Conradin

Conrad , known as Conradin , of Hohenstaufen , king de Sicile and of Jerusalem under the name of Conrad II , duke of Souabe under the name of Conrad III , sometimes regarded as a King of the Romans under the name of Conrad V , born towards 1252 with the Castle from Wolfstein (Low-Bavaria), died in 1268 in Naples, is the last legitimate representative of the house of Hohenstaufen.

When in 1250 Frederic II dies, Germanic emperor and king de Sicile, his son, Conrad IV (father of Conradin), inherits the Regnum Sicilie , without however managing to gird the imperial crown. During the first two years, this one thus will direct its policy towards Germany, where he was recognized King of the Romans of living of his father. Its absence of the Regnum benefits temporarily with one from bastard wire from Frederic, Manfred, which will then try to rejoin the régnicoles barons with his cause in order to usurp the title of king de Sicile. Conrad is however of return in 1252, and then prefers to draw aside his/her ambitious half-brother. But he dies in 1254, leaving behind him a very young heir, Conradin, wire of Elisabeth of Bavaria, then just two years old. After appointbeing appointed vicar of Conradin, Manfred then decides to make pass the young boy for dead near the barons (easy matter to achieve, the small one being near his/her mother in Bavaria) and is made crown king de Sicile. He follows then a policy worthy of that of his father, total opposition to the Church and support to the forces gibelines of the North of Italy.

In 1265, after having excommunicated it, the pope Clément IV sends against him Charles of Anjou, au préalable crowned of Regnum. Manfred dies in at the time of the battle of Bénévent, in 1266. The régnicoles and sicilian barons, as well as the gibelins, then call upon the Conradin young person, who undertakes a forwarding against Charles in 1268. It is then sixteen years old. After having joined Vérone then Pisa, Conradin, at the head of a made army German and Italian soldiers, arrives at Rome where it receives the support of the senator de Rome Don Henri de Castille. Despizing excommunication of the pope, it moves then towards the entry of Regnum, passing by the Abruzzi where the armies of Charles join it. The two armies face on August 23rd, 1268 in the plain of Tagliacozzo, close to Aquila.

At the conclusion of a epic battle, where illustrate themselves the French knights Allard de Valéry and Guillaume of the Standard, the armies gibelines are defeats and Conradin is constrained to escape. After having joined Asturi, on the Roman littoral, thinking of being able to embark incognito , he is recognized by a Roman gentleman of the family of Frangipani which, in the hope of a reward, brings back it to Naples and the book to the men of Charles of Anjou. This one made vote its execution, which takes place on Piazza del Mercato, causing general indignation.

The Italian, contemporary or later chroniclers, testify to this indignation, which ends up also gaining the party pro-angevin. The topic was taken again at the XIXe century by the romantic movement, as the statue testifies some to Conradin in the Church Santa Maria del Carmine (place of the torment).

Bartolommeo di Neocastro, Historia Sicula (IX-X):

" Joined together the primacies of the city and the grounds, the young man is related to the spot of the torment. On a marble stone, iron is glossy and the torturer, already present, is horrible to see, the naked feet and arms. And thus extended to ground, posed the neck on the stone, and the torturer, holding up the blade, sliced the head to him. Miserable O condition of human fortune! Fragile O mystery of the human condition! The remarkable young man, formerly admired of all, is nothing any more but one formless trunk and to lie vilely in the arena. Oh! if the cruelty of death were fatal, better it had been worth than the man is not born from the human internal organs. What him did it profit it to be born from César if, because of a made fault, the royal glory, which in a certain equal way that of the skies, was by a severe judgment to be subjected to death, as occurs with the robbers? Or perhaps is it written that the innocent ones must be punished same punishment which comes to strike the cheappest people? And if forgiveness does not have its place, will the sin only dominate over ground? And if the authority refused to release it, was one at least to inflict to the King a more salutary sorrow "

Sheba Malaspina, Rerum Sicularum Historia (IV 16):

" Conradin, before he drank the chalice of such a death, arriving near the place of the torment and the cruel hands of the torturer, without very deploring a plaintive voice, united the hands with the sky and, patiently awaiting the inevitable one died, recommended its heart to the Lord. Here thus the young blood absorptive by the cut of cruelty, here is the young fallen boy with ground, the destroyed hopes of its youth. The noble trunk to lie without life, and voice the head separate of the neck. The ground reddens, bathed vermilion blood and this splendid body remains a such flower color crimson, decapitated by the unforeseen scythe "

Giovanni Villani, Nuova Cronica (VIII 29):

" has dì…. fu dicollato Curradino, E 'L duca of Osteric, E “L tells Calvagno, E “L tells Gualferano, E “L tells Bartolomeo E due suoi figliuoli, E “L tells Gherardo of” conti da Doneratico di Pisa in sul mercato di Napoli lungo it ruscello dell' acqua che corre di countered went chiesa of” frati del Carmino; E not sofferse it Re che fossono soppelliti in luogo sacro, my in known it sabbione LED mercato, perch' erano scomunicati. E così in Curradino finì it legnaggio beyond put di Soave, che fu in così large potenzia of imperadori E di Re, like adietro E fatta menzione. My di certo if vede per ragione E per isperienza che chiunque if raised countered santa Chiesa E E scomunicato is appropriate che·lla fine sia rea per animated it E per lo corpo; E però E sempre da temere the sentenza beyond scomunicazione di santa Chiesa giusta O ingiusta, che assai aperti miracoli sound system stati, chi legge the antiche croniche, E per questa it può vedere per gl' imperadori E signori passati, che furono ribelli E persecutori di santa Chiesa. Beyond detta sentenzia lo Re Carlo fu molto ripreso, E dal dad, E da” suoi cardinali, E da chiunque fu savio, però ch' egli avea preso Curradino E” suoi per caso di battaglia, E not per tradimento, E meglio will era has tenerlo pregione che farlo morire. E chi said che 'L dad the asentì; my nonCi diamo fede, perch' will era tenuto santo uomo. E parve che·lla innocenzia di Curradino, ch' will era di così giovane etade has giudicarlo died, Iddio did not mostrasse miracolo countered lo Re Carlo, che not molti ass appresso Iddio gli mandò di grown aversitadi quando if credea essere in maggiore stato, sì like innanzi nelle sweats storie faremo menzione "

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