1194, Dec 26
Birth. Some chronicles say that his mother, the forty-year-old Constance, gave birth to him in a public square in order to forestall any doubt about his origin
1196
Elected King of the Germans
1198
Mother Died
Pope Innocent III became guardian
Crowned King of Sicily
1209
Otto of Brunswick crowned Holy Roman Emperor by Innocent III
1211
Innocent III backed faction rebellious to Otto Frederick elected in absentia King of the Germans by Diet of Nuremburg
1214
Battle of Bouvines – Otto defeated and withdraws to hereditary Guelph lands
1215
Frederick again elected King of the Germans and crowned by Innocent III in Aachen
1216
Innocent III dies – succeeded by Honorius III
1220
Frederick crowned Holy Roman Emperor by Honorius III in Rome.
His eldest son, Henry took title King of the Romans
1220
Assizes of Capua – first Sicilian law reforms to build power of state
1224
Created University of Naples
1225
Married Yolande of Jerusalem, heiress to Kingdom of Jerusalem. Frederick prepares to travel to Holy Land on Crusade
1227
Frederick is delayed in setting off and is excommunicated as a result by Gregory IX – epidemic reason for delay and Frederick’s own illness
1228
Frederick departs on crusade resulting in second excommunication as Pope miffed that still going despite excommunication in previous year.
Frederick negotiates return of Jerusalem with sultan Al-Kamil.
1229
Frederick crowned King of Jerusalem – despite fact that inheritance should have passed to son Conrad as Yolande had by this time died.
1231
Henry, Frederick’s first son, joins Lombard League in rebellion and claims the crown. Rebellion mostly a failure
1231
Peace of San Germano – Pope lifts excommunication of Frederick
1231
Constitutions of Melfi – Sicily becomes first absolutist monarchy to emerge from Feudalism
1235
Henry imprisoned – Conrad, King of Jerusalem replaces him
mid-1230s
Fredericks viceroy forced to leave Acre, capital of Kingdom of Jerusalem
1237
Frederick wins decisive battle over Lombard League at Cortenuova
Celebrated with victory parade in style of Roman Emperors at Cremona
1238
Milan, Brescia, Bologna, Piacenza still rebellios. Frederick lifts seige of Brescia
1239
Excommunicated by Gregory IX
1239
Frederick responded by expelling Minorites and lay preachers from Lombardy
1239
Son Enzio elected vicar of Northern Italy – Enzio annexed the Romagna, Marche and the Duchy of Spoleto, nominally part of the Papal States
1239
Frederick announces wish to destroy Venice which had sent ships against Sicily. He marches towards Rome, in order to restore the ancient splendours of the Empire. Siege ineffective, returns to Sicily sacking Benevento on the way. Peace negotiations come to nothing.
1240
Pope called council but Pisa, Frederick’s ally, thwarted it by capturing cardinals en route by ship. Frederick began assault on Papal States again.
1240
Gregory IX dies. Frederick withdraws – war against Pope not the Church.
1242-3
War continues back and forth between Frederick and Papacy.
1244
Jerusalem lost to new Muslim offensive
1243
Innocent IV elected Pope. Initially Frederick favoured his election
1243
Viterbo rebelled at instigation of Cardinal Ranieri of Viterbo – key Hohenstaufen stronghold near Rome. Frederick lay seige.
1243
Innocent convinces Frederick to with withdraw, but Ranieri massacres Imperial garrison
1245
Innocent breaks peace treaty and flees to Lyon. Declares Frederick deposed as Emperor characterising him as a “friend of Babylon’s sultan”, “of Saracen customs”, “provided with a harem guarded by eunuchs” like the schismatic emperor of Byzantium and, in sum, a “heretic”.
1245
Innocent IV backs Heinrich Raspe, Landgrave of Thuringia as rival for Imperial crown and sets in motion to kill Frederick and Enzio with support of his (the pope’s) brother-in-law Orlando de Rossi, another friend of Frederick’s.
