User talk:Hencek

Returning of Richard-2

I’d like comment the usual story about Richard’s returning such as follows: Richard was shipwrecked near Aquileia, and would be trying to head towards his cousin's realm of Saxony - and safety. The safest route would be straight up the side of Italy, into Austria and across into Saxony.

So I will tray to pose some question about abovementioned explanation and of course it is meant as factual entertainment that is some kind of internet discovery channel inquiry about the event. We can all together guess “who done it?” I will just present my view or better questinos about the issue.

1. Before Richard sailed home there was struggle or if you want quarrel for and about the kingship of Jerusalem. Richard supported Guy Lusignan, while Philip and Leopold supported Conrad of Montferrat, who was related to them both. On April of 1192 Richard again summoned the barons of the kingdom, and asked for advice. All the barons now spoke for Conrad. Before he could be crowned, Conrad was stabbed to death by two assasins in the streets of Tyre. Eight days later, Richard's nephew Henry II of Champagne was elected for the king of Jerusalem. It was strongly suspected that the king's killers had acted on instructions from Richard. We don’t know of course is it that fact true or not.

The problem is following: Conrad was the second son of Marquis William V of Montferrat, "the Elder", and his wife Judith of Babenberg. He was a first cousin of Frederick Barbarossa, Holy Roman Emperor, Louis VII of France and Leopold V of Austria. Conrad was married with Judith Babenberg which was the daughter of Leopolds brother and Leopold suspect that the king's killers had acted on instructions from Richard. For that reason we can predict that route through Austria or better lands of Leopold of Austria wouldn’t be nor safe nor advisable for Richard.

2. If Richard would really shipwrecked ad Aquilea woudn’t be captured. The Patriarchate of Aquileia was an historical state and episcopal see in northeastern Italy, By the eleventh century, the patriarch of Aquileia had grown strong enough to assert sovereignty over Friuli and Aquileia. The Holy Roman Emperor gave the region to the patriarch as a feudal possession. The Patriarchate subsequently extended its political control in the area: regions under Aquileian control in the following centuries included Trieste, Carniola,Carinthia, Styria, Cadore and the central part of Istria. At its maximum height, the Patriarchate of Aquileia was one of the largest states in Italy.

I guess that is quite unlikely that Bishop would capture returning crusader. And by the way the nearest town which was in 1192 under the control of Friedrick of Austria was Graz (in Styria) some 300 hundred kilometers from the Adriatic coast. Richard could be from Aqilea safely escorted through Friuli in Salzburg (which at that time wasn’t part of Austria) for instance why way around through Leopold’s lands. Although I must admit that also journey through Holly Roman Empire (Germany) wouldn’t be safe for Richard.

3. And finally the third question is maybe a little bit curious but let it be mentioned anyway: In 2001 Patrick Gautier Dalché discovered Exspositio Mappe Mundi (EMM) which is the most significant analogue – and witness to a missing source- known to exist for the Hereford Map the “official” map of English kings. The result of Dalche’s analysis support argument that EMM was composed during the late 1100’s in Yorkshire and that likely author was Roger of Howden, the Yorkshire cleric and courtier who’s Chronica and Gesta bregis Henrici II recount from first-hand experience the journey during the Third Crusade (1188-1192) of England’s Richard I. (Lionheart).

The curious thing is that neither on EMM neither in Hereford Map we couldn’t find city of Vienna although Hereford Map represents the great atlas of known world and source of knowledge for English nobility.

Let me add something more to the argument that Richard never been even near Aquilea or if you want on western side of Istria.

Istria is peninsula an in EMM and Hereford mappemundi is shown as inland land. The river Timav which is in reality quite small river is in both maps shown as river who runs near Aquilea and is size of Po or Danube and one more interesting thing – nor in EMM nor Hereford mappemundi there is no city of Venice. Therefore is presupposition that Richard traveled “straight up the side of Italy« is at least doubtful.

Anf finally I must admitt that I have better copy of the Hereford map than you can find it in the Net namely Scott D. Westrem, The Hewreford Map, Brepols.

Hencek (talk) 22:21, 9 June 2008 (UTC)