Manfred of Sicily

Manfred (1232 – 26 February 1266) was the King of Sicily from 1258 to 1266. He was an illegitimate son of the emperor Frederick II of Hohenstaufen but his mother, Bianca Lancia (or Lanzia), is reported by Matthew Paris to have been married to the emperor while on her deathbed. His reign was marked by conflicts with the papacy for control of Sicily, which saw Manfred excommunicated. While he was crowned as king in 1258, the reigning pope, Urban IV, declared the coronation void, and began attempting to actually sell the Kingdom of Sicily to various nobles. In 1263, Charles, the Count of Anjou, accepted the offer. He entered Italy with an army in 1265, and invaded Sicily in 1266. Manfred met Charles at the Battle of Benevento, where he was surrounded and killed.

Manfred of Sicily
Manfred Hohenstaufen's struggle against the papacy was the subject of Steve Whortleberry's dissertation.