1245
Plotters unmasked by Count of Caserta. In vengeance city of Altavilla where they had found shelter, was razed, and the guilty were blinded, mutilated and burnt alive or hanged
1245
Ranieri attempt to invade Sicily fails
1246
Innocent IV funds opposition in Germany – amongst archbishops of Koln and Mainz. Heinrich defeats Conrad, son of Freidrich near Frankfurt. However, Frederick establishes new power base in Southern Germany, with Duchy of Austria
1247
Heinrich Raspe dies. William II, Count of Holland is new anti-king
1247, Feb-Mar
Emperor consolidated Italian position, diet of Terni, married son Manfred to daughter of Amedeo di Savoia, Count of Savoy and took submission of marquis of Monferrato
1247, early
Pope seeks protection of King Louis of France, but a friend of the Emperor. Papal army set out but never reaches Lombardy.
1247
Frederick plus massive army holds diet at Turin
1247, June
Parma rebels and Frederick lays seige together with friend Ezillino, tyrant of Verona. Wooden city, Vittoria built, where he kept his treasure and the harem and menagerie, and from where he could attend his favourite hunting expeditions
1248
While out hunting beseigers camp is assaulted and Imperial forces defeated at Battle of Parma. Frederick loses the Imperial treasury.
1248
Raises army again but many cities rebel as unwilling to face added tax burdens.
1249, Feb
Frederick fired his advisor and prime minister, the famous jurist and poet Pier delle Vigne on charges of speculation and embezzlement. Some historians suggest that Pier was planning to betray the Emperor, who, according to Matthew Paris, cried when he discovered the plot. Pier, blinded and in chains, died in Pisa, possibly by suicide
1249, May
Frederick’s son Enzio captured by the Bolognese at Battle of Fossalta. Frederick also loses another son Richard of Chieti
1249
Hohenstaufens lose Como and Modena, but regain Ravenna
1250
Army sent to invade Sicily under Cardinal Pietro Capocci defeated at Battle of Cingoli
1250, Jan
Ranieri of Viterbo dies. Imperial forces recapture Romagna, Marche and Spoleto. Conrad in Germany wins victories against William II of Holland.
1250, Dec
Frederick – too ill to go on campaigns dies of dysentery at Castel Fiorentino
1194, Dec 26
Birth. Some chronicles say that his mother, the forty-year-old Constance, gave birth to him in a public square in order to forestall any doubt about his origin
1196
Elected King of the Germans
1198
Mother Died
Pope Innocent III became guardian
Crowned King of Sicily
1209
Otto of Brunswick crowned Holy Roman Emperor by Innocent III
1211
Innocent III backed faction rebellious to Otto Frederick elected in absentia King of the Germans by Diet of Nuremburg
1214
Battle of Bouvines – Otto defeated and withdraws to hereditary Guelph lands
1215
Frederick again elected King of the Germans and crowned by Innocent III in Aachen
1216
Innocent III dies – succeeded by Honorius III
1220
Frederick crowned Holy Roman Emperor by Honorius III in Rome.
His eldest son, Henry took title King of the Romans
1220
Assizes of Capua – first Sicilian law reforms to build power of state
1224
Created University of Naples
1225
Married Yolande of Jerusalem, heiress to Kingdom of Jerusalem. Frederick prepares to travel to Holy Land on Crusade
1227
Frederick is delayed in setting off and is excommunicated as a result by Gregory IX – epidemic reason for delay and Frederick’s own illness
1228
Frederick departs on crusade resulting in second excommunication as Pope miffed that still going despite excommunication in previous year.
Frederick negotiates return of Jerusalem with sultan Al-Kamil.
1229
Frederick crowned King of Jerusalem – despite fact that inheritance should have passed to son Conrad as Yolande had by this time died.
