Jean de Villiers (grand master)

The death of al-Mansur Qalawun left a respite for the Christians, but his son al-Ashraf Khalil had sworn to his father to take Acre.

During the assault of 16 May, a breach was opened near the Saint-Antoine gate, but the Templars and the Hospitallers, led by Matthew of Clermont, succeeded in repelling the Mamluks.

On May 18, the enemy resumed its assaults, at the Porte Saint-Antoine, Matthew of Clermont succeeded in repelling them but he was caught in the back by other troops who had crossed the wall.

The Grand Master Guillaume de Beaujeu was wounded under the armpit and died shortly afterwards, Jean de Villiers was also wounded but saved by the valets d'armes and was taken away from the enemy on a boat with seven Hospitaller knights, the only survivors, Matthew of Clermont died near the Rue des Génois.

The Pisans at the Porte Saint-Romain, the knights of Saint-Thomas near the church of Saint-Léonard, Jean de Grailly and Othon de Grandson at the Porte Saint-Nicolas and at the Legate Tower gave up, the Mamelukes were masters of the city, the women and children were reduced to slavery, and all the men were put to the sword.

His rescue must have caused a stir in the Order, and the letter of justification that he addressed to Guillaume de Villaret, prior of Saint-Gilles and future grand master, was not unrelated to this.

[6] Taking refuge in Limassol at the castle of Kolossi, Jean de Villiers was occupied by the holding of a general chapter on 6 October 1292.

Entangled in Cypriot politics, de Villaret formed a plan to acquire a new temporal domain, the island of Rhodes, then part of the Byzantine Empire.

[3] The death of Jean de Villiers occurred in the weeks following the organization of a second General Chapter on 30 October 1293.