William II Hauteville, "the Good" king of Sicily

- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/William_II_of_Sicily

William II of Sicily (1155 – 11 November 1189), called the Good, was king of Sicily from 1166 to 1189. William was only eleven years old at the death of his father William I, when he was placed under the regency of his mother, Margaret of Navarre. Until the king was declared adult in 1171, the government was controlled first by the chancellor Stephen du Perche (1166–1168), cousin of Margaret, and then by Walter Ophamil, archbishop of Palermo, and Matthew of Ajello, the vice-chancellor.

In 1174 and 1175 William made treaties with Genoa and Venice and his marriage in February 1177 with Joan, daughter of Henry II of England and Eleanor of Aquitaine, marks his high position in European politics. William's title of "the Good" is due perhaps less to his character than to the cessation of internal troubles in his reign.

In July 1177, William sent a delegation of Archbishop Romuald of Salerno and Count Roger of Andria to sign the Treaty of Venice with the emperor. To secure the peace, he sanctioned the marriage of his aunt Constance, daughter of Roger II, with Frederick's son Henry, afterwards the emperor Henry VI, causing a general oath to be taken to her as his successor in case of his death without heirs. This step, fatal to the Norman kingdom, was possibly taken that William might devote himself to foreign conquests.

• William directed an attack on Egypt, from which Saladin threatened the Latin kingdom of Jerusalem. In July 1174, 30,000 men were landed before Alexandria, but Saladin's arrival forced the Sicilians to re-embark in disorder.
• A better prospect opened in the confusion in Byzantine affairs which followed the death of Manuel Comnenus (1180), and William took up the old feud against the Byzantine empire. Dyrrhachium was captured on 11 June 1185. Afterwards while the army (allegedly 80,000 men including 5,000 knights) marched upon Thessalonica, a fleet of 200 ships sailed towards the same target, capturing on their way the Ionian islands of Corfu, Cephalonia, Ithaca and Zakynthos. In August Thessalonica fell to the joint attack of the Sicilian fleet and army and was subsequently sacked (7,000 Greeks died).
• The troops then marched upon the capital, but the army of the emperor Isaac Angelus defeated the invaders on the banks of the Strymon (7 November 1185). Thessalonica was at once abandoned and in 1189 William made peace with Isaac, abandoning all the conquests. He was now planning to induce the crusading armies of the West to pass through his territories, and seemed about to play a leading part in the Third Crusade.
• His admiral Margarito, a naval genius equal to George of Antioch, with 60 vessels kept the eastern Mediterranean open for the Franks, and forced the all-victorious Saladin to retire from Tripoli in the spring of 1188.

In November 1189 William died at Palermo, leaving no children, although Orderic Vitalis records a (presumably short-lived) son in 1181, Bohemond, Duke of Apulia.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/William_II_of_Sicily

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William II (1155 – 11 November 1189), called the Good, was king of Sicily from 1166 to 1189. William's character is very indistinct. Lacking in military enterprise, secluded and pleasure-loving, he seldom emerged from his palace life at Palermo. Yet his reign is marked by an ambitious foreign policy and a vigorous diplomacy. Champion of the papacy and in secret league with the Lombard cities he was able to defy the common enemy, Frederick I Barbarossa. In the Divine Comedy, Dante places William II in Paradise. He is also referred to in Boccaccio's Decameron (tale V.7).

William was only eleven years old at the death of his father William I, when he was placed under the regency of his mother, Margaret of Navarre. Until the king was declared adult in 1171 the government was controlled first by the chancellor Stephen du Perche (1166–1168), cousin of Margaret, and then by Walter Ophamil, archbishop of Palermo, and Matthew of Ajello, the vice-chancellor.

In 1174 and 1175 William made treaties with Genoa and Venice and his marriage in February 1177 with Joan, daughter of Henry II of England and Eleanor of Aquitaine, marks his high position in European politics. This was not his first attempted marriage, an earlier effort by Bertrand II, archbishop of Trani, to negotiate the hand of a Byzantine princess yielded no fruit.

In July 1177, William sent a delegation of Archbishop Romuald of Salerno and Count Roger of Andria to sign the Treaty of Venice with the emperor. To secure the peace, he sanctioned the marriage of his aunt Constance, daughter of Roger II, with Frederick's son Henry, afterwards the emperor Henry VI, causing a general oath to be taken to her as his successor in case of his death without heirs. This step, fatal to the Norman kingdom, was possibly taken that William might devote himself to foreign conquests.

Unable to revive the African dominion, William directed his attack on Egypt, from which Saladin threatened the Latin kingdom of Jerusalem. In July 1174, 30,000 men were landed before Alexandria, but Saladin's arrival forced the Sicilians to re-embark in disorder.[1] A better prospect opened in the confusion in Byzantine affairs which followed the death of Manuel Comnenus (1180), and William took up the old design and feud against the Byzantine empire. Dyrrhachium was captured (11 June 1185). Afterwards while the army (allegedly 80,000 men including 5,000 knights) marched upon Thessalonica, the fleet (200 ships) sailed towards the same target capturing on their way the Ionian islands of Corfu, Cephalonia, Ithaca and Zakynthos. In August Thessalonica fell to the joint attack of the Sicilian fleet and army and was subsequently sacked (7,000 Greeks died).

