She reigned from 26 August 1474 to 26 February 1489 and was declared a "Daughter of Saint Mark" in order that the Republic of Venice could claim control of Cyprus after the death of her husband.

[1] Catherine (also known as Caterina) was a daughter of Venetian Marco Cornaro, Cavaliere del Sacro Romano Impero (Knight of the Holy Roman Empire) and Fiorenza Crispo [hu].

She was the younger sister of the Nobil Huomo Giorgio Cornaro (1452 – 31 July 1527), "Padre della Patria" and Knight of the Holy Roman Empire.

[4] On the death of the Cypriot King John II in 1458, the succession was disputed between his daughter Charlotte and her illegitimate half-brother James, who tried to seize the island.

As soon as the Venetian fleet sailed away a plot to depose the infant James III of Cyprus in favour of Charlotte, John's legitimate daughter, broke out, and Catherine was kept a prisoner.

Asolo soon gained a reputation as a court of literary and artistic distinction, mainly as a result of it being the fictitious setting for Pietro Bembo's platonic dialogues on love, Gli Asolani.

In October 2011, the Cyprus Antiquities Department announced a one million euro project to restore a part-medieval mansion in Potamia said to be Catherine Cornaro's summer palace.

[19][20] The project aimed to create a cultural centre in the mansion's west wing, with the work continuing in stages for three years depending on funds.