#Constance II of Sicily

[docpiplup]

The Bastard Kings and their families

This is series of posts are complementary to this historical parallels post from the JON SNOW FORTNIGHT EVENT, and it's purpouse to discover the lives of medieval bastard kings, and the following posts are meant to collect portraits of those kings and their close relatives.

In many cases it's difficult to find contemporary art of their period, so some of the portrayals are subsequent.

1) Manfred I of Sicily (1232 – 26 February 1266), son of Holy Roman Emperor Frederick II and Bianca Lancia

2) His parents, Holy Roman Emperor Frederick II (1194 – 1250), son of Constance I of Sicily and Holy Roman Emperor Frederick I; with Bianca Lancia (c. 1210 – c. 1246/1248), daughter of Bonifazio d'Agliano

3) His brother, Conrad IV of Germany ( 1228 – 1254), son of Holy Roman Emperor Frederick II and his wife Isabella II of Jerusalem

4) His nephew, Conradin (25 March 1252 – 29 October 1268), son of Conrad IV and his wife Elisabeth of Bavaria

5) His brother, Henry VII of Germany (1211 – 1242), son of Holy Roman Emperor Frederick II and his wife Constance of Aragon

6) His brother, Enzo of Sardinia ( c. 1218 – 1272), son of Holy Roman Emperor Frederick II and Adelaide

7) His wife, Beatrice of Savoy (1223 – 1259), daughter of Amadeus IV of Savoy and his wife Marguerite of Burgundy

8) His daughter with his wife Helena Angelina Doukaina, Beatrix of Sicily (1260 –1307)

9) His daughter with his wife Beatrice of Savoy, Constance II of Sicily (c. 1249 – 1302); with her husband Peter III of Aragon (c. 1239 –1285), son of James I of Aragon and his wife Violant of Hungary

[charlesreeza]

Constance of Aragon's Crown - c. 1220-1222, gold and gilded silver filigree, glazes, pearls, and polychrome stones - in the Treasury of the Cathedral of Palermo, Sicily - Photos by Charles Reeza

As the result of arranged marriages negotiated by her brother, Constance became the Queen of Hungary at the age of 19, the Queen of Sicily at the age of 30 when she married King��Frederick II (who was only 14 years old), Queen of Germany when she was 36 and Frederick was crowned King of Germany, and at the age of 41, when her husband became the Holy Roman Emperor, she was crowned Holy Roman Empress with this crown. She died of malaria at the age of 43 and was entombed in the Palermo Cathedral, in a Roman sarcophagus, wearing her crown.

[palecleverdoll]

Wives and Daughters of Holy Roman Emperors: Age at First Marriage

I have only included women whose birth dates and dates of marriage are known within at least 1-2 years, therefore, this is not a comprehensive list.

This list does not include women who died before their husbands were crowned Emperor. It spans between the beginning of the reign of Otto I (962 CE) and the end of the reign of Francis II (1806 CE).

The average age at first marriage among these women was 17. The sample size was 91 women. The youngest bride, Bianca Maria Sforza, was just 2 years old when she wed her first husband, who was himself 9. The oldest bride, Constance of Sicily, was 32 years old.

Adelaide of Italy, wife of Otto I, HRE: age 15 when she married Lothair II, King of Italy, in 947 CE

Liutgarde of Saxony, daughter of Otto I, HRE: age 15 when she married Conrad the Red, Duke of Lorraine, in 947 CE

Theophanu, wife of Otto II, HRE: age 17 when she married Otto in 972 CE

Cunigunde of Luxembourg, wife of Henry II, HRE: age 24 when she married Henry in 999 CE

Gisela of Swabia, wife of Conrad II, HRE: age 12 when she married Brun I of Brunswick in 1002 CE

Agnes of Poitou, wife of Henry III, HRE: age 18 when she married Henry in 1043 CE

Matilda of Germany, daughter of Henry III, HRE: age 11 when she married Rudolf of Rheinfelden in 1059 CE

Judith of Swabia, daughter of Henry III, HRE: age 9 when she married Solomon, King of Hungary in 1063 CE

Bertha of Savoy, wife of Henry IV, HRE: age 15 when she married Henry in 1066 CE

Agnes of Waiblingen, daughter of Henry IV, HRE: age 14 when she married Frederick I, Duke of Swabia in 1086 CE

Empress Matilda, wife of Henry V, HRE: age 12 when she married Henry in 1114 CE

Beatrice I, Countess of Burgundy, wife of Frederick I, HRE: age 13 when she married Frederick in 1156 CE

Beatrice, daughter of Frederick I, HRE: age 10 when she married Guillaume II, Count of Chalon in 1173 CE

Constance, Queen of Sicily, wife of Henry IV, HRE: age 32 when she married Henry IV in 1186 CE

Beatrice of Swabia, first wife of Otto IV, HRE: age 14 when she married Otto in 1212 CE

Maria of Brabant, second wife of Otto IV, HRE: age 24 when she married Otto in 1214 CE

Constance of Aragon, first wife of Frederick II, HRE: age 19 when she married Emeric of Hungary in 1198 CE

Isabella II of Jerusalem, second wife of Frederick II, HRE: age 13 when she married Frederick in 1225 CE

Isabella of England, third wife of Frederick II, HRE: age 21 when she married Frederick in 1235 CE

Margaret of Sicily, daughter of Frederick II, HRE: age 14 when she married Albert II, Margrave of Meissen in 1255 CE

Anna of Hohenstaufen, daughter of Frederick II, HRE: age 14 when she married John III Doukas Vatatzes in 1244 CE

Marie of Luxembourg, daughter of Henry VII, HRE: age 18 when she married Charles IV of France in 1322 CE

Beatrice of Luxembourg, daughter of Henry VII, HRE: age 13 when she married Charles I of Hungary in 1318 CE

Margaret II, Countess of Hainaut, wife of Louis IV, HRE: age 13 when she married Louis in 1324 CE

Matilda of Bavaria, daughter of Louis IV, HRE: age 10 when she married Frederick II, Margrave of Meissen in 1323 CE

Beatrice of Bavaria, daughter of Louis IV, HRE: age 12 when she married Eric XII of Sweden in 1356 CE

Anna von Schweidnitz, wife of Charles IV, HRE: age 14 when she married Charles in 1353 CE

Elizabeth of Pomerania, wife of Charles IV, HRE: age 16 when she married Charles in 1378 CE

Margaret of Bohemia, daughter of Charles IV, HRE: age 7 when she married Louis I of Hungary in 1342 CE

Catherine of Bohemia, daughter of Charles IV, HRE: age 14 when she married Rudolf IV, Duke of Austria in 1356 CE

Elisabeth of Bohemia, daughter of Charles IV, HRE: age 8 when she married Albert III, Duke of Austria in 1366 CE

Anne of Bohemia, daughter of Charles IV, HRE: age 16 when she married Richard II of England in 1382 CE

