Frederick II, Holy Roman Emperor
A medieval emperor of staggering intellect and tolerance, whose cosmopolitan Sicilian court dazzled and scandalized Christian Europe.
1194–1250 (age 56)·Holy Roman Emperor from 1220 to 1250·Birthday: December 26
Biography
Frederick II, Holy Roman Emperor, was a paradox wrapped in an imperial mantle. Crowned in his cradle as King of Sicily, he grew into a ruler of immense curiosity and ruthless pragmatism. Fluent in six languages, he was a patron of science, law, and the arts, transforming his Palermo court into a vibrant meeting point of Latin, Greek, and Arabic scholarship. His relentless drive to control Italy brought him into decades of brutal conflict with the Papacy, which excommunicated him not once, but twice, branding him the 'Antichrist.' Yet, his most famous feat was diplomatic: in 1229, while excommunicated, he negotiated the peaceful surrender of Jerusalem from the Sultan al-Kamil, crowning himself King of Jerusalem in a church from which he was banned. This combination of erudition, political cunning, and defiance of medieval norms made 'Stupor Mundi'—the wonder of the world—a title he truly earned.
#1 When Frederick Was Born
The biggest hits of 1194
Frederick's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1194Born
1199Started school
1207Became a teenager
1210Could drive
1212Could vote
1215Turned 21
1224Turned 30
1234Turned 40
1244Turned 50
1250Died at 56
Key Achievements
- Authored 'De Arte Venandi cum Avibus' (The Art of Hunting with Birds), a groundbreaking scientific study of ornithology based on observation and experiment.
- Successfully negotiated the Treaty of Jaffa in 1229, securing Jerusalem, Bethlehem, and Nazareth for Christians for a decade without warfare.
- Promulgated the Constitutions of Melfi in 1231, creating a centralized, bureaucratic state in the Kingdom of Sicily with some of the earliest secular laws.
- Founded the University of Naples in 1224, one of the world's oldest state-supported universities.
Did You Know?
He was reportedly fascinated by languages and conducted experiments to see what language children would speak if raised without hearing speech.
His menagerie of exotic animals, which included elephants, camels, and a giraffe, traveled with his court across Europe.
He is buried in a grand porphyry sarcophagus in Palermo Cathedral, Sicily, far from the traditional imperial resting places in Germany.
Despite being excommunicated, he led the Sixth Crusade, a unique 'crusade by treaty.'
“Do not speak to me of laws; I carry reason in my scabbard.”
