193. [3]
A letter from him,undated,speaks of an earthquake in Syria. This event has been since identified as the 1202 Syrian earthquake happening in 20 May of that year. He was certainly present during the summer of 1202 at the side of the papal legate Soffredo Gaetani during the first trip to Antioch. They were attempting to reconcile the parties in the War of the Antiochene Succession concerning the Principality of Antioch. On 23 March 1203,the second voyage of Soffredo Gaetani to Antioch took place,but without Geoffroy de Donjon. He was replaced ad interim by the Grand Commander Pierre de Mirmande. They were accompanied by Philippe du Plessis,Grand Master of the Templars. These elements make it possible to situate the disappearance of Geoffroy between these two diplomatic trips. [4]
His magisterium took place during a relatively calm period in the Holy Land. There were many disputes with the Templars,as the orders were jealous of each other. Under Geoffroy,several agreements were concluded. The independence of the Teutonic Order is such an arrangement. For a long time they had benefited from the kindness of the Hospitaller order,but the Teutonics wanted to acquire their independence. They had taken the rule of the Temple for clerics and knights and that of the Hospitaller for their own rules of hospitality. The Grand Masters of the Hospitallers and Templars attended the solemn ceremony,obliged by the circumstances,on 5 March 1198,curbing their pride and in the silence of their reprobation. [4]
Geoffroy de Donjon increased the possessions of the Hospitallers by adding on 24 October 1197 the Casalia Hautefiéwhich belonged to Juliana Grenier and her second husband Aymar de Lairon,the Lady and Lord of Caesarea. Aymar later became a brother in the Order,and Juliana was buried in a Hospitaller cemetery. They also obtained the castle of Digegie in May 1201 which belonged to Christine and Rohard of Jaffa. [4] Geoffroy was succeeded by Fernado Afonso of Portugal.
Roger de Moulins was the eighth Grand Master of the Knights Hospitaller from 1177 until his death in 1187. He succeeded Jobert of Syria. His successors were two interim masters,William Borrel and then Armengol de Aspa,before the permanent Grand Master Garnier of Nablus was selected in 1190.
Jobert of Syria was the seventh Grand Master of the Knights Hospitaller,in Syria from 1172 to his death,which is thought to have occurred in 1177. He was succeeded by Roger de Moulins.
Gilbert of Assailly was the fifth Grand Master of the Knights Hospitaller,serving from 1162 or 1163 to 1170,when he was deposed. As Grand Master,he succeeded Auger de Balben. Nevertheless,most sources list him as the fifth,rather than fourth,Grand Master and this biography continues that tradition,with the exception being Delaville Le Roulx' work. He was succeeded by Gastone de Murols. Gilbert encouraged Amalric of Jerusalem in his unsuccessful invasion of Egypt,leaving the Order in debt and causing the reexamination of its military role.
Odo de Pins,also known as Eudes de Pin or Odon de Pins,was the twenty-third Grand Master of the Knights Hospitaller,serving from 1294 until his death in 1296,succeeding Jean de Villiers. He moved the headquarters of the Order to Limasso in modern-day Cyprus. Upon his death,he was succeeded by Guillaume de Villaret.
Jean de Villiers was the twenty-second grand master of the Knights Hospitaller,serving from 1285 until 1293. He was elected Grand Master after the death of Nicolas Lorgne. De Villiers was Prior of France beginning in 1282 and he remained in France to deal with existing problems of the Order. Jacques de Taxi became Grand Master ad interim,perhaps through 27 June 1286,while awaiting the arrival of the newly elected Grand Master in the Holy Land. De Villiers was present at the Siege of Acre in 1291,but escaped just before the city fell to the Mamluks. He was succeeded by Odon de Pins.
Auger de Balben was the third Grand Master of the Knights Hospitaller,holding the office from 1160 until his death. He succeeded Raymond du Puy. Many references list an Arnaud de Comps as Balben's successor,which some believe to be incorrect. His successor was Gilbert of Assailly.
