Aubusson, Pierre d'

Aubusson, Pierre d' (pyer dōbüsôN') [key], 1423–1503, French soldier, a cardinal of the Roman Catholic Church, and grand master of the Knights Hospitalers (1476–1503). In 1480 he valiantly defended Rhodes against Ottoman Sultan Muhammad II. After the accession (1481) of Sultan Beyazid II, Aubusson gave shelter to Jem, Beyazid's brother. However, he soon sent Jem to France as a virtual prisoner and obtained a truce and a large annual pension from Beyazid in exchange for keeping Jem confined. In 1489 Aubusson ceded his valuable hostage to Pope Innocent VIII, who made Aubusson a cardinal and granted new privileges to his order.

The Columbia Electronic Encyclopedia, 6th ed. Copyright © 2007, Columbia University Press. All rights reserved.

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