BALDWIN IV, King of Jerusalem. - Son of Amalric, king of Jerusalem (1162-73), nephew of Baldwin III, born in 1160. At the death of his father (11 July 1163) he was 13 years old and had been afflicted with leprosy since childhood, hence his nickname "the Leper." His tutor was the chronicler William, first archdeacon of Tyre, then his chancellor and later archbishop of Tyre, appointed by B. on 15 July 1173. B. IV was crowned by the patriarch in the basilica of the Holy Sepulchre, but he remained under the guardianship of Milon of Plancy, who was soon assassinated, and of Raymond II, count of Tripoli. B. could not prevent the growth of the ever more threatening power of Saladin, especially because of his illness, which grew ever worse and caused his premature death on 16 March 1185 at the age of 25. Seeing the loss of the Latin states in the East as imminent, he sent to the West Emacho, patriarch of Jerusalem, and the grand masters of the Templars and the Hospitallers, who however no longer found much interest in effectively aiding the Holy Land.

Lucchesio Spätling

@incollection{ec2_baldovino_iv_re_di_gerusalemme, author = {Spätling, Lucchesio}, title = {Baldovino IV, re di gerusalemme}, booktitle = {Enciclopedia Cattolica}, volume = {II}, pages = {742--743}, note = {Cited by column}, publisher = {Ente per l’Enciclopedia Cattolica e per il Libro Cattolico}, address = {Città del Vaticano}, year = {1949}, url = {https://azioneromana.com/article/baldovino-iv-re-di-gerusalemme} }

One of some 20,000 entries brought back from the twelve printed volumes (1948–54). Spotted something? Help us improve it.

Baldwin IV, King of Jerusalem

About this entry