Nicolas Lorgne

Nicolas Lorgne (died 1285) was the twenty-first Grand Master of the Knights Hospitaller, serving first from 1277 until 1285 and was the successor to Hugues de Revel.

[3] Lorgne was a knight who served for many years as the castellan of the castle of Krac des Chevaliers, where he made improvements in the mid-13th century.

[4] The rights of Hugh III of Lusignan, the king of Cyprus, to the throne of Jerusalem were contested by Maria of Antioch who, in exchange for an annual rent of 4,000 pounds and 1,000 gold coins, had ceded her claims to Charles I of Anjou.

On 7 June 1277, the arrival of Roger of San Severino, Count of Marsico, regent in Jerusalem for Charles I, caused panic among the barons.

The Hospitallers, from the fortress of Margat, took advantage of the total disorganization that prevailed, made a sortie with 200 knights and raided the region to take considerable booty.

In February 1281, the emir of the Krak des Chevaliers, now under Badr al-Din Solamish, wanted revenge and attacked the Hospitallers with 7,000 horsemen.

After a bloody battle between the Mongols and the troops of Damascus without winner or loser, al-Mansûr announced that he was going to take revenge for the failure of Margat.

The Hospitallers accumulated supplies and forces in the fortress of Margat and improved the defenses, but this did not prevent them from deploying a contingent of 100 horsemen composed of 50 lances taken from among the knights and 50 turcopoles to the king of Armenia.