Arc I
Chapter 5
Part 3: The Second Crusade for Jerusalem/ The Wedding of Eleonora Visconti and Anthimos Doukas, Heir Apparent of Byzantium/ Ubaldo Panico becomes Bishop/ The Alliance between Byzantium and Pisa
In the Year of our Lord 1135, in the churches of the Christian Kingdoms of the Latin rite, much praise and prayer was given for the good fortune of the Second Crusade for Jerusalem, with those who joined given absolution for their sins, however sinister they may have been. Not all were rich to afford the indulgences and so, the poor and perhaps those who wished to make their name known signed up for the salvation of the Holy Land from the Shia Fatimid Caliph, who time and again humiliated Christendom.
The Maritime Republic of Pisa was no different, even more so it was influenced with such proximity to the Papal State. The Duomo echoed the fiery speeches of the Church, how Pisa should join the endeavor and redeem itself for the many sins the city had accumulated. One could only imagine the implied tone of the clergy, which pointed indirectly to the unsanctioned, by Papal authorities, wedding of Serene Doge Baldassarre and his second-nice Francesca. The defective birth of Paola showed God’s irritation towards this union. And there was only one way for redemption and return to the path of the Lord: the assistance of Pisa to the Second Crusade
“This priest is becoming annoying ……who is he?” inquired Baldassarre. He shifted from his seat as the ceremony continued
“My lord, tis the Bishop Alighiero of Ardara, invited here by the Cardinal of Pisa for support towards the Crusade. It seems the alms are not enough to fund the troops needed for this holy cause…” replied Giordano, the steward of the Republic and Doge by his own right in Amalfi
“I will note that name…” he said and paused for a minute. After the Bishop resumed preaching, Baldassarre continued whispering during the ceremony to his brother
“…if we join the Crusade, will he silence himself? I cannot for the love of God continue this constant accusation for wedding Francesca, they probably envy me because I could do so in the end…”
Giordano shrugged
“I doubt it… Bishop Alighiero will always find something to complain about the Visconti, ever since you turned to the Kaiser for help and his Pope. But there are ways…”
“..go on…”
“…well..I was thinking..”
A loud cough interrupted their speech. For a moment, they paused, then began again when the time was right
“…why don’t we,cousin, join the Crusade…become war heroes and… find a man more grateful for the position of Bishop. Even promote him for Cardinal and why not the Pope, with our money. We will always then have a reliable negotiator when it comes to church matters…and as you have seen, our faith moves mountains..” suggested Giordano
Baldassarre let a smug smile come out
“For your sake Giordano I hope your plan works..if you are caught I will gladly send you to jail and strip you of all your titles I have fought for you, I still haven’t forgotten about your pathetic attempt to kill me…”
Giordano gave an icy stare at Baldassarre. However he nodded gravely, thinking on the back of his head to prove his brother that this time, Giordano would not fumble once more.
And with such motives, Pisa joined the Second Crusade for Jerusalem, not for the love of God and Church but for more mundane reasons. The Republic had the money and the ships to dispatch a capable force, though by no means fit to fight the Shia Caliphate on its own. Nevertheless Pope Leo X did not turn away any help offered as, yet again, the primary Kingdoms of Latin Christendom shrugged the cries of the Italian Pope.
The Pisani forces assembled and to their aid, the Catalan Company was hired to fill the gaps of the levy. As provisions and logistics were prepared, the time came for Eleonora, the first daughter of Serene Doge Baldassarre, to become a legal adult, the promise of betrothal to Anthimos Doukas, heir apparent of the Greek Basileia awaiting to be honored.
Baldassarre thought what a more splendid way to show Pisan strength than by sailing with the Crusader Army to the Imperial Capital of Constantinople itself, accompanying his daughter to her new husband. So it was that the army of the Pisans did not sail immediately for Jerusalem but made a stop to Constantinople, acting as a honor guard to this prestigious event.
