It was after the loss of Acre in 1291 that the city of
Famagusta rose to great
importance because it was the obligatory entrepot for all commercial transactions between
west and east. In 1300 almost all the churches, and the fortifications as well, were still
in the process of construction. They show the influence of Provence and Champagne and thus
corroborate the documentary evidence for close connections between Cyprus and the fair of
Champagne and of southern France.
The wealth of Famagusta was proverbial
between 1300 and 1370. John of Verona speaks of it in 1335 and describes the lavish pomp
of local ceremonies, such as a funeral with mourners and a wedding procession in which "the
bride rode on horseback surrounded by forty candles". In 1350 Ludolf of Sudheim
was astonished by another bride "whose ornaments were richer than those of all
the brides of France put together". Both these pilgrims comment on, and are
scandalised by, the wealth and display of the courtesans of Famagusta.
But the outstanding example of riches
ostentatiously flaunted was afforded by the Lachas brothers, Nestorian merchants from
Syria. When they entertained King
Pierre I in
their palace the two brothers went to ridiculous lengths to display that parvenu splendour
with which the rich merchants of Famagusta used to dazzle all the travellers who came
there. Precious stones were laid out on plates, the gentlemen of the royal court showing
no scruples about picking up a few keepsakes; huge armfuls of aloe-wood blazed in all the
fireplaces; even the kitchen stove was filled with the same aromatic firewood, which must
have given a wonderful taste to the food. On another occasion one of the Lachas paid a
huge sum for a carbuncle which he proceeded to grind down in a mortar; once he presented
the King with 30,000 ducats. In the end they were ruined when the Genoese sacked Famagusta
in 1373 and took from them everything they had, amounting to two million ducats.
Among the merchants of Famagusta at that
time there were Greeks, Syrians, Jews, Italians, Provençals and Armenians. The Syrians
were predominant, and after them the Genoese. "But since the death of King Pierre I
in 1369" says Machaeras "a malignant devil has become jealous of
Famagusta". In 1372 this devil chose as his instrument
St. Bridget of Sweden who
decided that it was her duty to come to Cyprus to give good advice to the royal family and
to preach to the people of Famagusta in the main square.
In 1373 the Genoese took the city by
surprise and by treachery and sacked it thoroughly, committing the most abominable
cruelties. The children of the Lachas brothers were reduced to poverty. Famagusta remained
in Genoese hands until 1464, in spite of numerous attempts to recapture it by the kings of
Cyprus. Under Genoa the city declined. Nicholas of Martoni in 1395 and Don Peter Tafur in
1435-1439 speak of the depths to which it had fallen.
Jacques
II (also known as 'James the Bastard'), who had reconquered it, liked to live there and was able to restore its prosperity to some
extent. Queen Caterina
Cornaro was forced to live in Famagusta by the Venetians but after her son
Jacques III died
there she left it for Nicosia.
The Venetians made great efforts to
restore it and to put it in a state of defence. In 1507 the pilgrim Pierre
Mesenge, a
canon of Rouen, says that Famagusta "has a fine harbour, but for as much as the
said harbour has long been in ruins, and is still not well restored, ships cannot use
it". He adds that this "beautiful city" is "very
poor, and but few merchants live there; it is almost all inhabited by poor farm-labourers
whom the above-mentioned soldiers (a thousand men in garrison) hold in great
subjection"; the churches are "very poor and ill-appointed";
pilgrims seem to have found no hostelry there but lodged with "one of the
soldiers of the city, a native of Orleans". Mesenge refers to the massive
rebuilding carried out by the Venetians but, apart from the unhealthiness of the place,
the works were hindered by storms and earthquakes in 1546 and 1568. After the Venetian
occupation the monasteries were converted into barracks. In 1490, in response to a
petition by the inhabitants, the Doge Barbarigo ordered these buildings to be repaired and
the churches evacuated.
In 1570-1571 Famagusta was the last
stronghold in Cyprus that held out against the Ottoman Turks. It resisted a siege of
thirteen months, and a terrible bombardment, until at last the commander, Marco Antonio
Bragadino was flayed alive and his lieutenant, Tiepolo, was hanged.
In the 17th century Famagusta was
practically deserted. The Turks used to sell the materials of the houses; when one of the
Pashas forbade them to sell the stones they satisfied themselves with carrying off the
timbers until the time when the construction of Port Said, Larnaca and the Suez canal
brought a new demand for materials from the quarry that Famagusta had become.
During the Ottoman period Christians were
not permitted to live in Famagusta; they were only allowed to enter it on foot, and even
so it was difficult to get permission. The British regime has cancelled this prohibition;
I owe a personal debt of gratitude for the valuable and effective protection of the
British authorities.
From whichever direction one approaches
it, Famagusta can be seen from a long way off. The graceful outlines of its towers, either
silhouetted against the sea or reflected in it as they rise from behind the still intact
circuit of the walls, give the impression of a completely European city, still
flourishing.
References
Famagusta 