Margaret of Bohemia, daughter of Charles IV, HRE: age 8 when she married John III, Burgrave of Nuremburg in 1381 CE

Barbara of Cilli, wife of Sigismund, HRE: age 13 when she married Sigismund in 1405 CE

Elizabeth of Luxembourg, daughter of Sigismund, HRE: age 13 when she married Albert II of Germany in 1422 CE

Eleanor of Portugal, wife of Frederick III, HRE: age 18 when she married Frederick in 1452 CE

Kunigunde of Austria, daughter of Frederick III, HRE: age 22 when she married Albert IV, Duke of Bavaria in 1487 CE

Bianca Maria Sforza, wife of Maximilian I, HRE: age 2 when she married Philibert I, Duke of Savoy in 1474 CE

Margaret of Austria, daughter of Maximilian I, HRE: age 17 when she married John, Prince of Asturias in 1497 CE

Barbara von Rattal, daughter of Maximilian I, HRE: age 15 when she married Siegmund von Dietrichstein in 1515 CE

Dorothea of Austria, daughter of Maximilian I, HRE: age 22 when she married Johan I of East Frisia in 1538 CE

Isabella of Portugal, wife of Charles V, HRE: age 23 when she married Charles in 1526 CE

Maria of Austria, daughter of Charles V, HRE: age 20 when she married Maximilian II, HRE in 1548 CE

Joanna of Austria, daughter of Charles V, HRE: age 17 when she married John Manuel, Prince of Portugal in 1552 CE

Margaret of Parma, daughter of Charles V, HRE: age 14 when she married Alessandro de’ Medici, Duke of Florence, in 1536 CE

Elizabeth of Austria, daughter of Ferdinand I, HRE: age 16 when she married Sigismund II Augustus of Poland in 1543 CE

Anna of Austria, daughter of Ferdinand I, HRE: age 17 when she married Albert V, Duke of Bavaria in 1546 CE

Maria of Austria, daughter of Ferdinand I, HRE: age 15 when she married William of Julich-Cleves-Berg in 1546 CE

Catherine of Austria, daughter of Ferdinand I, HRE: age 16 when she married Francesco III Gonzaga in 1559 CE

Eleanor of Austria, daughter of Ferdinand I, HRE: age 27 when she married William I, Duke of Mantua in 1561 CE

Barbara of Austria, daughter of Ferdinand I, HRE: age 26 when she married Alfonso II d’Este in 1565 CE

Joanna of Austria, daughter of Ferdinand I, HRE: age 18 when she married Francesco I de’ Medici in 1565 CE

Anna of Austria, daughter of Maximilian II, HRE: age 21 when she married Philip II of Spain in 1570 CE

Elisabeth of Austria, daughter of Maximilian II, HRE: age 16 when she married Charles IX of France in 1570 CE

Anna of Tyrol, wife of Matthias, HRE: age 26 when she married Matthias in 1611 CE

Eleonora Gonzaga the Elder, wife of Ferdinand II, HRE: age 24 when she married Ferdinand in 1622 CE

Maria Anna of Austria, daughter of Ferdinand II, HRE: age 25 when she married Maximilian I, Elector of Bavaria in 1635 CE

Cecilia Renata of Austria, daughter of Ferdinand II, HRE: age 26 when she married Władysław IV of Poland in 1637 CE

Maria Anna of Spain, wife of Ferdinand III, HRE: age 25 when she married Ferdinand in 1631 CE

Maria Leopoldine of Austria, wife of Ferdinand III, HRE: age 16 when she married Ferdinand in 1648 CE

Eleonora Gonzaga the Younger, wife of Ferdinand III, HRE: age 21 when she married Ferdinand in 1651 CE

Mariana of Austria, daughter of Ferdinand III, HRE: age 15 when she married Philip IV of Spain in 1649 CE

Eleonore of Austria, daughter of Ferdinand III, HRE: age 17 when she married Michael I of Poland in 1670 CE

Maria Anna Josepha of Austria, daughter of Ferdinand III, HRE: age 24 when she married Johann Wilhelm II, Elector Palatine in 1678 CE

Margaret Theresa of Spain, wife of Leopold I, HRE: age 15 when she married Leopold in 1666 CE

Claudia Felicitas of Spain, wife of Leopold I, HRE: age 20 when she married Leopold in 1673 CE

Eleonore Magdalene of Neuberg, wife of Leopold I, HRE: age 21 when she married Leopold in 1676 CE

Maria Antonia of Austria, daughter of Leopold I, HRE: age 16 when she married Maximilian II Emanuel, Elector of Bavaria in 1685 CE

Maria Anna of Austria, daughter of Leopold I, HRE: age 25 when she married John V of Portugal in 1708 CE

Wilhelmine Amalie of Brunswick, wife of Joseph I, HRE: age 26 when she married Joseph in 1699 CE

Maria Josepha of Austria, daughter of Joseph I, HRE: age 20 when she married Augustus III of Poland in 1719 CE

Maria Amalia of Austria, daughter of Joseph I, HRE: age 21 when she married Charles VII, HRE in 1722 CE

Elisabeth Christine of Brunswick, wife of Charles VI, HRE: age 17 when she married Charles in 1708 CE

Maria Theresa of Austria, daughter of Charles VI, HRE: age 19 when she married Francis I, HRE in 1736 CE

Maria Anna of Austria, daughter of Charles VI, HRE: age 26 when she married Charles Alexander of Lorraine in 1744 CE

Maria Antonia of Bavaria, daughter of Charles VII, HRE: age 23 when she married Frederick Christian, Elector of Saxony in 1747 CE

Maria Anna Josepha of Bavaria, daughter of Charles VII, HRE: age 20 when she married Louis George of Baden-Baden in 1755 CE

Maria Josepha of Bavaria, daughter of Charles VII, HRE: age 26 when she married Joseph II, HRE in 1765 CE

Maria Christina, daughter of Francis I, HRE: age 24 when she married Albert Casimir, Duke of Teschen in 1766 CE

Maria Amalia, daughter of Francis I, HRE: age 23 when she married Ferdinand I, Duke of Parma in 1769 CE

Maria Carolina, daughter of Francis I, HRE: age 16 when she married Ferdinand IV & III of Sicily in 1768 CE

Maria Antonia, daughter of Francis I, HRE: age 14 when she married Louis XVI of France in 1770 CE

Maria Josepha of Bavaria, wife of Joseph II, HRE: age 26 when she married Joseph in 1765 CE

Maria Luisa of Spain, wife of Leopold II, HRE: age 19 when she married Leopold in 1764 CE

Maria Theresa of Austria, daughter of Leopold II, HRE: age 20 when she married Anthony of Saxony in 1787 CE

Maria Clementina of Austria, daughter of Leopold II, HRE: age 20 when she married Francis I of Sicily in 1797 CE

Maria Theresa of Naples, wife of Francis II, HRE: age 18 when she married Francis in 1790 CE

Marie Louise, daughter of Francis II, HRE: age 19 when she married Napoleon I of France in 1810 CE

Maria Leopoldina, daughter of Francis II, HRE: age 20 when she married Pedro I of Brazil and IV of Portugal in 1817 CE

Clementina, daughter of Francis II, HRE: age 18 when she married Leopold of Salerno in 1816 CE Marie Caroline, daughter of Francis II, HRE: age 18 when she married Frederick Augustus of Saxony in 1819 CE

[wandering-cemeteries]

This fancy tomb belongs to Constance I (r. 1194-1198), Queen regent of Sicily, who ruled for her son Frederick II. Cathedral of Palermo, Sicily.