When the Crusaders arrived at 1st of June 1136 at Constantinople the Greeks were alarmed that they were under invasion and the bells rang without stop to warn the citizens and prepare the defenders. Fortunately, the misunderstanding was solved and when the beautiful Eleonora descended from the Republican Flagship Galley, they were smitten by her beauty and grace. Anthimos too seemed pleased and the wedding festival was most glorious. Baldassarre above all was shining with pride and glee, that the Visconti would manage to unite themselves with imperial blood. The merriment though would not hold for long, as the more temperate soldiers and officers beckoned for Jerusalem where according to their words “The Saracens slew and roasted each Crusader that set his foot on Holy Land and it was divine duty to restore justice where it lacked”.
By July 1136 the Pisans were in sight of the shores of Beirut and the trails of smoke betrayed conflict. With haste, and over eagerness to engage the Saracens, an amphibious assault was commanded as to join forces with the Crusaders who besieged the city of Beirut itself. It was in vain: the Fatimids crushed the ill prepared Pisans and their Crusader allies, marking it a black day for the Crusade itself.
Retreat was sounded and the 5 thousand men that survived, on Pisan account, began to siege Ascalon. Meanwhile, Baldassarre stressed to the Pope Leo X the Apostle the need for a young man by the name of Ubaldo Panico to be nominated for the Bishopric of Ardara, as he proved himself most pious in his religious duties towards the Crusading army of Pisa. The Pope had no reason to disagree, seeing that Baldasssarre had finally walked the path of the Lord and returned to the true shepherd of Rome.
As with every overseas attempt of Pisa, expenses began to pile up and the flow of Crusaders was beginning to trickle. The sense of failure began to linger on the armies and with the excuse of low morale and the need to recuperate, Serene Doge Baldassarre lifted the siege of Ascalon and the Pisans returned home, having accomplished only the name (and the defeat) of Crusading. The Holy Father however had no reason to chastise the Serene Doge, for even he began to feel the economic pressure of maintaining a fightworthy force abroad.
With Baldassarre back to Pisa, the need for the second plan arose, that is the complete silence of Bishop Alighiero. It was hard for him: he had never resorted to cloak and dagger intricacies before, not to mention a man of the Church. Yet it was necessary, as Giordano assured him, after all, it would be for the good of the Familia. He owed it to Ubaldo’s deprived fortune, having grown away from his mother, Delinda Panico-Visconti. Nevertheless Baldassarre felt stressed and guilty, truth be told. In the end, the deed was done, through the “contacts” of Giordano. Brigands ambushed the Bishop’s carriage and made the necessary actions, with Ubaldo becoming the new Bishop of Ardara.
It was ironic in a sense that these same brigands would be accounted for when Baron Ugo Visconti of Sassari entouraged in Amalfi and demanded compensation from Doge Giordano for his losses. Since Baldassarre was now also an accomplice, he deemed to repay Baron Ugo from his coffers, making both claimants happy. Not all his decision however where based on the principles of justice but rather on utilitarian concerns: it was noted that in order to drive the Palermo Thieves’ Guild from business, he paid them as well, to relocate preferably to the Kingdom of Sicily, thus harming his reputation of a man of the law.
On 13 March 1139, news arrived from Constantinople. Basileus Anthimos Doukas became elected as the ruler of the Greek Basileia, with his daughter Eleonora becoming effectively the Basilissa of the Empire. While it was sad for Basileus Symeon to have passed away, the man with whom he brokered the betrothal, the fact that Eleonora Visconti ruled side by side a Greek Basileus, and he was alive to see it, brought him much joy. He did not delay any longer: he proposed an alliance between the Republic of Pisa and the Greek Basileia, prospecting when the disastrous Crusade to have finished, to declare war on the infidel Shia Caliph and capture Alexandria as he had hoped. His son in law agreed with no hesitation, as Eleonora had already consummated the marriage and a newborn son heralded the continuing glory of the Doukas rule.
The Grim Reaper though had another opinion on the plans of the mortal Serene Doge Baldassarre: in 30 December 1139, he grasped the quill from Baldassarre’s hand, with his ambitious plots coming to end. The new Serene Doge of the Republic would become Giordano Visconti, already the rumors growing that it was gold that silenced the logical voices to break the chain of Visconti Doges lest the Republic becomes an Elective Despotism. The “Gold Hound” lived up to his reputation.