1231
Henry, Frederick’s first son, joins Lombard League in rebellion and claims the crown. Rebellion mostly a failure
1231
Peace of San Germano – Pope lifts excommunication of Frederick
1231
Constitutions of Melfi – Sicily becomes first absolutist monarchy to emerge from Feudalism
1235
Henry imprisoned – Conrad, King of Jerusalem replaces him
mid-1230s
Fredericks viceroy forced to leave Acre, capital of Kingdom of Jerusalem
1237
Frederick wins decisive battle over Lombard League at Cortenuova
Celebrated with victory parade in style of Roman Emperors at Cremona
1238
Milan, Brescia, Bologna, Piacenza still rebellios. Frederick lifts seige of Brescia
1239
Excommunicated by Gregory IX
1239
Frederick responded by expelling Minorites and lay preachers from Lombardy
1239
Son Enzio elected vicar of Northern Italy – Enzio annexed the Romagna, Marche and the Duchy of Spoleto, nominally part of the Papal States
1239
Frederick announces wish to destroy Venice which had sent ships against Sicily. He marches towards Rome, in order to restore the ancient splendours of the Empire. Siege ineffective, returns to Sicily sacking Benevento on the way. Peace negotiations come to nothing.
1240
Pope called council but Pisa, Frederick’s ally, thwarted it by capturing cardinals en route by ship. Frederick began assault on Papal States again.
1240
Gregory IX dies. Frederick withdraws – war against Pope not the Church.
1242-3
War continues back and forth between Frederick and Papacy.
1244
Jerusalem lost to new Muslim offensive
1243
Innocent IV elected Pope. Initially Frederick favoured his election
1243
Viterbo rebelled at instigation of Cardinal Ranieri of Viterbo – key Hohenstaufen stronghold near Rome. Frederick lay seige.
1243
Innocent convinces Frederick to with withdraw, but Ranieri massacres Imperial garrison
1245
Innocent breaks peace treaty and flees to Lyon. Declares Frederick deposed as Emperor characterising him as a “friend of Babylon’s sultan”, “of Saracen customs”, “provided with a harem guarded by eunuchs” like the schismatic emperor of Byzantium and, in sum, a “heretic”.
1245
Innocent IV backs Heinrich Raspe, Landgrave of Thuringia as rival for Imperial crown and sets in motion to kill Frederick and Enzio with support of his (the pope’s) brother-in-law Orlando de Rossi, another friend of Frederick’s.
1245
Plotters unmasked by Count of Caserta. In vengeance city of Altavilla where they had found shelter, was razed, and the guilty were blinded, mutilated and burnt alive or hanged
1245
Ranieri attempt to invade Sicily fails
1246
Innocent IV funds opposition in Germany – amongst archbishops of Koln and Mainz. Heinrich defeats Conrad, son of Freidrich near Frankfurt. However, Frederick establishes new power base in Southern Germany, with Duchy of Austria
1247
Heinrich Raspe dies. William II, Count of Holland is new anti-king
1247, Feb-Mar
Emperor consolidated Italian position, diet of Terni, married son Manfred to daughter of Amedeo di Savoia, Count of Savoy and took submission of marquis of Monferrato
1247, early
Pope seeks protection of King Louis of France, but a friend of the Emperor. Papal army set out but never reaches Lombardy.
1247
Frederick plus massive army holds diet at Turin
1247, June
Parma rebels and Frederick lays seige together with friend Ezillino, tyrant of Verona. Wooden city, Vittoria built, where he kept his treasure and the harem and menagerie, and from where he could attend his favourite hunting expeditions
1248
While out hunting beseigers camp is assaulted and Imperial forces defeated at Battle of Parma. Frederick loses the Imperial treasury.
1248
Raises army again but many cities rebel as unwilling to face added tax burdens.
1249, Feb
Frederick fired his advisor and prime minister, the famous jurist and poet Pier delle Vigne on charges of speculation and embezzlement. Some historians suggest that Pier was planning to betray the Emperor, who, according to Matthew Paris, cried when he discovered the plot. Pier, blinded and in chains, died in Pisa, possibly by suicide
1249, May
Frederick’s son Enzio captured by the Bolognese at Battle of Fossalta. Frederick also loses another son Richard of Chieti
1249
Hohenstaufens lose Como and Modena, but regain Ravenna
1250
Army sent to invade Sicily under Cardinal Pietro Capocci defeated at Battle of Cingoli
1250, Jan
Ranieri of Viterbo dies. Imperial forces recapture Romagna, Marche and Spoleto. Conrad in Germany wins victories against William II of Holland.
1250, Dec
Frederick – too ill to go on campaigns dies of dysentery at Castel Fiorentino
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