History

18 Jun 1458

Count Gabriele Capodilista from Padua visited Nicosia shortly after the death of queen Helena Paleologus (11 April 1458). He writes

Count Gabriele Capodilista from Padua visited Nicosia shortly after the death of queen Helena Paleologus (11 April 1458). He writes:

Sunday, 18 June, coasting along the island they passed Cape Gavata and Limisso, and then came on Saline where was once a city called Sellamina, and here MM. Anthonio and Gabriele, on their return from Jerusalem, went ashore and taking horses travelled all night and with the morning arrived at a city of Cyprus called Nicossia, eleven miles from Saline. They alighted at the house of that worshipful gentleman M. Andrea Cornero, of Venice, by whom they were received with affectionate courtesy, as though they had been his own brothers. On the morrow he took Miser Anthonio and Miser Gabriele to visit the king’s Majesty. He was in a convent of monks and received them with gracious kindness, and gave to the honourable Miser Gabriele his order, fastening it on his breast with his own hand. It is a sword enriched by the legend “Pour Liute Mantener”. With the royal permission, and after homage paid to this most noble king, they returned to Miser Andrea’s house and the next day, after they had seen the town, they went to a palace of the king’s two miles beyond, called la Cava, where was an endless profusion of oranges, citrons, lemons, and many other valuable fruit and very great wells from which all that garden is watered.