[gardenofkore]

Et quia solum Guilielmum Capuanorum Principem habebat superstitem, veritus ne eumdem conditione humanae fragilitatis amitteret, Sibiliam sororem Ducis Burgundiae duxit uxorem, quae non multo post Salerni mortua est, et apud Caveam est sepulta. Tertio Beatricem filiam Comitis de Reteste in uxoris accepit, de qua filiam habuit, quem Constantiam appellavit.

Chronicon Romualdi II, archiepiscopi Salernitani, p. 16

Beatrice was born around 1135 in the county of Rethel (northern France) from Gunther (also know as Ithier) de Vitry, earl of Rethel, and Beatrice of Namur.

On her mother’s side, Beatrice descended from Charlemagne (through his son, Louis the Pious), while on the paternal side she was a grandniece of Baldwin II King of Jerusalem (her paternal grandmother Matilda, titular Countess of Rethel, was the King’s younger sister). The Counts of Rethel were also vassals of the powerful House of Champagne, known for its successful marriage politics (Count Theobald IV of Blois-Champagne’s daughter, Isabelle, would marry in 1143 Duke Roger III of Apulia, eldest son of King Roger II of Sicily).

In 1151, Beatrice married this same Roger. The King of Sicily was at his third marriage at this point. His first wife had been Elvira, daughter of King Alfonso VI the Brave of León and Castile and of Galicia, who bore him six children (five sons and one daughter). However, when four of his sons (Roger, Tancred, Alphonse and the youngest, Henry) died before him, leaving only William as his heir, Roger II must have feared for his succession. In 1149, the King then married Sibylla, daughter of Duke Hugh II of Burgundy. She bore him a son, Henry (named after his late older brother), and two years later died of childbirth complications giving birth to a stillborn son. As this second Henry died young too, Roger thought about marrying for a third (and hopefully last) time.

It is possible that Roger’s choice of his third wife had been influenced by the future bride’s family ties with the Crusader royalties as Beatrice was related with both Queen Melisende of Jerusalem and the Queen’s niece Constance of Hauteville, ruling Princess of Antioch. Constance was also a first cousin once removed of Roger, who had (unsuccessfully) tried to snatch the Antiochian principality from her when her father Bohemond II was killed in battle 1130, leaving his two years old daughter as heir.

Beatrice bore Roger only a daughter, Constance, who was born in Palermo on November 2nd 1154. This baby girl (who would one day become Queen of Sicily) never knew her father as he died on February 26th.

Nothing certain is known about her widowed life, although we can suppose she took care of her only daughter. Beatrice died in Palermo on March 30th 1185, living enough to see  Constance being betrothed to Emperor Frederick Barbarossa’s son, Henry.

The body of the Dowager Queen was laid to rest in the Chapel of St. Mary Magdalene, together with her predecessor, Elvira, and her step-children, Henry, Tancred, Alphonse and Roger. Through her daughter, Beatrice would become Emperor Frederick II’s grandmother.

Sources

Cronica di Romualdo Guarna, arcivescovo Salernitano Chronicon Romualdi II, archiepiscopi Salernitani Versione di G. del Re, con note e dilucidazione dello stesso

Garofalo Luigi, Tabularium regiae ac imperialis capellae collegiatae divi Petri in regio panormitano palatio Ferdinandi 2. regni Utriusque Siciliae regis

Hayes Dawn Marie, Roger II of Sicily. Family, Faith, and Empire in the Medieval Mediterranean World

Houben Hubert, Roger II Of Sicily: A Ruler Between East And West

SICILY/NAPLES: COUNTS & KINGS

Walter Ingeborg, BEATRICE di Rethel, regina di Sicilia, in Dizionario Biografico degli Italiani, vol. 7

[venicepearl]

Constance I (2 November 1154 – 27 November 1198) was reigning Queen of Sicily from 1194–98, jointly with her spouse from 1194 to 1197, and with her infant son Frederick II, Holy Roman Emperor, in 1198, as the heiress of the Norman kings of Sicily. She was also Holy Roman Empress and later Dowager by marriage to Henry VI, Holy Roman Emperor.

When she was young, as the sole heir to the throne of Sicily, she didn't marry until she was 30 because of an ominous prophecy; shortly after becoming empress she was involved in the succession war against her illegitimate nephew King Tancred of Sicily for the Sicilian throne, during which, rarely for an empress, she was captured during such an offensive campaign, though finally without danger she escaped. In the history of Holy Roman Empire only two empresses had ever been captured, the other being her mother-in-law Empress Beatrice.

Shortly before ascending the Sicilian throne, at the advanced age of 40, she gave birth to her only child – Frederick, thus continuing the bloodlines of both Holy Roman Empire and Kingdom of Sicily.

After the death of her husband, she gave up the throne of the Holy Roman Empire in the name of her son, despite him being King of the Romans, in favor of her younger brother-in-law Philip of Swabia, making her son merely King of Sicily; meanwhile she still claimed herself Holy Roman Empress Dowager. Passing away merely one year later, she entrusted her young son to Pope Innocent III.

[barbiegirldream]

If anything Frederick II's real name being Constantine named after his mother Queen Constance of Sicily who was rumored to have birthed him in the town square as she was 40 and needed to prove she had the baby is only made funnier that at age 14 they married Fred to a 32 year old Portugeese widow the former Queen of Hungary, Constance

[cruger2984]

THE DESCRIPTION OF SAINT ELIZABETH OF PORTUGAL The Queen Consort Feast Day: July 4

Elizabeth, daughter of Peter III of Aragon and Constance of Sicily, and the sister of three kings: Alfonso II and James II of Aragon and Frederick III of Sicily, was born in Aljafería Palace, Zaragoza, Kingdom of Aragon on January 4, 1271. At 10 years of age, she was given in marriage to Denis of Portugal, and bore two children, Alfonso, later became Afonso IV of Portugal, and Constance, who married King Ferdinand IV of Castile. Elizabeth is the great-niece of another saint - Elizabeth of Hungary.

Eventually, her prayer and patience succeeded in converting her husband, who had been leading a sinful life. She was modest in her dress, humble in conversation, and charitable towards the poor. It was her habit to provide lodging for pilgrims and to procure dowries for the poor girls of the kingdom.

