The fleet sails down the Dalmatian coast, stopping at Pula (Pola), Dubrovnik (Ragusa), Corfu and finally Koroni (Coron), which is under Venetian control.

There Amadeus learns that Marie de Bourbon, daughter of Duke Louis II of Bourbon, whose sister Bonne is Amadeus's wife, is being besieged in her castle at Pylos (Navarino) by the Archbishop of Patras, Angelo Acciaioli, who has seized her lands on behalf of Philip of Taranto, her brother-in-law, who disputes the claim to the Principality of Achaea by Marie on behalf of her young son, Hugh, whose father is the late Robert of Taranto.

Early in 1366 Marie and Hugh had raised an army of mercenaries from Cyprus and Provence, and had begun to reclaim the territory of the principality she claims.

During negotiations, Marie's castellan of Pylos, Guillaume de Talay, had arrested Simone del Poggio, the bailiff of Philip of Taranto, and imprisoned him in Pylos's dungeons.

By the time of Amadeus's arrival, a counteroffensive led by the archbishop has cornered Marie and Hugh in Pylos.

The count of Savoy is requested to arbitrate.

He determines that Marie should renounce any claim over Patras, and that the archbishop should evacuate his troops from southern Achaea and leave Marie in peaceful possession of it.

At Koroni, the Venetian fleet, which was being led by Antelme d'Urtières, captain of the count's galley, rendezvouses with the Genoese to form a fleet of fifteen ships under the overall command of the admiral Étienne de la Baume.

The army is divided between the galleys on the basis of geography: there is one ship for the men of Bresse (Breysse), another for "the men of Faucigny" (des gens de Foucignie), another for those of Savoy proper (Savoye), etc.

All the ships are to sail within sight of each other and none to sail ahead of the count's, fines being prescribed for violations of these commands.

Flag signals by day and lanterns by night are used to communicate between ships; attack signals are given by trumpeters on the count's ship.

The entire voyage is strictly controlled by the count of Savoy.

From Koroni, …

The Battle of Roosebeke (November 27, 1382): French Victory Over the Flemish Revolt

In 1382, King Charles VI of France intervened in Flanders to support his ally, Louis de Male, Count of Flanders, against a rebellion led by the city of Ghent. The Flemish rebels, led by Philip van Artevelde, sought to overthrow feudal rule, challenging both the Count of Flanders and French authority. The French response culminated in the Battle of Roosebeke (November 27, 1382), where Olivier de Clisson, as Constable of France, led the French royal army to a decisive and brutal victory.

The Flemish Revolt and French Intervention

• The Flemish cities, particularly Ghent, had long resisted feudal control, favoring municipal independence and trade autonomy.
• Philip van Artevelde, son of the famous Flemish leader Jacob van Artevelde, led the bourgeois militia against Louis de Male.
• Fearing the spread of urban revolts across France, Charles VI decided to intervene militarily.

The Battle of Roosebeke (November 27, 1382)

• Olivier de Clisson commanded the French royal army, which consisted of seasoned knights and men-at-arms.
• The Flemish forces, made up of militia fighters, artisans, and merchants, lacked professional military experience.
• Clisson used tactical superiority to crush the Flemish:
  • He outmaneuvered the undisciplined militias, trapping them with cavalry charges and flanking attacks.
  • The French forces encircled the Flemish, leading to a brutal massacre of 25,000 men.
• Philip van Artevelde was killed, and the rebellion collapsed as the French army sacked and looted the battlefield.

Aftermath and Consequences

• The crushing of the Ghent revolt reinforced feudal control in Flanders, ensuring Louis de Male’s continued rule.
• Olivier de Clisson’s victory solidified his position as one of France’s most capable military commanders.
• The massacre of 25,000 Flemish rebels sent a clear message against urban uprisings, though resistance in Flanders would continue in later years.

The Battle of Roosebeke (1382) was a defining moment in the conflict between feudal lords and urban autonomy, demonstrating the military dominance of France and the brutality of medieval warfare under the command of Olivier de Clisson.

Jean de Béthencourt: Norman Noble, Crusader, and Conqueror of the Canary Islands

Jean de Béthencourt (1362–1425), Baron of Saint-Martin-le-Gaillard, was a Norman noble, soldier, and explorer whose career spanned the Hundred Years’ War, crusades against North African corsairs, and the conquest of the Canary Islands. His life reflected the turbulence of late medieval France, as shifting alliances, piracy, and overseas expansion shaped his rise to prominence.

I. Early Life and Feudal Struggles in Normandy (1362–1387)

• Born in Grainville-la-Teinturière, Normandy, Jean was the son of Jean III de Béthencourt and Marie de Bracquemont.
• His father, a supporter of King Charles V, fought under Bertrand du Guesclin against Charles II of Navarreand was killed in May 1364 at the Battle of Cocherel.
• Following his father’s death, the Château de Grainville was demolished in 1365, part of royal efforts to dismantle fortresses that could be used by rebellious lords.
• In 1377, at age fifteen, Béthencourt entered the service of Louis I, Duke of Anjou, beginning a long military and courtly career.

