0 . ▁In ▁Sic ily ▁he ▁came ▁into ▁conflict ▁with ▁Tan cred ▁I ▁over ▁the ▁rights ▁of ▁Richard ' s ▁sister ▁Queen ▁Joan , ▁wid ow ▁of ▁the ▁former ▁king ▁William ▁II ▁of ▁Sic ily . ▁Richard ▁captured ▁the ▁city ▁of ▁Mess ina ▁on ▁ 4 ▁October ▁ 1 1 9 0 ▁and ▁using ▁it ▁to ▁force ▁Tan cred ▁into ▁a ▁peace ▁agreement . ▁When ▁his ▁sister ▁and ▁his ▁f ian c ée ▁Ber eng aria ▁along ▁with ▁several ▁other ▁ships , ▁including ▁the ▁tre asure ▁ship ▁were ▁seized ▁by ▁the ▁island ' s ▁desp ot ▁Isaac ▁Kom nen os , ▁Richard ▁conquer ed ▁the ▁island , ▁which ▁became ▁a ▁western ▁fe ud al ▁and ▁Christian ▁base ▁in ▁the ▁Mediter rane an . ▁ ▁Op in ions ▁of ▁Richard ▁amongst ▁his ▁contempor aries ▁were ▁mixed . ▁He ▁had ▁rejected ▁and ▁hum ili ated ▁the ▁king ▁of ▁France ' s ▁sister ; ▁ins ult ed ▁and ▁refused ▁spo ils ▁of ▁the ▁third ▁cr us ade ▁to ▁nobles ▁like ▁Leopold ▁V , ▁Duke ▁of ▁Austria , ▁and ▁was ▁rum oured ▁to ▁have ▁arranged ▁the ▁assass ination ▁of ▁Con rad ▁of ▁Mont fer rat . ▁His ▁cruel ty ▁was ▁demonstrated ▁by ▁his ▁mass acre ▁of ▁ 2 , 6 0 0 ▁prisoners ▁in ▁A cre . ▁However , ▁Richard ▁was ▁respect ed ▁for ▁his ▁military ▁leadership ▁and ▁court ly ▁man ners . ▁He ▁achieved ▁vict ories ▁in ▁the ▁Third ▁Cr us ade ▁but ▁failed ▁to ▁capture ▁Jerusalem , ▁retre ating ▁from ▁the ▁Holy ▁Land ▁with ▁a