MANFREDI, re di SICILIA. — B. ca. 1232, d. 26 February 1266. Natural son of Federico II and a Lombard marchioness of the Lancia family. He studied in Paris and Bologna. He married first Beatrice of Savoia and, secondly, Elena, daughter of Comneno, despot of Epirus. After his father’s death he became prince of Taranto and regent of the Kingdom of Sicily until the arrival of Corrado IV. The latter tried in vain to remove him, for at his death (1254) the nobility rallied even more closely around M. Excommunicated by Innocenzo IV, who, before recognizing Corradino’s rights of succession, demanded open submission to the Church and recognition of its rights, he attempted to fight, then reached an agreement until he was absolved and restored to his fiefs (27 September 1254), accepting the condition of serving as the Church’s vicar. However, since grave suspicions weighed upon him, he sought to clear himself with the Pope, but then fled to the Saracens of Lucera, who proclaimed him their lord (2 November 1254). Having succeeded in assembling a strong army, he defeated the papal forces. He governed for two years in the name of Corradino, his nephew; but, after deliberately spreading the news of the latter’s death, he assumed the title of king and was crowned at Palermo on 11 August 1258, subsequently promising to preserve the power for Corradino and his successors.
He founded the city of Manfredonia in Puglia. He skilfully took advantage of Italy’s new political life by forming alliances within and beyond Italy. He fought against Tommaso di Savoia and the marquis Guglielmo di Monferrato; he took part in the crusade proclaimed against Ezzelino da Romano and gave his daughter Costanza in marriage to the eldest son of King Pietro of Aragona. Aiming to extend his dominion by taking advantage of the Italian dissensions, he knew how to intervene in the struggles between Guelfs and Ghibellines in Tuscany, and the victory of Montaperti (4 November 1260) marked the apogee of his power. But when the Guelf forces in Italy had been revived, Urbano IV offered Carlo d’Angiò the crown of Sicily. After the latter came down into Italy (1265), M. took refuge at Benevento and fell in battle (26 February 1266). Buried at the foot of the bridge of Benevento, he was removed from there because he had died excommunicated, and cast beyond the borders of the Kingdom along the Garigliano. Dante, while acknowledging his « gravissimi peccati », showed great pity for his life, so cruelly cut short (Purg., III, 103 ff.). M. loved literature, music, and poetry in the manner of the troubadours. Some letters remain from him, two of them included in the Miscellanea of E. Baluze (ed. Mansi, Lucca 1761), as well as a continuation of Federico II’s treatise on hunting.