II. Service to the House of Valois and Expeditions in North Africa (1387–1391)

• Between 1387 and 1391, he held the honorary position of chancellor to Louis de Valois, Duke of Touraine(later Duke of Orléans).
• In 1387, King Charles VI of France authorized the rebuilding of the Château de Grainville, restoring Béthencourt’s territorial power.
• As lord of Grainville, he held seven parishes and rights over all trade crossing his land, first as a vassal of Olivier du Guesclin, son of Bertrand du Guesclin.
• Later, during Henry V’s conquest of Normandy (1417–1419), he was forced to acknowledge English overlordship, though he likely engaged in piracy against both French and English vessels during periods of instability.

III. The Mahdia Crusade (1390) and First Encounters with the Canaries

• In 1390, Béthencourt joined the Mahdia Crusade, an expedition organized by Genoese merchants and led by Louis II, Duke of Bourbon, against the Barbary corsairs of Tunis.
• The campaign, presented as a "crusade," offered participants prestige, a moratorium on debts, immunity from lawsuits, and papal indulgences.
• However, the French knights were unprepared for the terrain, lacked siege equipment, and suffered from internal quarrels, leading to a negotiated withdrawal.
• During this campaign, Béthencourt likely first heard of the Canary Islands, where merchants spoke of orchil lichen, a rare dye highly valuable for the textile industry.

IV. The Conquest of the Canary Islands (1402–1405)

• Seeking economic opportunities in the dye trade, Béthencourt planned an expedition to the Canary Islands, which at the time were frequented by merchants and Spanish pirates.
• To fund his venture, he sold property in Paris for 200 gold francs and secured a 7,000-pound loan from his uncle, Robert de Bracquemont, the French ambassador to Castile, by mortgaging his estates.
• According to Louis Moréri, King Henry III of Castile had entrusted the conquest of the islands to Bracquemont, who then delegated the mission to Béthencourt.
• Accompanied by Gadifer de La Salle, whom he had met in service under the Duke of Orléans, Béthencourt set sail for the Canaries in December 1401.

V. Legacy and Impact

• Béthencourt’s conquest of the Canaries marked the beginning of European expansion into the Atlantic, preceding Portugal’s and Spain’s later colonial endeavors.
• His expedition combined feudal ambition, economic opportunity, and religious justification, foreshadowing later European imperial ventures.
• His rule over the islands was later challenged and disputed, leading to his eventual withdrawal from direct governance in favor of Castilian control.

Jean de Béthencourt’s career reflects the shifting dynamics of late medieval Europe, where knightly service, piracy, crusading, and overseas conquest blended in the pursuit of power, wealth, and prestige.

The Formation of the Armagnac League and the Renewed Civil War (1410)

By 1410, Charles, Duke of Orléans, still seeking to avenge the assassination of his father, Louis of Orléans (murdered in 1407 on the orders of John the Fearless, Duke of Burgundy), had begun actively opposing Burgundian power. Although the Peace of Chartres (1409) had briefly halted hostilities, tensions quickly reignited following Charles’ marriage to Bonne d’Armagnac on April 15, 1410, at Gien.

The marriage solidified a powerful anti-Burgundian alliance, formally uniting Charles with his father-in-law, Bernard VII, Count of Armagnac, who became the leader of the anti-Burgundian faction, now known as the Armagnac party.

I. The Formation of the Armagnac League (April 1410)

• At the wedding of Charles of Orléans and Bonne d’Armagnac, prominent noblemen gathered to form a league against John the Fearless and his Burgundian allies.
• This coalition provided the Orléanist faction with a new leader, as Bernard VII of Armagnac assumed the role of protector of Charles of Orléans and his mother, Valentina Visconti.
• With a new figurehead and a unified cause, the faction rebranded itself as the "Armagnac party."

II. Key Members of the Armagnac Alliance

• Charles, Duke of Orléans – The son of the murdered Louis, seeking revenge against Burgundy.
• Bernard VII, Count of Armagnac – The father-in-law of Charles, assuming leadership of the faction.
• John, Duke of Berry – The uncle of both Charles VI and Charles of Orléans, serving as a mediator turned ally of the Armagnacs.
• Louis II, Duke of Bourbon – A longtime opponent of Burgundian influence.
• John V, Duke of Brittany – Bringing Brittany’s considerable military strength to the faction.
• John I, Count of Alençon – Another key supporter opposing Burgundian control.
• Charles, Count of Clermont (later Charles I, Duke of Bourbon) – Son of the Duke of Bourbon, committed to resisting John the Fearless.

III. Renewed Civil War: The Armagnacs vs. the Burgundians

• With the formation of the Armagnac League, open war resumed between:
  • The Armagnacs, supporting Charles VI’s son, the Dauphin, and the Orléanist cause.
  • The Burgundians, led by John the Fearless, who controlled Paris and much of northern France.
• The conflict paralyzed France, leading to:
  • Further foreign intervention, particularly from England, which exploited French divisions during the Hundred Years' War.
  • A bloody civil war that would last until 1435, exacerbating the weakness of the French monarchy.

IV. Impact and Legacy

• The creation of the Armagnac party in 1410 ensured that the civil war would not be resolved peacefully.
• The feud between the Houses of Orléans and Burgundy would define French politics for the next 25 years, weakening the kingdom during a crucial period in the Hundred Years' War.
• The internal strife allowed England to advance, culminating in Henry V’s victory at Agincourt (1415) and the Treaty of Troyes (1420), which disinherited the Dauphin in favor of the English king.

The Armagnac-Burgundian conflict, which began in earnest with the marriage alliance of 1410, tore France apart, paving the way for English dominance and further political instability in the early 15th century.