One of the best moments of her life was the miracle of the roses. Caught one day by her husband, while carrying bread in her apron, the food was turned into roses. Since this occurred in January, Denis reportedly had no response and let his wife continue.

Elizabeth would serve as intermediary between her husband and Afonso, during the Civil War between 1322 and 1324. The Infante greatly resented the king, whom he accused of favoring the king's illegitimate son, Afonso Sanches. Denis was prevented from killing his son through the intervention of the Queen, when she, in 1323, mounted on a mule, positioned herself between both opposing armies on the field of Alvalade in order to prevent the combat. Peace returned in 1324, once the illegitimate son was sent into exile, and the Infante swore loyalty to the king.

In 1325, after the death of her spouse, she retired to the monastery of the Poor Clare nuns, now known as the Monastery of Santa Clara-a-Velha in Coimbra, and entered the Third Order of St. Francis, devoting the rest of her life to the poor and sick in obscurity. During the great famine in 1293, she donated flour from her cellars to the starving in Coimbra. She was also known for being modest in her dress and humble in conversation, for providing lodging for pilgrims, distributing small gifts, paying the dowries of poor girls, and educating the children of poor nobles.

She was a benefactor of various hospitals (Coimbra, Santarém and Leiria) and of religious projects, such as the Trinity Convent in Lisbon, chapels in Leiria and Óbidos, and the cloister in Alcobaça.

She died on July 4, 1336 on her way to Estremoz Castle, where she was supposed to settle a family quarrel. She was called to act once more as a peacemaker, when Afonso IV marched his troops against King Alfonso XI of Castile, to whom he had married his daughter Maria, and who had neglected and ill-treated her.

In spite of age and weakness, the Queen-dowager insisted on hurrying to Estremoz, where the two kings' armies were drawn up. She again stopped the fighting and caused terms of peace to be arranged. But the exertion brought on her final illness. As soon as her mission was completed, she took to her bed with a fever from which she died, and earned the title of 'Peacemaker' on account of her efficacy in solving disputes.

Elizabeth was beatified in 1526 and canonized a saint by Pope Urban VIII on May 25, 1625. Her feast is also kept on the Franciscan Calendar of Saints.

Since the establishment in 1819 of the Diocese of San Cristóbal de La Laguna (Canary Islands, Spain), Saint Elizabeth is the co-patron of the diocese and of its cathedral pursuant to the papal bull issued by Pope Pius VII.

[thetldrplace]

Sicily: An Island at the Crossroads of History. Ch. 7- The Vespers

The Sicilian Vespers led to the ousting of the French as rulers of Sicily and the installation of the Spaniards as rulers. 

When Frederick II of the Hohenstaufen house died in 1250, Sicily sank back into chaos and confusion. (yeah, you're going to read that a LOT during this history recap) The barons took over, each fighting to enrich himself and grab as much as possible. (oh, you'll read THAT a lot too) Frederick's son Conrad was crowned emperor in Germany, but was stuck there, so Fred's bastard son Manfred was entrusted with control of Sicily and southern Italy. Pope Innocent IV didn't think bastard sons ought to be ruling anything and suggested Manfred turn control of the kingdom over to someone else... the someone else just happening to be... himself, the Pope. Manfred declined the offer and the Pope excommunicated him altogether. Innocent then declared someone else King, but everyone else just sort of ignored it.   

Manfred was, I hear, an astonishingly good-looking man, intelligent, learned, and had devastating charm. Bastard, indeed! By 1258, Manfred, using such abilities as nature had endowed him with, had convinced the Sicilian barons to proclaim him King. 

In the meantime, another daughter of Frederick, Constance, married Peter, heir to the throne of Aragon. 

The successor Pope to Innocent, however, Urban IV, had not given up on puppeteering in Sicily, and named Charles of Anjou as the man who should be king of Sicily. Charles was cold, cruel, and vastly ambitious, and recognized an opportunity when he saw one. He was crowned King of Sicily in Rome in 1266 by Urban's successor, Clement IV. Charles then invaded and chased out Manfred. 

With this event, the Hohenstaufen line, and Sicily's golden age, was truly ended.  

The Angevin (Anjou family) line showed little interest in Sicily, concentrating more attention on the mainland, but the Sicilians weren't so easy to ignore. They revolted in 1267, and were promptly put back into place. But the severity of the repression left a lingering resentment. Administration of the island was heavy-handed, with landowners needing to prove their ownership. This was difficult for many and if it wasn't done satisfactorily, the land was confiscated and handed out to the new King's friends, all Frenchmen. In what would become a recurring theme, the Sicilians lost out. 

In general, Sicily remained neglected, and the Sicilians themselves could only conclude that they belonged to an obscure and unimportant province that their ruler could not be bothered to care about.  

The Sicilian Vespers  Here we find one John of Procida. A native of Salerno, he had been the personal physician of Frederick when he died. He appealed to Peter of Aragon to overthrow the Angevins. By 1282, the Angevins were pretty thoroughly detested, both for the severity of their taxation and their general arrogance. The incident that precipitated John of Procida's call to overthrow the Angevins was what has come to be called the Sicilian Vespers. When a drunk French sergeant hit on a Sicilian woman on March 30, 1282 as the bells were ringing for Vespers, her husband's pent-up anger boiled over into beating the sergeant, which boiled over to a murder. The Sicilian crowd's anger then boiled over and the murder led to a riot, the riot to a massacre, and by morning, 2000 French were dead. Ya gotta be careful about riling up Sicilians. The rising spread and on August 30, Peter of Aragon and his army landed at the far northwestern city of Trapani. 

By September, Charles was driven back to the northeastern corner of the island at Messina and was forced to recognize that the Spanish conquest was basically a done-deal.  

But Charles was a stubborn bastard and refused to recognize the legitimacy, and actually challenged Peter to settle up mano a mano in a duel. Charles being 55, and Peter only 40, they decided it would be more fair that each would be accompanied by 100 knights. The day was set, but they forgot to set a particular time. 

In a comic scenario, the "fight" went something like this: Peter showed up early in the day, and finding no French, declared them cowards and himself the victor by forfeiture. Later in the day, the French showed up and finding no Spaniards, declared the Spaniards cowards and themselves the victors by forfeiture. I guess they at least saved face and lives this way. 

But neither side giving an inch, the Regno was split with Charles remaining King of "Sicily" in Naples, and Peter calling himself king of Sicily in Palermo. This is the initiation of "The Two Sicilies". 

Charles died in 1285. He had neglected Sicily. The Sicilians had pissed him off with their stubborn rebellion, and he had become bored with them, considering them poor, unprofitable, and therefore useless to him. Moreover, he thought they were a mongrel race of Latin, Greek and Arab, and therefore not to be taken seriously as a people. 

Charles II was the heir, but he was being held in prison. The Angevin Kings in France still wished to recover Sicily, and the Papacy was looking after its own prestige, having granted Sicily to the Angevins. 

