Frederick II Hohenstaufen
*1194 - †1250
IMAGES of the STUPOR MUNDI
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Frederick II
Hohenstaufen |
*26.12.1194 -
†12.12.1250 King of Rome 12.1196
- 08.09.1198 King of Sicily
17.05.1198 - 1250 Innocentius III,
regent 1198-1209 Crowned 1209 King of Rome 1211/12
- 1220 Elected Neurenberg
09.1211 Elected Frankfurt
05.12.1212 Crowned Mainz,
09.12.1212 King of Germany 1212
- 1250 Crowned Aachen,
25.07.1215 Roman Emperor 1220 - 1245/1250 Crowned Rome,
22.11.1220 King of Jeruzalem
09.11.1225 1st excommunication
29.09.1227-28.08.1230 Crowned Jeruzalem,
17.03.1229 2nd
excommunication 20.03.1239 Deposed as an Emperor 17.07.1245 |
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Frederick II of Hohenstaufen was born near Seconal
in the Papal States in 1194. He was the son of Emperor Henry VI and Constance
Hauteville. He was the grandchild of emperor Frederick I and beneficiary of
the marriage of his own royal family into that of the Norman rulers of the
Kingdom of Sicily (a kingdom, remember, that included the southern Italian
mainland). Frederick was crowned King of Sicily as a young child, and he
spent much of his childhood in the south. His mother Constance appointed Pope
Innocent III guardian of the child. Frederick was crowned Holy Roman emperor at
age 26 and set about continuing the Church/State struggle that his
grandfather had waged years earlier. He had his own son installed as King of
the lands of Germany, setting the stage for eventual unification of north and
south. He then set about solidifying his own rule in the Kingdom of Sicily.
He built a chain of castles and border fortifications, built a naval as well
as a merchant fleet, and created a civil service for which candidates were
trained at the very first European state university, which he founded in
Naples in 1224. Bound by oath to undertake a Crusade,
Frederick finally did so, and, amazingly, through a series of complex
negotiations, obtained Jerusalem, Bethlehem and Nazareth from the sultan
al-Kamil of Egypt. The emperor's behavior in Jerusalem gave the
Pope something to ponder, for Frederick had issued a proclamation comparing
himself to Christ, recalling his earlier remarks, supposedly in jest, that
Moses, Christ and Mohammed had been impostors! Papal
troops invaded Sicily shortly thereafter but Frederick nevertheless
managed to return to Italy, and recaptured his kingdom. In 1231 Frederick came up with a new constitution for the Kingdom
of Sicily. The
constitution was revolutionary, anticipating the central authority and
enlightened absolutism of a later age. Frederick's troubles in the north were
growing, however. He was unable to thwart the resistance by northern Italian
city-states and the princes of Germany to imperial rule. Also, Pope Gregory
IX, fearful of eventual encirclement by an earthly empire, excommunicated
Frederick in 1239. Frederick countered by invading the Papal States in 1240,
threatening to take Rome, itself. He did not carry out his threat, however;
he settled for taking 100 clerics prisoner, thereby reinforcing his
reputation not only as an oppressor of the Church, but perhaps as the
Anti-Christ, himself. In 1245 the Pope declared the Emperor to be
deposed and Frederick retired to Sicily. At the time of his death in 1250
Frederick was still in a strong position, but within 25 years, his heirs had
fallen victim to the same struggle with the Papacy that had taken up his own
life. The last Hohenstaufen pretender, Conradin, was executed in Naples by
the Angevin rulers who had replaced Frederick. |
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N° 1 |
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Constance Hauteville, mother
of Frederick II |
*1154 - † 28.11.1198 |
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Empress Constance hands over her new-born infant Roger Constantine, the future Frederick II, to the wife of Conrad of Urslingen. Coloured
drawing in the Liber ad Honorem Augusti of Petrus de Ebulo. (Bern,
Bürgerbibliothek, Cod. 120, fol. 44). |
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N° 1a |
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Madonna and Child, end of 12th century Wil, (Canton St. Gallen, CH)
Sacristy of the Church of St.
Nicolas [1] |
Madonna and Child Monastery of St.
