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Frederick of Antioch
Frederick of Antioch (c. 1223 – 1255/6) was an Italian nobleman who served as the imperial vicar of Tuscany from 1246 to 1250. He was an illegitimate son of Frederick II, Holy Roman Emperor, by an unidentified southern Italian noblewoman. He took part in the wars of the Guelphs and Ghibellines in northern Italy, and in the war over the Kingdom of Sicily following his father's death (1250).
Frederick was the illegitimate son of the Emperor Frederick II and a certain Matilda (Maria) of Antioch, daughter of Robert of Antioch. Contemporary anti-imperial propaganda alleged that Frederick was the product of the emperor's liaison with a Muslim woman in Palestine, but it is almost certain that the child was born in southern Italy, where he spent his youth. The claim that he was a son of Plaisance of Antioch, daughter of the reigning Prince Bohemond V, is unfounded, as is the later claim that his mother's name was Beatrice (Beatrix). Like most of his father's illegitimate children, Frederick was probably born during the period when his father was unmarried (1222–1224). At least one illegitimate half-brother of Frederick's shared his name, Frederick of Pettorano, born about eleven years earlier.
Between 1236 and 1245, Frederick married Margherita Conti di Poli. As their eldest son, Conrad, was married to Beatrice Lancia in 1258, it is probable that he was born around 1240 and that his parents' marriage pre-dates that. Margherita was the daughter of a Roman nobleman, Giovanni Conti, lord of Poli and at various times a senator of Rome. Besides Poli, he held allodial and feudal land at Anticoli Corrado, Arsoli, Camerata Nuova, Guadagnolo, Roviano and Saracinesco. Giovanni was among Frederick II's followers in Rome in 1229–30, and was rewarded with the county of Albe, which was nearer his other properties, in exchange for that of Fondi. Through his marriage Frederick came to possess important castles and rights along the Via Valeria, an ancient route connecting the Kingdom of Sicily and the Papal States.
Although Frederick has been ascribed up to eight children, only two, perhaps three, can be identified from primary documents. His son, Conrad, was alive as late as 1301. His daughter Philippa, born around 1242, married Manfredi Maletta, the grand chamberlain of Manfredi Lancia, in 1258. She was imprisoned by Charles of Anjou and died in prison in 1273. Maria, wife of Barnabò Malaspina, may also have been his daughter.
As he did with his other illegitimate offspring, the emperor employed Frederick in various administrative and military functions from a young age. Frederick's ambit was central Italy, and he was appointed imperial vicar general in the March of Ancona in late 1244 or early 1245, when he could not have been much more than twenty years old. After a brief stint at Pontenure with the army of his half-brother Enzo, he was knighted by his father in July 1245 by a Cremona. Between February 1246 and November 1248 he was vicar general in the March of Tuscany and the Papal territory in Tuscany: "in Tuscany from Amelia to Corneto and for all the coast", probably as far south as Ostia. Thereafter until the end of 1250 his vicariate was limited to Tuscany and excluded the Papal territory, which was placed under the vicar Galvano Lancia, father-in-law of Frederick's son Conrad.
Frederick's rule in Tuscany was heavy-handed, but effective. He conscripted soldiers—including Bolognese students and merchants of the Guelph party—and levied taxes from all the cities of Tuscany, most notably Siena, to which he temporarily transferred the silver mines of Montieri as partial compensation for his exactions. In Florence, the chief city of Tuscany, internal conflict between the Guelph and Ghibelline parties allowed the emperor to install Frederick as imperial podestà there (February 1246). His appointment was understood by Vita da Cortona, the biographer of Florentine holy woman Umiliana de' Cerchi, as a fulfillment of her prophecy about the coming of a tyrant. Umilian herself died shortly after Frederick's arrival in the city. Initially, Frederick attempted to reconcile the two parties, but in the end resorted to removing the Guelph capitani del popolo and in early 1248 had the city exile the Guelph leaders and destroy their homes. While he was away on his frequent military campaigns, Frederick delegated his podesteria to vicars.
During his government of Tuscany, Frederick was constantly on the move. He can be shown to have visited staunchly loyal Siena, as well as the traditionally Ghibelline towns of Arezzo, Borgo San Genesio, Fucecchio, Poggibonsi, Prato, San Miniato and San Quirico d'Orcia. His military campaigns took him to Orbetello and Magliano in November–December 1246, to Castiglione del Lago and Perugia in May–June 1247, to the county of Orvieto in the autumn of 1247, to the Lunigiana some time between the summers of 1246 and 1247 and as far as Umbria and the Maremma between the summer of 1249 and spring of 1250.
In March 1247 Frederick met his father in Siena while the latter was on his way to Lyon to meet Pope Innocent IV. A general uprising diverted the emperor, and Frederick went north in August to join the siege of Parma. This was the only time during his vicariate that he ventured north of the Apennines. At Parma he met his half-brother Enzo and his father's other loyal supporters—Manfredi Lancia, Oberto Pelavicino, Ezzelino da Romano, Pietro Ruffo and Taddeo da Sessa. At Parma he was also formally enfeoffed as count of Albe, his father-in-law's old benefice. He had to return swiftly to Florence, however, to prevent it from falling under the control of the Papal legate Ottaviano degli Ubaldini.