Sicilians, on the other hand, preferred Spanish rule, but this had a consequence: it cut them off from Naples, AND... the burgeoning Italian renaissance, which would subsequently largely pass over Sicily. 

The Aragonese, James "the Just" was proclaimed King of Sicily in 1286. He sought Pope Honorius' blessing and was promptly rewarded for his efforts with excommunication. Honorius then, to add injury to insult, ordered an invasion of Sicily in 1287... which was a disaster.  

A number of years passed in which the decisions about who would govern/rule Sicily were made without any concern for the Sicilians themselves. But this was so standard, and would continue to be so, that most of the history of Sicily is really the history of decisions about its government made elsewhere. The machinations behind the scenes are byzantine, and frankly, have little to do with Sicily, so I'm not going to bother to even write them down here. 

In 1301, the treaty of Caltabellota was signed: The Angevins would withdraw from Sicily, and Frederick would call himself King of Trinacria (the ancient Greek name for Sicily) rather than King of Sicily, so that the Angevins could still call themselves kings of Sicily. This is a prime example of European monarchy BS, so that each could feel a little less butt-hurt be the loss of land, by retaining a title. 

The Sicilians themselves didn't care too much about which of these foreigners called themselves whatever, as long as said foreigners didn't inflict themselves on the island itself. The Sicilians had suffered a lot since the Vespers 20 years prior, but they were steadfast on this one point: they would not accept French rule. 

[brookstonalmanac]

Events 1.27 (before 1940)

98 – Trajan succeeds his adoptive father Nerva as Roman emperor; under his rule the Roman Empire will reach its maximum extent. 945 – The co-emperors Stephen and Constantine are overthrown and forced to become monks by Constantine VII, who becomes sole emperor of the Byzantine Empire. 1186 – Henry VI, the son and heir of the Holy Roman Emperor Frederick I, marries Constance of Sicily. 1302 – Dante Alighieri is condemned in absentia and exiled from Florence. 1343 – Pope Clement VI issues the papal bull Unigenitus to justify the power of the pope and the use of indulgences. Nearly 200 years later, Martin Luther would protest this. 1606 – Gunpowder Plot: The trial of Guy Fawkes and other conspirators begins, ending with their execution on January 31. 1695 – Mustafa II becomes the Ottoman sultan and Caliph of Islam in Istanbul on the death of Ahmed II. Mustafa rules until his abdication in 1703. 1759 – Spanish forces clash with indigenous Huilliches of southern Chile in the battle of Río Bueno. 1776 – American Revolutionary War: Henry Knox's "noble train of artillery" arrives in Cambridge, Massachusetts. 1785 – The University of Georgia is founded, the first public university in the United States. 1820 – A Russian expedition led by Fabian Gottlieb von Bellingshausen and Mikhail Petrovich Lazarev discovers the Antarctic continent, approaching the Antarctic coast. 1825 – The U.S. Congress approves Indian Territory (in what is present-day Oklahoma), clearing the way for forced relocation of the Eastern Indians on the "Trail of Tears". 1868 – Boshin War: The Battle of Toba–Fushimi begins, between forces of the Tokugawa shogunate and pro-Imperial factions; it will end in defeat for the shogunate, and is a pivotal point in the Meiji Restoration. 1869 – Boshin War: Tokugawa rebels establish the Ezo Republic in Hokkaidō. 1874 – Modest Mussorgsky's opera Boris Godunov premieres in Mariinsky Theatre in St.Petersburg. 1880 – Thomas Edison receives a patent for his incandescent lamp. 1916 – World War I: The British government passes the Military Service Act that introduces conscription in the United Kingdom. 1918 – Beginning of the Finnish Civil War. 1924 – Six days after his death Lenin's body is carried into a specially erected mausoleum. 1927 – Ibn Saud takes the title of King of Nejd. 1928 – Bundaberg tragedy: a diphtheria vaccine is contaminated with Staph. aureus bacterium, resulting in the deaths of twelve children in the Australian town of Bundaberg. 1939 – First flight of the Lockheed P-38 Lightning.

[docpiplup]

The Bastard Kings and their families

This is series of posts are complementary to this historical parallels post from the JON SNOW FORTNIGHT EVENT, and it's purpouse to discover the lives of medieval bastard kings, and the following posts are meant to collect portraits of those kings and their close relatives.

In many cases it's difficult to find contemporary art of their period, so some of the portrayals are subsequent.

1) Tancred I of Sicily ( 1138 – 1194), son of Roger III of Apulia and Emma of Lecce; with his sons Roger III of Sicily (1175 –1193) and William III of Sicily (c. 1186 – c. 1198)

2) His wife, Sibylla of Acerra (1153–1205), mother of Roger III and William III

3) His brother-in-law, Richard of Acerra (d. 1196)

4)His father, Roger III of Apulia (1118 – 1148), son of Roger II of Sicily and his wife Elvira of Castile

5) His grandfather, Roger II of Sicily (1095– 1154), son of Roger I of Sicily and his wife Adelaide del Vasto

6) His uncle, William I of Sicily (1120/1121 – 1166), son of Roger II of Sicily and his wife Elvira of Castile

7) His cousin, William II of Sicily (1153 – 1189), son of William I of Sicily and his wife Joan of England

8) His aunt, Constance I of Sicily (1154–1198), daughter of Roger II of Sicily and his wife Beatrice of Rethel

9) His uncle, Holy Roman Emperor Henry VI (1165 – 1197), son of Holy Roman Emperor Frederick I and his wife Beatrice I of Burgundy; and Constance I of Sicily's husband

10) His cousin, Holy Roman Emperor Frederick II (1194 – 1250), son of Constance I of Sicily and Holy Roman Emperor Frederick I

[charlesreeza]

The monumental tombs of King Roger II, founder of the Kingdom of Sicily, and his daughter, Constance of Hauteville, with white marble canopies inlaid with glass mosaics - Palermo Cathedral

Photos by Charles Reeza

[palecleverdoll]

Queens and Princesses of the Spanish Kingdoms: Ages at First Marriage

I have only included women whose birth dates and dates of marriage are known within at least 1-2 years, therefore, this is not a comprehensive list. This data set ends with the transition to Habsburg-controlled Spain.