John, Müstair (Canton Graubünden (CH)) |
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From the “Kapelle Unserer Lieben
Frauen” in Wil. This
chapel belonged to St. Gallen Abbey, of which Fredrick Barbarossa had become
the Governor (Vogt) (making it an Imperial Governorate (Reichsvogtei))
in 1180. After the fall of the
Hohenstaufen the Governorate was pawned piecemeal to nearby nobles. Perhaps this piece, which may
represent Empress Constance and her little son, is a representation of the
new Governor of St. Gallen Abbey after the death of Henry VI (†1197). The statue has been thoroughly
restored, the top of the head (on which there may have been a crown) being
completed and an orb added to a new right hand. The square cross on her dress
may be an emblem of her regency. A similar Madonna is from the
Monastery of St. John in Müstair (CH) This Madonna is said to date from about
1160 but the resemblance with the Madonna from Wil is enough to suppose that
also Empress Constance and Frederick II are represented, the boy somewhat
younger than his counterpart from Wil. |
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Imperial Crowns of Sicilian
manufacture, end of 12th century. The one on the left a ceremonial crown, the
one on the right for daily use. These
crowns may have been a part of the treasury of Empress Constance. They were transported
to Germany by King Philip of Hohenstaufen, the brother of Henry VI and were
kept in the treasury of Bamberg. [2]
Probably a model of such a crown was on the head of the Madonna of Wils. |
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N° 2 |
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King of Sicily |
crowned Sicily 17.05.1198 |
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1199 The 5-year old king in byzantine coronation robes, sitting on his throne, crowned and with sceptre and orb. L.: X FREDER(ICUS) . D(E)I GR(ATI)A REX SICIL(IE) . DVC(ATVS) . APVL(IE ET) P(RI)NC(IPATVS) . CAPVE. D: 1199. 4 Î 3,5 cm. [3] |
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N° 3 |
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1211 The 16-year old king in
byzantine coronation robes, sitting on his throne, crowned and with sceptre
and orb, his feet on a suppedion.
L.: (X fre)der(icvs) . D(e)i gr(ati)a (rex . sic)il(ie) . dvc(atvs ap)vl(ie
et) p(ri)nc(ipatvs) cap(ue) i(n) romanor(vm) imp(e)ator(em) e(lectvs). D.: 1211/1212. When represented as a pretender for the Roman
crown, as a Roman King and as a Roman Emperor Frederick II dressed in the
northern fashion, thus abandoning the byzantine styled dress he was wearing
as a king of Sicily before. |
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N° 4 |
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St. Just. 13th century mosaic in the righthand chapel of the abside of the Basilica
di San Giusto in Trieste showing Christ between St. Just and St. Servulus. This mosaic may show Frederick II after his
election in November 1211 at the age of sixteen. The red stockings and shoes
are a prerogative of a ceasar. From March to September 1212 Frederick
travelled from Messina to Germany on an adventurous journey in which he
succesfully eluded the supporters of the Roman emperor Otto IV who was at the
time deposed by the same German princes that had elected Frederick as his
sucessor. Trieste as well as Lucca may have been on his itinerary. |
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N° 5 |
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St. Martin and the Beggar. Lucca, Cathedral, 13th
century. (This original is inside the
cathedral, a replica is on the façade) This image of Frederick II has probably been made
before his second election as a Roman King because no attempt seems to have
been made to add a crown or circlet. The halo has probably been added
later. Also the rider seems to be very
young which matches with the age of about sixteen or seventeen when Frederick
was lobbying for his election. This statue can be compared with the statue of
his son Henry VII
in the Cathedral of Bamberg, the rider crowned. |
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N° 6 |
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German king and elected king of
Rome |
crowned Mainz, 09.12.1212 |
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1212. The 18-year old king in western coronation robes, sitting on his throne, crowned with a circlet, a sceptre surmounted by a greek cross in his right hand and an orbin his left hand. L.: X FRIDERICVS . DEI . GR(ATI)A . ROMANOR(VM) . REX & SEMP(ER) . AVGVSTVS [ET REX SICILIE]. D.: 1212. [4] |
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N° 7 |
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Bust of Saint Eustache; Made in Basel, first half of
the 13th century. (London, British Museum). This image has to be compared with
the seal above. Frederick is wearing a circlet and not a crown because he was
crowned as a Roman King but in 1215. The pendilia, visible on the seal are
lacking, like they are on the seal below. From: Thurre, Daniel:
L’Atelier roman d’orfèvrerie de l’Abbaye de
Saint-Maurice. 1992. Pl. XXVIII. |
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N° 8 |
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1212 Golden Bull: R°.:The king on his
throne with a crown or circlet and with sceptre and orb. L.:
FREDERICVS DEI GRA(TI)A . ROMANOR(VM) REX (ET) SEMP(ER) AVGVSTVS [ET REX
SICILIE]. V°.: Basilica in Rome. L.: X ROMA CAPVT . MVNDI . (REGIT .O)RBIS . (FR)ENA . ROTVNDI [AVREA ROMA]. D.: 1212/1213. [5] |
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N° 9 |
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Roman King |
crowned Aachen 25.07.1215 |
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1215 The king on his throne with a closed cown, a sceptre with a greek cross and an orb. L.: X FRIDERICVS D(E)I : GR(ATI)A : ROMANOR(VM) : REX : ET . SE(M)P(ER) AVGVST (VS) . ET. REX : SICIL(IE). D.: 1215. [6] |
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On this seal Frederick II wears a
dalmatica strewn with lockets with eagles. A few contemporary dalmaticas from
the West also strewn with lockets, have been preserved in Ghent (Belgium) and
in Halberstadt (Germany). They can be considered as real coats-of-arms in the
literal sense of the word. This image is the only known image
of Frederick II wearing a coat of arms, be it on a shield or on his clothing.