Garnier de Nablus,also known as Garnier of Syria,was the tenth Grand Master of the Knights Hospitaller from 1190 to 1192,succeeding Armengol de Aspa. He fought at the Battle of Arsuf in 1191 during the Third Crusade. It was under his magistracy that the headquarters of the Order were transferred from Tyre to Acre. He was succeeded by Geoffroy de Donjon.
Fernando Afonso of Portugal was the twelfth Grand Master of the Knights Hospitaller,serving between 1202–1206. He was the oldest son of Afonso Henriques,the first king of the Kingdom of Portugal. Fernando would never inherit the crown as he was born out of wedlock. He formally succeeded the interim Grand Master Pierre de Mirmande installed after the death of Geoffroy de Donjon. He resigned in 1206 and was succeeded by Geoffroy le Rat.
Nicolas Lorgne was the twenty-first Grand Master of the Knights Hospitaller,serving first from 1277 until 1285 and was the successor to Hugues de Revel. He was succeeded by Jean de Villiers,with Jacques de Taxi acting as Grand Master ad interim while de Villiers was en route to the Holy Land.
Hugues de Revel was an English knight who became the twentieth Grand Master of the Knights Hospitaller,serving from 1258 to 1277 as the successor to Guillaume de Chateauneuf. He was succeeded by Nicolas Lorgne.
Pierre de Mirmande was a French nobleman of the Order of Saint-John of Jerusalem from the end of the 12th century to the beginning of the 13th century. He served as interim Grand Master of the Knights Hospitaller after the death of Geoffroy de Donjon in 1202. He was replaced by Fernando Afonso of Portugal who became Grand Master in 1202.
Pierre de Vieille-Brioude,or Vieille-Bride, was a nobleman from Auvergne who was the eighteenth Grand Master of the Knights Hospitaller between 1240 and 1242,succeeding Bertrand de Comps. He was succeeded by Guillaume de Chateauneuf.
Guillaume de Chateauneuf was the nineteenth Grand Master of the Knights Hospitaller,serving first from 1242–1244 as the successor to Pierre de Vieille-Brioude. He was captured during the Battle of La Forbie in 1244,held hostage in Egypt and ransomed through the Sixth Crusade. During his captivity,his position was filled on an interim basis by Jean de Ronay. De Ronay died in 1250,and de Chateauneuf was released shortly thereafter. He was succeeded by Hugues de Revel.
Bertrand de Thessy,also known as Bertrand of Thercy,was the fifteenth Grand Master of the Knights Hospitaller,serving between 1228 and 1230 or 1231. He succeeded Guérin de Montaigu upon his death on 1 March 1228. Thessy was either from France or Italy,most likely the former. He was succeeded by Guérin Lebrun.
Guérin Lebrun was the sixteenth Grand Master of the Knights Hospitaller,serving between 1228 and 1231. He succeeded Bertrand de Thessy in 1230 or 1231. As he was Prior of France,he was likely from France and is generally referred to by the single name of Guérin. He was succeeded by Bertrand de Comps.
Bertrand de Comps was the seventeenth Grand Master of the Knights Hospitaller from 1236 until his death after 1239. He succeeded Guérin Lebrun as Grand Master,and was succeeded by Pierre de Vieille-Brioude.
Gastone de Murols was the sixth Grand Master of the Knights Hospitaller from 1170 until his death in 1172. He succeeded Gilbert of Aissailly as Grand Master and was succeeded by Jobert of Syria.
William Borrel was acting Grand Master of the Knights Hospitaller,ad interim,from 1 May 1187 until his death at the Battle of Hattin in 1187. He became custodian of the Hospitallers after the Grand Master Roger de Moulins was killed in the Battle of Cresson on 1 May 1187.
Geoffroy le Rat was the thirteenth Grand Master of the Knights Hospitaller,serving between 1206–1207. He succeeded the Grand Master Fernando Afonso after his resignation in 1206,and was succeeded by Guérin de Montaigu.
Jacques de Taxi was ad interim Grand Master of the Knights Hospitaller,serving in 1285 and was the successor to Nicolas Lorgne. De Taxi was appointed as acting leader of the Order prior to the arrival of Jean de Villiers in the Holy Land.