Sancha, wife of King Fernando I of Léon; age 14 when she married Fernando in 1032 CE

Ermesinda of Bigorre, wife of King Ramiro I of Aragon; age 21 when she married Ramiro in 1036 CE

Sancha, daughter of King Ramiro I of Aragon; age 18 when she married Count Ermengol III of Urgell in 1063 CE

Constance of Burgundy, wife of King Alfonso VI of Léon & Castile; age 19 when she married Count Hugh II of Chalon in 1065 CE

Felicia of Roucy, wife of King Sancho of Aragon; age 16 when she married Sancho in 1076 CE

Agnes of Aquitaine, wife of King Pedro I of Aragon; age 14 when she married Pedro in 1086 CE

Teresa, daughter of King Alfonso VI of Léon & Castile; age 13 when she married Count Henri of Burgundy in 1093 CE

Elvira, daughter of King Alfonso VI of Léon & Castile; age 15 when she married Count Raymond IV of Toulouse in 1094 CE

Bertha, wife of King Pedro I of Aragon; age 22 when she married Pedro in 1097 CE

Elvira, daughter of King Alfonso VI of Léon & Castile; age 17 when she married King Ruggero II of Sicily in 1117 CE

Berenguela of Barcelona, wife of King Alfonso VII of Léon & Castile; age 12 when she married Alfonso in 1128 CE

Urraca, daughter of King Alfonso VII of Léon; age 11 when she married King Garcia Ramirez of Navarre in 1144 CE

Petronilla, daughter of King Ramiro II of Aragon; age 14 when she married Count Ramon Berenguer IV of Barcelona in 1150 CE

Richeza of Poland, wife of King Alfonso VII of Léon & Castile; age 12 when she married Alfonso in 1152 CE

Sancha, daughter of King Alfonso VII of Léon & Castile; age 14 when she married King Sancho VI of Navarre in 1153 CE

Constanza, daughter of King Alfonso VII of Léon & Castile; age 16 when she married King Louis VII of France in 1154 CE

Urraca of Portugal, wife of King Fernando II of Léon; age 17 when she married Fernando in 1165 CE

Eleanor of England, wife of King Alfonso VIII of Castile; age 9 when she married Alfonso in 1170 CE

Sancha of Castile, wife of King Alfonso II of Aragon; age 20 when she married Alfonso in 1174 CE

Dulce, daughter of Queen Petronilla of Aragon; age 14 when she married King Sancho I of Portugal in 1174 CE

Berenguela, daughter of King Alfonso VIII of Castile; age 7 when she married Duke Conrad II of Swabia in 1187 CE

Marie of Montpellier, wife of King Pedro II of Aragon; age 10 when she married Viscount Raymond Geoffrey II of Marseille in 1192 CE

Garsenda of Foralquier, wife of Prince Alfonso II of Aragon; age 13 when she married Alfonso in 1193 CE

Constance of Toulouse, wife King Sancho VII of Navarre; age 15 when she married Sancho in 1195 CE

Constanza, daughter of King Alfonso II of Aragon; age 19 when she married King Emeric of Hungary in 1198 CE

Blanca of Castile, daughter of King Alfonso VIII of Castile; age 12 when she married King Louis VIII of France in 1200 CE

Eleonora, daughter of King Alfonso II of Aragon; age 22 when she married Count Raymond VI of Toulouse in 1204 CE

Urraca, daughter of King Alfonso VIII of Castile; age 19 when she married King Afonso II of Portugal in 1206 CE

Mafalda of Portugal, wife of King Enrique I of Castile; age 20 when she married Enrique in 1215 CE

Sancha, daughter of King Alfonso II of Aragon; age 25 when she married Count Raymond VII of Toulouse in 1211 CE

Elisabeth of Swabia, wife of King Fernando III of Castile; age 14 when she married Fernando in 1219 CE

Eleonora of Castile, wife of King Jaime I of Aragon; age 19 when she married Jaime in 1221 CE

Berenguela, daughter of King Alfonso IX of Léon; age 20 when she married Emperor Jean I of Brienne in 1224 CE

Marguerite of Bourbon, wife of King Teobaldo I of Navarre; age 15 when she married Teobaldo in 1232 CE

Yolanda of Hungary, wife of King Jaime I of Aragon; age 20 when she married Jaime in 1235 CE

Joan of Dammartin, wife of King Fernando III of Castile; age 17 when she married Fernando in 1237 CE

Yolanda, daughter of King Jaime I of Aragon; age 13 when she married King Alfonso X of Castile in 1249 CE

Isabelle of France, wife of King Teobaldo II of Navarre; age 14 when she married Teobaldo in 1255 CE

Kristina of Norway, wife of Prince Felipe of Castile; age 24 when she married Felipe in 1258 CE

Beatriz, daughter of King Teobaldo I of Navarre; age 16 when she married Duke Hugues IV of Burgundy in 1258 CE

Constanza, daughter of King Jaime I of Aragon; age 21 when she married Prince Manuel of Castile in 1260 CE

Constanza of Sicily, wife of King Pedro III of Aragon; age 13 when she married Pedro in 1262 CE

Isabel, daughter of King Jaime I of Aragon; age 14 when she married King Louis IX of France in 1262 CE

Beatrice of Savoy, wife of Prince Manuel of Castile; age 18 when she married Pierre of Chalon in 1268 CE

Blanche of France, wife of Prince Fernando of Castile; age 16 when she married Fernando in 1269 CE

Blanche of Artois, wife of King Enrique I of Navarre; age 21 when she married Enrique in 1269 CE

Beatriz, daughter of King Alfonso X of Castile; age 17 when she married Marquis William VII of Montferrat in 1271 CE

Esclaramunda of Foix, wife of King Jaime II of Majorca; age 25 when she married Jaime in 1275 CE

Maria de Molina, wife of King Sancho IV of Castile; age 17 when she married Sancho in 1282 CE

Yolanda, daughter of King Alfonso X of Castile; age 17 when she married Diego Lopez V de Haro in 1282 CE

Juana, daughter of King Enrique I of Navarre; age 11 when she married King Philippe IV of France in 1284 CE

Maria Diaz I de Haro, wife of Prince Juan of Castile; age 17 when she married Juan in 1287 CE

Yolanda, daughter of Prince Manuel of Castile; age 12 when she married Prince Afonso of Portugal in 1287 CE

Isabel, daughter of King Pedro III of Aragon; age 17 when she married King Denis of Portugal in 1288 CE

Isabel of Castile, wife of King Jaime II of Aragon; age 8 when she married Jaime in 1291 CE

Blanche of Anjou, wife of King Jaime II of Aragon; age 15 when she married Jaime in 1295 CE

Yolanda, daughter of King Pedro III of Aragon; age 24 when she married Prince Roberto of Naples in 1297 CE

Constanza of Portugal, wife of King Fernando IV of Castile; age 12 when she married Fernando in 1302 CE

Beatriz, daughter of King Sancho IV of Castile; age 16 when she married King Afonso IV of Portugal in 1309 CE

Maria, daughter of King Jaime II of Aragon; age 12 when she married Prince Pedro of Castile in 1311 CE

Constanza, daughter of King Jaime II of Aragon; age 12 when she married Prince Juan Manuel of Villena in 1312 CE

Teresa d'Entença, wife of King Alfonso IV of Aragon; age 14 when she married Alfonso in 1314 CE

Marie of Lusignan, wife of King Jaime II of Aragon; age 42 when she married Jaime in 1315 CE

Isabel, daughter of King Jaime II of Aragon; age 10 when she married King Frederick I of Germany in 1315 CE

