Manfred
Britannica Concise Encyclopedia:
Top
Manfred
(born 1232died Feb. 26, 1266, near Benevento, Kingdom of Naples) King of Sicily (125866). Born out of wedlock, the son of Frederick II, he was made vicar of Italy and Sicily for his half brother Conrad IV, but, following Conrad's death, Manfred sought the Sicilian crown for himself. He resisted Pope Alexander IV's efforts to assign the throne to an English rival, and, after fighting off a papal army, Manfred was crowned king in 1258. He became a defender of the Ghibellines in northern Italy ( Guelphs and Ghibellines). Pope Urban IV declared Charles of Anjou (later Charles I) king of Sicily, and Manfred fell in battle against Charles's army.
For more information on Manfred, visit Britannica.com.
Related Videos:
Top
Manfred
Columbia Encyclopedia:
Top
Manfred
Manfred (măn'frəd, Ger. män'frāt), c.1232-1266, king of Sicily (1258-66), the last Hohenstaufen on that throne. An illegitimate son of Holy Roman Emperor Frederick II, Manfred was regent in Sicily for his brother Conrad IV. Conrad died in 1254, and Manfred seized the regency for Conrad's young son, Conradin. However, Pope Innocent IV and his successors, Alexander IV and Urban IV, were determined to stamp out the Hohenstaufen. Papal forces invaded Sicily, and Manfred was forced to restore (1254) the kingdom to the papacy, retaining only the duchy of Taranto in fief from the pope. Soon Manfred rebelled, reconquered S Italy and Sicily, assumed leadership of the antipapal forces throughout Italy, and had himself crowned (1258) at Palermo. Urban IV reacted by investing Charles of Anjou with Sicily as Charles I. Invading Italy, Charles defeated Manfred at Benevento (1266). Manfred died in the battle, and Conradin was later captured and executed. After the Sicilian Vespers (1282), Manfred's son-in-law, Peter III of Aragón, was chosen king of Sicily and began a new dynasty.
Post a question - any question - to the WikiAnswers community:
Copyrights:
Britannica Concise Encyclopedia
Britannica Concise Encyclopedia. © 1994-2012 Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc. All rights reserved. Read more
