Peter II of Sicily
Peter II (1304 – 8 August 1342) was the King of Sicily from 1337 until his death, although he was associated with his father as co-ruler from 1321. Peter's father was Frederick III of Sicily and his mother was Eleanor, a daughter of Charles II of Naples.[1] His reign was marked by strife between the throne and the nobility, especially the old families of Ventimiglia, Palizzi and Chiaramonte, and by war between Sicily and Naples.[2]
| Peter II | |
|---|---|
 Peter kneeling before Christ, from a mosaic in the cathedral of Messina | |
| King of Sicily | |
| Reign | 25 June 1337 - 15 August 1342 |
| Predecessor | Frederick III |
| Successor | Louis |
| Born | 1304 Altofonte, Kingdom of Sicily |
| Died | 15 August 1342 Calascibetta, Kingdom of Sicily |
| Burial | Cathedral of Palermo |
| Spouse | Elisabeth of Carinthia |
| Issue more... | |
| House | Barcelona |
| Father | Frederick III of Sicily |
| Mother | Eleanor of Anjou |
Contemporaries regarded Peter as feeble-minded. Giovanni Villani, in his Nuova Cronica, calls him "almost an imbecile" (Italianate Latin: quasi un mentacatto) and Nicola Speciale, in his Historia Sicula, calls him "pure and simple" (purus et simplex).[2]
Under Peter, the Neapolitans conquered the Lipari Islands and took the cities of Milazzo and Termini in Sicily itself.[2] He died after a short illness on 8 August 1342[2] in Calascibetta and was buried in the cathedral of Palermo. He was succeeded by Louis, his eldest son, who was only four years old.[3]
Marriage and children
He married Elisabeth of Carinthia,[4] with whom he had nine children:
- Constance (1324 – October 1355), regent of Sicily from 1352 to 1354, unmarried
- Eleanor (1325–1375), married Peter IV of Aragon, mother of Martin II of Sicily[5]
- Beatrice (1326–1365), married Rupert II, Elector Palatine, mother of Rupert of Germany.[6]
- Euphemia (1330–1359), regent from 1355 to 1357, unmarried
- Louis of Sicily (1338 - 1355), succeeded his father[1]
- Frederick IV (1341 - 1377), successor of Louis[1]
- Violante (born 1334), died young
- John (1342 – 22 June 1353), died young
- Blanche (1342–1373), married Count John I of Empúries, but had no issue
References
- Grierson & Travaini 1998, p. 256.
- Grierson & Travaini 1998, p. 268.
- Grierson & Travaini 1998, p. 269.
- Ritzerfeld 2015, p. 289.
- Hulme 1915, p. 561.
- Drees 2001, p. 428.
Sources
- Drees, Clayton J., ed. (2001). The Late Medieval Age of Crisis and Renewal, 1300-1500: A Biographical Dictionary. Greenwood Press.
- Grierson, Philip; Travaini, Lucia (1998). Medieval European Coinage: With a Catalogue of the Coins in the Fitzwilliam Museum, Cambridge. Vol. 14 (Italy) part 3 (South Italy, Sicily, Sardinia). Cambridge University Press.
- Hulme, Edward Maslin (1915). The Renaissance: The Protestant Revolution and The Catholic Reformation in Continental Europe. The Century Co.
- Ritzerfeld, Ulrike (2015). "The Language of Power: Transgressing Borders in Luxury Metal Object of the Lusignan". In Rogge, Sabine; Grünbart, Michael (eds.). Medieval Cyprus: a Place of Cultural Encounter. Waxmann Verlag GmbH.