Conrad of Montferrat

Uncommon card · No. 177648

Conrad of Montferrat (c. 1146 – 28 April 1192) was an Italian nobleman, one of the major participants in the Third Crusade. He was the de facto King of Jerusalem (as Conrad I) by virtue of his marriage to Isabella I of Jerusalem from 24 November 1190, but officially elected only in 1192, days before his death. He was also the eighth Marquess of Montferrat from 1191. Conrad was the second son of William V of Montferrat and Judith of Babenberg. In his early career, he established himself as a skilled diplomat and general in the Byzantine Empire. After fighting on their behalf against Frederick Barbarossa, Conrad was awarded the title of Caesar by Isaac II Angelos. However, having previously sworn to take the cross, he left for the Kingdom of Jerusalem in 1187 shortly after the Battle of Hattin. Upon his arrival in Tyre, Conrad organized the city's defenses and successfully repelled Saladin's forces. When Guy of Lusignan, the king of Jerusalem by right of his wife Queen Sibylla, was released...

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