Eleonora of Castile, wife of Prince Jaime of Aragon; age 12 when she married Jaime in 1319 CE

Elisenda of Montcada, wife of King Jaime II of Aragon; age 30 when she married Jaime in 1322 CE

Blanca de La Cerda y Lara, wife of Prince Juan Manuel of Castile; age 10 when she married Juan Manuel in 1327 CE

Constanza, daughter of King Alfonso IV of Aragon; age 18 when she married King Jaime III of Majorca in 1336 CE

Cecilia of Comminges, wife of Prince Jaime of Aragon; age 16 when she married Jaime in 1336 CE

Maria of Navarre, wife of King Pedro IV of Aragon; age 8 when she married Pedro in 1337 CE

Leonor of Portugal, wife of King Pedro IV of Aragon; age 19 when she married Pedro in 1347 CE

Eleonora of Sicily, wife of King Pedro IV of Aragon; age 24 when she married Pedro in 1349 CE

Juana Manuel, daughter of Prince Juan Manuel; age 11 when she married King Enrique of Castile in 1350 CE

Blanche of Bourbon, wife of King Pedro of Castile; age 14 when she married Pedro in 1353 CE

Constanza, daughter of King Pedro IV of Aragon; age 18 when she married King Federico of Sicily in 1361 CE

Maria de Luna, wife of King Martin of Aragon; age 14 when she married Martin in 1372 CE

Juana, daughter of King Pedro IV of Aragon; age 29 when she married Count Juan I of Ampurias in 1373 CE

Marthe of Armagnac, wife of King Juan I of Aragon; age 26 when she married Juan in 1373 CE

Beatriz of Portugal, wife of Prince Sancho of Castile; age 19 when she married Sancho in 1373 CE

Eleonora of Aragon, daughter of King Pedro IV of Aragon; age 17 when she married King Juan I of Castile in 1375 CE

Eleonora, daughter of King Enrique II of Castile; age 12 when she married King Carlos III of Navarre in 1375 CE

Isabel of Portugal, wife of Count Alfonso Enriquez; age 13 when she married Alfonso in 1377 CE

Violant of Bar, wife of King Juan I of Aragon; age 15 when she married Juan in 1380 CE

Beatriz of Portugal, wife of King Juan I of Castile; age 10 when she married Juan in 1383 CE

Juana, daughter of King Juan I of Aragon; age 17 when she married Count Matthieu of Foix in 1392 CE

Eleonora of Albuquerque, wife of King Fernando I of Aragon; age 20 when she married Fernando in 1394 CE

Yolanda, daughter of King Juan of Aragon; age 19 when she married Duke Louis II of Anjou in 1400 CE

Blanca I of Navarre, wife of Prince Martin of Aragon; age 15 when she married Martin in 1402 CE

Juana, daughter of King Carlos III of Navarre; age 20 when she married Count Jean I of Foix in 1402 CE

Beatriz, daughter of King Carlos III of Navarre; age 14 when she married Count James II of La Marche in 1406 CE

Isabel, daughter of King Pedro IV of Aragon; age 31 when she married Count Jaime II of Urgell in 1407 CE

Margarita of Prades, wife of King Martin of Aragon; age 14 when she married Martin in 1409 CE

Maria of Castile, wife of King Alfonso V of Aragon; age 14 when she married Alfonso in 1415 CE

Catalina of Castile, wife of Prince Enrique of Aragon; age 15 when she married Enrique in 1418 CE

Isabel, daughter of King Carlos III of Navarre; age 24 when she married Jean IV of Armagnac in 1419 CE

Maria, daughter of King Fernando I of Aragon; age 17 when she married King Juan II of Castile in 1420 CE

Eleonora, daughter of King Fernando I of Aragon; age 26 when she married King Duarte of Portugal in 1428 CE

Agnes of Cleves, wife of Prince Carlos of Aragon; age 17 when she married Carlos in 1439 CE

Blanca II of Navarre, daughter of King Juan II of Aragon and Queen Blanca I of Navarre; age 18 when she married King Enrique IV of Castile in 1440 CE

Eleonora of Navarre, daughter of King Juan II of Aragon and Queen Blanca 1 of Navarre; age 15 when she married Count Gaston IV of Foix in 1441 CE

Juana Enriquez, wife of King Juan II of Aragon; age 19 when she married Juan in 1444 CE

Isabel of Portugal, wife of King Juan II of Castile; age 19 when she married Juan in 1447 CE

Joana of Portugal, wife of King Enrique IV of Castile; age 16 when she married Enrique in 1455 CE

Isabel I of Castile, wife of King Fernando II of Aragon; age 18 when she married Fernando in 1469 CE

Juana, daughter of King Enrique IV of Castile; age 13 when she married King Afonso V of Portugal in 1475 CE

Juana, daughter of King Juan II of Aragon; age 21 when she married King Fernando I of Naples in 1476 CE

Isabel, daughter of King Fernando II of Aragon; age 20 when she married Prince Afonso of Portugal in 1490 CE

Juana, daughter of King Fernando II of Aragon; age 22 when she married Felipe I of Castile in 1501 CE

Margaret of Austria, wife of Prince Juan of Aragon; age 17 when she married Juan in 1497 CE

Maria, daughter of King Fernando II of Aragon; age 18 when she married King Manuel I of Portugal in 1500 CE

Catalina, daughter of King Fernando II of Aragon; age 15 when she married Prince Arthur of England in 1501 CE

Germaine of Foix, wife of King Fernando II of Aragon; age 18 when she married Fernando in 1506 CE

112 women; average age at first marriage was 16. The eldest bride was 42 years old, and the youngest was 7.

[tearsinthemist]

Castel del Monte is a 13th-century citadel and castle situated on a hill in Andria in the Apulia region of southeast Italy. It was built during the 1240s by King Frederick II, who had inherited the lands from his mother Constance of Sicily. Wikipedia

[gardenofkore]

