colony · Greece and the Aegean
Venetian Cyprus
Origins
Venetian influence in the Kingdom of Cyprus grew through the marriage of King James II to the Venetian Catherine Cornaro. After his death and that of their infant son, Venice controlled Catherine's government, and in 1489 forced her to abdicate and cede the island to the Republic.
Rule and society
A Venetian lieutenant and councillors ruled from Nicosia, keeping the old Frankish nobility while taxing heavily. Cyprus exported cotton, sugar, salt and wine, and paid tribute to Mamluk Egypt and later the Ottomans. Fearing invasion, Venice rebuilt the walls of Famagusta and in 1567 built new star-shaped bastions around Nicosia.
Decline and legacy
The Ottomans invaded in 1570. Nicosia fell in September 1570, and Famagusta surrendered in August 1571 after a long siege; its commander Marco Antonio Bragadin was flayed alive. Cyprus became an Ottoman province.
Lineage
On the connections map
Open the full map →Connections (2)
- Venetian Cyprus was a colony of Republic of Venice1489 CE – 1571 CE
- Venetian Cyprus was conquered by Ottoman Empire1571 CE
More states of Greece and the Aegean →
Cite this page
- APA
- The Epoch Institute. (2026). Venetian Cyprus. In The Epoch Institute States Register. https://the-epoch-institute.org/state/venetian-cyprus
- MLA
- “Venetian Cyprus.” The Epoch Institute States Register, The Epoch Institute, 2026, https://the-epoch-institute.org/state/venetian-cyprus. Accessed .
- Chicago
- The Epoch Institute. “Venetian Cyprus.” The Epoch Institute States Register. 2026. https://the-epoch-institute.org/state/venetian-cyprus.
- Harvard
- The Epoch Institute (2026) ‘Venetian Cyprus’, The Epoch Institute States Register. Available at: https://the-epoch-institute.org/state/venetian-cyprus (Accessed: ).
Last reviewed October 2026Random state ↻