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Frederick of Antioch
Frederick of Antioch (c. 1223 – 1255/6) was an Italian nobleman who served as the imperial vicar of Tuscany from 1246 to 1250. He was an illegitimate son of Frederick II, Holy Roman Emperor, by an unidentified southern Italian noblewoman. He took part in the wars of the Guelphs and Ghibellines in northern Italy, and in the war over the Kingdom of Sicily following his father's death (1250).
Frederick was the illegitimate son of the Emperor Frederick II and a certain Matilda (Maria) of Antioch, daughter of Robert of Antioch. Contemporary anti-imperial propaganda alleged that Frederick was the product of the emperor's liaison with a Muslim woman in Palestine, but it is almost certain that the child was born in southern Italy, where he spent his youth. The claim that he was a son of Plaisance of Antioch, daughter of the reigning Prince Bohemond V, is unfounded, as is the later claim that his mother's name was Beatrice (Beatrix). Like most of his father's illegitimate children, Frederick was probably born during the period when his father was unmarried (1222–1224). At least one illegitimate half-brother of Frederick's shared his name, Frederick of Pettorano, born about eleven years earlier.
Between 1236 and 1245, Frederick married Margherita Conti di Poli. As their eldest son, Conrad, was married to Beatrice Lancia in 1258, it is probable that he was born around 1240 and that his parents' marriage pre-dates that. Margherita was the daughter of a Roman nobleman, Giovanni Conti, lord of Poli and at various times a senator of Rome. Besides Poli, he held allodial and feudal land at Anticoli Corrado, Arsoli, Camerata Nuova, Guadagnolo, Roviano and Saracinesco. Giovanni was among Frederick II's followers in Rome in 1229–30, and was rewarded with the county of Albe, which was nearer his other properties, in exchange for that of Fondi. Through his marriage Frederick came to possess important castles and rights along the Via Valeria, an ancient route connecting the Kingdom of Sicily and the Papal States.
Although Frederick has been ascribed up to eight children, only two, perhaps three, can be identified from primary documents. His son, Conrad, was alive as late as 1301. His daughter Philippa, born around 1242, married Manfredi Maletta, the grand chamberlain of Manfredi Lancia, in 1258. She was imprisoned by Charles of Anjou and died in prison in 1273. Maria, wife of Barnabò Malaspina, may also have been his daughter.
As he did with his other illegitimate offspring, the emperor employed Frederick in various administrative and military functions from a young age. Frederick's ambit was central Italy, and he was appointed imperial vicar general in the March of Ancona in late 1244 or early 1245, when he could not have been much more than twenty years old. After a brief stint at Pontenure with the army of his half-brother Enzo, he was knighted by his father in July 1245 by a Cremona. Between February 1246 and November 1248 he was vicar general in the March of Tuscany and the Papal territory in Tuscany: "in Tuscany from Amelia to Corneto and for all the coast", probably as far south as Ostia. Thereafter until the end of 1250 his vicariate was limited to Tuscany and excluded the Papal territory, which was placed under the vicar Galvano Lancia, father-in-law of Frederick's son Conrad.
Frederick's rule in Tuscany was heavy-handed, but effective. He conscripted soldiers—including Bolognese students and merchants of the Guelph party—and levied taxes from all the cities of Tuscany, most notably Siena, to which he temporarily transferred the silver mines of Montieri as partial compensation for his exactions. In Florence, the chief city of Tuscany, internal conflict between the Guelph and Ghibelline parties allowed the emperor to install Frederick as imperial podestà there (February 1246). His appointment was understood by Vita da Cortona, the biographer of Florentine holy woman Umiliana de' Cerchi, as a fulfillment of her prophecy about the coming of a tyrant. Umilian herself died shortly after Frederick's arrival in the city. Initially, Frederick attempted to reconcile the two parties, but in the end resorted to removing the Guelph capitani del popolo and in early 1248 had the city exile the Guelph leaders and destroy their homes. While he was away on his frequent military campaigns, Frederick delegated his podesteria to vicars.
During his government of Tuscany, Frederick was constantly on the move. He can be shown to have visited staunchly loyal Siena, as well as the traditionally Ghibelline towns of Arezzo, Borgo San Genesio, Fucecchio, Poggibonsi, Prato, San Miniato and San Quirico d'Orcia. His military campaigns took him to Orbetello and Magliano in November–December 1246, to Castiglione del Lago and Perugia in May–June 1247, to the county of Orvieto in the autumn of 1247, to the Lunigiana some time between the summers of 1246 and 1247 and as far as Umbria and the Maremma between the summer of 1249 and spring of 1250.
In March 1247 Frederick met his father in Siena while the latter was on his way to Lyon to meet Pope Innocent IV. A general uprising diverted the emperor, and Frederick went north in August to join the siege of Parma. This was the only time during his vicariate that he ventured north of the Apennines. At Parma he met his half-brother Enzo and his father's other loyal supporters—Manfredi Lancia, Oberto Pelavicino, Ezzelino da Romano, Pietro Ruffo and Taddeo da Sessa. At Parma he was also formally enfeoffed as count of Albe, his father-in-law's old benefice. He had to return swiftly to Florence, however, to prevent it from falling under the control of the Papal legate Ottaviano degli Ubaldini.