“Sicily’s women have always been shadowy figures, crouched quietly in doorways or gazing down the crowded streets from balustraded or shuttered windows. For most of the medieval period they have left no direct record of themselves, since, with a few exceptions, they could neither read nor write - and even the possession of literacy, for those few lucky enough to enjoy it, did not give one the right to act or speak independently. As a consequence, very few records survive to shed light on their activities, and virtually none of the records we have present the women in their own voices. In the intensely conservative society of Sicily, women lived their lives under tight constraints; the traditional roles that society gave them gravely limited their freedom to act and ours to behold. Local customs, in general, were designed to isolate and protect women from the outside world, to keep them safely ensconced in their fathers’ homes until they could be safely and just as absolutely ensconced in their husbands’ homes, or, for the devout and dowry-less, dedicated to God in a nunnery. Not until the Vespers era - an era inaugurated with a rebellion sparked by an Angevin outrage against a native woman - do Sicily’s women come into view with any meaningful detail of focus. Our view of them is still partial and imperfect, given the limitations of even this improved documentation. But the extant evidence holds a few surprises.The most visible figures belong of course to the aristocracy. After 1282, and as a result of it, Sicily’s queens played important roles in society. The Catalan dynasty placed the bulk of its claim to the throne on its marriage link with Constance, the last of the Hohenstaufens. Consequently, the right to inherit title and property through the female line was well established. Frederick’s and James’s father, although he had conquered the realm and had received the acclamation of the Communitas Sicilie, consistently emphasized his right to rule through his marriage to Constance; and Frederick too, as we saw earlier, asserted his inheritance of Constance’s patrimony, rather than his election by parliament, as the chief legitimation of his kingship. As queen, Constance began the practice of sitting in the MRC and taking her place in the king’s inner circle of advisers. Extant records show her working to reconcile the church to the new dynasty, to foster greater unity of action among Sicily’s contending factions and regions, and to educate the new ruling caste to Sicilian customs. When Peter left the island in order to tend to matters in Catalonia, Constance headed the lieutenancy council that governed the realm in his absence; and she continued to advise the throne during James’s reign. As late as 1296 her aid was still sought by those who wanted to influence decisions at court, although the extent of her influence by that time had clearly waned.Frederick’s wife Eleanor likewise was a member of the council and exerted a fair share of influence. As with Constance, this influence had more to do with economics than ideology. As independent ruler of the camera reginale, the queen controlled a large segment of the vital Val di Noto, the most important city in which was Siracusa, with a steady population of nearly 8,000 throughout the reign. Adding the other sites that made up the apanage, she ruled a population of some 20,000 individuals. Her camera was the site of two of the most important trade fairs - at Siracusa, beginning on the Feast of the Nativity of the Virgin, and at Lentini, at the Feast of the Ascension - and represented as well a significant venue for wine, grain, and salt exports. Siracusa itself, in fact, held a monopoly on all exports from the confines of the city northward through all the coastal territory of the Gulf of Augusta. So important had the city become as a trading center, especially for the eastern and southern trade routes connecting Sicily with Greece, Egypt, and Malta, that the Siracusan salma was made the standard measure for all agricultural produce in the eastern half of the kingdom. In 1299 the government awarded the city a toll franchise that freed its produce of the inland duties levied upon other domestic trade; the franchise was to be lost, however, if the land under the city’s control was alienated or enfeoffed. This resulted in a rather static social structure, since land seldom changed hands. In later years, when the queen wanted to reward anyone or felt the need to make additional grants in order to purchase loyalty, she circumnavigated the prohibition of alienating the land by granting instead various rights (pasturage, herbage, water access, etc.) over the land, but not the land itself. The general strength of the commercial economy, however, made Siracusa, and the entire camera, for that matter, an attractive site for the thousands who fled the decay and poverty of the Val di Mazara. It was the sole region in the kingdom that experienced an increase in its population, in absolute numbers, during Frederick’s reign.Eleanor held full powers of criminal and civil jurisdiction over the district, and, through her hired agents, administered an independent machinery of tax collection. Few records survive from her administration. But what evidence we have indicates that she took her responsibilities seriously, even though she did not always choose well in appointing her officials. A personal favorite whom she introduced at court in 1307 and to whom she entrusted some minor diplomatic errands, Pere Ferrandis de Vergua, proved to be a flatterer and opportunist, a corrupt official who wooed and wedded a series of wealthy widows and young heiresses. On Eleanor’s recommendation, the MRC appointed Pere Ferrandis royal tax collector for Caltavuturo, where his flagrant abuse of his position led to vehement popular protests and ultimately to his impeachment; and when Pere later was found to have forged a number of documents - most notably his first wife’s will, arranging a bequest of 2,000.00.00 to himself - he was banished from the realm. Ultimately, he conspired to murder Frederick, whom he blamed for his failure to win the position in society that he felt he deserved.Eleanor was intensely pious. From the day of her arrival in Sicily - she married Frederick as a stipulation in the Caltabellotta treaty - she threw her considerable energy into rebuilding thekingdom's shattered churches and monasteries, and to raising new houses, hospitals, and evangelical schools. She funded the construction of Castrogiovanni's duomo in 1307, according totradition, by selling the entire collection of her royal jewels. She generously endowed any number of religious houses, within her camera and without. In the area around Paterno, for example, shegranted lands, curial rights, and cash to the monastery of S. Maria di Licodia, in return for the monks' prayers on behalf of the royal family. The gift was prescient, in its way, since Frederick died inPaterno while en route to Castrogiovanni. Her advocacy for religious houses continued well after their founding and endowment. Especially in the case of nunneries, Eleanor remained involved in their daily lives by observing elections to abbacies, the recruitment of nuns, the regularity of their worship, and their treatment of relics. She visited nunneries throughout the realm, often with her children in tow, and regularly participated in their worship, showing an early preference for Franciscan houses.Above everything else, she seems to have considered it her fundamental responsibility to promote religious observance and moral reform. Although overt, specific evidence about her relationship with the evangelical movement is lacking, a number of clues survive that show her to have been an enthusiast for the Spirituals. We have seen already that she took seriously Arnau deVilanova's injunction that she and her handmaidens should perform public rituals in every duomo and hospital in every city they visited, dressed as personifications of Faith and Hope, "so that inthis way the people may have a vision [like that] of the Mother of God entering a place of misery to comfort those who are there." It was probably in such garb that she led the procession of the relics of St. Agatha around the confines of Catania, during the eruption of Mount Etna. She not only held vernacular readings of the Scriptures on Sundays and feast days, but she further commissioned a vernacular translation of the Dialogues of Gregory the Great, for the edification of the royal children, one of the few substantial texts in Sicilian dialect that survives from Frederick's reign. Even in a mundane duty like appointing a new bailiff to preside over her territory at Paterno her concern for the spiritual life of the community dominated all other considerations. When she appointed Ruggero Gala to be bailiff, in 1311, at the height of Sicily's flirtation with Arnau's prophesies of the kingdom's apocalyptic role, she specified that his first and foremost duty was "that he should take diligent care, if he should find anyone blaspheming against God, the Blessed Virgin, or the saints, or anyone speaking ill of the Royal Majesty, that he should take no sureties [i.e. promises to appear in court as summoned] from them, but should immediately seize their persons and take them captive to the justiciar of the province." Under Sicilian law, most accused criminals had the right to post bail and remain free until their trial; but the passionate atmosphere of the evangelical realm would permit no such freedom to those who were even rumored to be guilty of blasphemy. In lock-step with Arnau's teachings and the Ordinationes generates, the queen directed her bailiffs also to arrest anyone caught playing at dice or cards. But Eleanor, for as much as she helped to establish a general atmosphere of family concern and reformist piety, was merely one woman, and hardly representative of the majority.”

 Clifford R. Backman, The Decline and Fall of Medieval Sicily. Politics, religion, and economy in the reign of Frederick III, 1296-1337, p. 285-290.