Radulfus (Ralph of Domfront), Latin patriarch of Antioch, 1135-1140. Seal (Lead, 36 mm, 26.00 g). +[S]ANCTVS PETRVS APOSTOLVS Nimbate facing bust of St. Peter, holding a long cross in his right hand and key in his left hand. Rev. +RADVLFVS [PATRIAR]XA ANTIOCHENS Bust of Ralph, raising his right hand in benediction and holding a long cross in his left hand. Unpublished in the standard references. A highly important Crusader seal of great historical interest. Rough surfaces, otherwise, very fine.



Ralph of Domfront was born near the fortress of Domfront in Normandy. Before becoming the Latin patriarch of Antioch in 1135, he served as the archbishop of Mamistra (Mopsuestia in Cilicia). As Latin patriarch of Antioch during the reign of Princess Constance of Hauteville (1130-1163), he boldly rejected the supremacy of the pope, declaring that Antioch was the firstborn of the sees of Peter. This confrontational stance with Rome would later prove unwise.

At the beginning of his tenure, Ralph orchestrated the marriage between Constance and Raymond of Poitiers, solidifying the control of Antioch in the hands of the new prince and the patriarch. In 1137, a conflict with Byzantium emerged when John II Comnenus (1118-1143) invaded Antioch. However, full-scale warfare was averted through the intervention of the Pope, who threatened eternal damnation for all Latin Christians serving John.

The latter part of Ralph’s tenure was marred by a financial dispute within his patriarchate, ultimately leading to his deposition in 1140. During a synod convened by the papal legate, Ralph was charged with uncanonical election, simony, and fornication. Imprisoned but eventually escaping, Ralph made his way to Rome, where the new pope heard his appeal and reinstated him as patriarch. However, Ralph never returned to Antioch, as he was poisoned shortly thereafter.