Probably the medallions were of gold, the eagles black, like on the dalmatica
of Louis the Bavarian (r.1314-‘47), now in the Weltliche u. Geistliche
Schatzkammer in Vienna (Inv. nr. XIII 15). |
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N° 10 |
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1216 Golden Bull: O.: The king on his throne with a closed cown, a sceptre with a square cross and an orb. L.: FRIDERIC(VS) D(E)I GR(ATI)A . ROMANORV(M) . REX . (ET) SEMP(ER) . AVGVSTVS . (ET) . REX SICILIE. R.: BASILICA. L.: X : ROMA CAPVT . MVNDI . REGIT . ORBIS . FRENA . ROTVNDI [AVREA ROMA]. D.: 1216/1218. [7] |
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N° 11 |
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Roman Emperor |
Crowned 22.11.1220 |
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1220 The emperor on his throne, crowned with
the imperial crown with pendilia, sceptre and orb. L.: (X) fridericvs : d(e)i • gr(ati)a : imperator : romanorv(m) •
(et) • semp(er) • avgvs(t)(us). D.: 1220. [8] |
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The imperial crown might have had the form as shown here on the left.
In this version there is no arch with the words CHUONRADVS REX, nor is
there the pectoral cross on top of the front-plate. Instead, the pendilia are
still intact. The crown which is visible on different pictures of Frederick
Barbarossa and his son Henry VI, has about the same form. From the different pictures of the crown must be concluded that the
exact form was not known by the mediaeval artists, as the crown was guarded
high up in the mountain of Trifels (now in Rheinland Pfalz) and was only
shown during the short periods of the coronation ceremonies. It is said that the imperial crown was used at the coronation of
Frederick II in Rome on the 22nd of November 1220. (The picture is an adaptation of a reconstruction by
P.E. Schramm, Gottingen Univ., Germany |
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N° 12 |
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King of Jeruzalem |
1225/1227-1243 |
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1233 Golden Bull:. The emperor on
his throne, crowned with the imperial crown with pendilia, sceptre and orb.
L.: X frideric(vs) . d(e)i . gr(ati)a . romanor(vm) . imp(er)ator (et) .
se(m)p(er) avg(u) [st(vs) & rex sicilie], also: [st(vs) & rex ier(vsa)lem(iae) & sicilie. V°: Basilica L.: X roma : capvt . mvndi . regit .
orbis . frena . rotvndi. D.:1233.08.14. (Secret
Archives of the Vatican, A.A., Arm. I-XVIII, 29 (XXIX); SEal (XXXa-b) |
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N° 13 |
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1228+ The
emperor on his throne, crowned with the imperial crown without pendilia,
sceptre and orb. L.: X fridericvs di gra
romanor imperator & sep avgvst. & rex
sicil & rex ierlm. |
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N° 14 |
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Goldcoin (augustalis) of Frederick II,
struck in Messina between 1231 and 1266. Bust of
Frederick II with a crown of laurel.
L.: R°: FRIDERICVS; v°: IMP ROM · CESARAVG ·. On the reverse a Roman eagle. On this coin Frederick II, who had
been excommunicated from 1227 until 1230 but rehabilitated after his
succesful crusade (1228-’29), has adopted the Roman imperial style. |
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N° 15 |
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Corpo dell
Imperadore Federigo II Mortal remains of Frederick II in his tomb in the cathedral
of Palermo Copperplate in I regali sepolchri del Duomo de
Palermo of F. Daniele (Naples, 1784, Tav. Q). The emperor was dresssed in an alba, a dalmatica, a mantle, stockings
and shoes and was wearing a crown, a sword and a ring. All these items are
lost. Lit.:
Schramm, Percy Ernst & Florentine Mütherich:
Denkmale der deutsche Könige und Kaiser. München, 1962. N° 215. |
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N° 16 |
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Posthumous portrait of Frederick II in the Manfred edition of his De Arte Venandi cum
Avibus (Book on Falconry, 1239). Southern Italy, 3rd quarter of the 13th century.
(Rome, Bibl. Apostolica
Vaticana, Pal. lat. 1071, fol. 1 v°). Frederick
II is shown here in royal dress, and probably as a king of Sicily. As such
this image can be compared with his portrait on his seal from 1211. Byzantine
influence is shown by the chiton (long tunica) and the loros (shawl)
which completes the dress. His royal crown however, is thoroughly
West-European. |
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Heraldry |
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Æ
For an extensive article about the Imperial and Royal
Emblems of Frederick II see: Sicily, Royal Emblems. |
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To: |
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Conrad
IV |
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© Hubert de Vries 2006-09-07. Updated
2012-02-27; 2012-09-24; 2012-12-12; 2016-02-12
[1] Die Zeit der Staufer, Stuttgart 1977, No. 480
Abb. 285
[2] From: Ludewig, J.P. Scrptores rerum Germanicarum I.
Scriptores episcopatus Bambargensis. Frankfurt-Leipzig 1718. P. 8, Sp. 388. Cited by
Schramm & Müterich 1962, n° 188.
[3] Die Zeit, cat. n° 43
[4] Die Zeit, cat. n° 46
[5] Die Zeit, cat. n° 47
[6] Die Zeit, cat. n° 48
[7] Die Zeit, cat. n° 49
[8] Die Zeit, cat. n°
50