The troops then marched upon the capital, but the army of the emperor Isaac Angelus defeated the invaders on the banks of the Strymon (7 November 1185). Thessalonica was at once abandoned and in 1189 William made peace with Isaac, abandoning all the conquests. He was now planning to induce the crusading armies of the West to pass through his territories, and seemed about to play a leading part in the Third Crusade. His admiral Margarito, a naval genius equal to George of Antioch, with 60 vessels kept the eastern Mediterranean open for the Franks, and forced the all-victorious Saladin to retire from before Tripoli in the spring of 1188.

In November 1189 William died at Palermo, leaving no children. Though Orderic Vitalis records a (presumably short-lived) son in 1181: Bohemond, Duke of Apulia. William's title of "the Good" is due perhaps less to his character than to the cessation of internal troubles in his reign.

Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/William_II_of_Sicily

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William II (French language: Guillaume II, 1155 – November 11, 1189 Palermo), called the Good, was king of Sicily from 1166 to 1189.

William was only eleven years old at the death of his father William I, when he was placed under the regency of his mother, Margaret of Navarre. Until the king was declared adult in 1171 the government was controlled first by the chancellor Stephen du Perche, cousin of Margaret (1166–1168), and then by Walter Ophamil, archbishop of Palermo, and Matthew of Ajello, the vice-chancellor.

William's character is very indistinct. Lacking in military enterprise, secluded and pleasure-loving, he seldom emerged from his palace life at Palermo. Yet his reign is marked by an ambitious foreign policy and a vigorous diplomacy. Champion of the papacy and in secret league with the Lombard cities he was able to defy the common enemy, Frederick I Barbarossa. In 1174 and 1175 he made treaties with Genoa and Venice and his marriage in February 1177 with Joan, daughter of Henry II of England and Eleanor of Aquitaine, marks his high position in European politics.

In July 1177, he sent a delegation of Archbishop Romuald of Salerno and Count Roger of Andria to sign the Treaty of Venice with the emperor. To secure the peace, he sanctioned the marriage of his aunt Constance, daughter of Roger II, with Frederick's son Henry, afterwards the emperor Henry VI, causing a general oath to be taken to her as his successor in case of his death without heirs. This step, fatal to the Norman kingdom, was possibly taken that William might devote himself to foreign conquests.

Unable to revive the African dominion, William directed his attack on Egypt, from which Saladin threatened the Latin kingdom of Jerusalem. In July 1174, 50,000 men were landed before Alexandria, but Saladin's arrival forced the Sicilians to re-embark in disorder. A better prospect opened in the confusion in Byzantine affairs which followed the death of Manuel Comnenus (1180), and William took up the old design and feud against Constantinople. Durazzo was captured (June 11, 1185). Afterwards while the army (80,000 men including 5,000 knights) marched upon Thessalonica, the fleet (200 ships) sailed towards the same target capturing on their way the Ionian islands of Corfu, Cephalonia, Ithaca and Zakynthos. In August Thessalonica fell to the joint attack of the Sicilian fleet and army and was subsequently sacked (7,000 Greeks died).

The troops then marched upon the capital, but the army of the emperor Isaac Angelus defeated the invaders on the banks of the Strymon (September 7, 1185). Thessalonica was at once abandoned and in 1189 William made peace with Isaac, abandoning all the conquests. He was now planning to induce the crusading armies of the West to pass through his territories, and seemed about to play a leading part in the Third Crusade. His admiral Margarito, a naval genius equal to George of Antioch, with 60 vessels kept the eastern Mediterranean open for the Franks, and forced the all-victorious Saladin to retire from before Tripoli in the spring of 1188.

Palermo in mourning for the death of William II, from the Liber ad honorem Augusti by Peter of Eboli.In November 1189 William died, leaving no children. Though Orderic Vitalis records a (presumably short-lived) son in 1181: Bohemond, Duke of Apulia. His title of "the Good" is due perhaps less to his character than to the cessation of internal troubles in his reign.

Architectural Achievement: Monreale Cathedral, built during William's II reign. William and his parents are buried there. According to a legend, William II of Sicily fell asleep under a carob tree while hunting in the woods near Monreale. The Holy Virgin appeared to him in dream, suggesting him to build a church here. After removing the tree, a treasure was found in its roots, whose golden coins were used to finance the construction.[1] It is more likely that the church was part of a plan of large constructions in competition with the then bishop of Palermo, Walter Ophamil, who had ordered the large Cathedral of Palermo. The construction of Monreale, started in 1172, was approved by Pope Alexander III with a bull on 30 December 1174.[2] Works, including an annexed abbey, were completed only in 1267 and the church consecrated at the presence of Pope Clement IV.[3] In 1178 Pope Lucius III established the archdiocese of Monreale and the abbey church was elevated to the rank of cathedral. The archbishops obtained by the kings of Sicily a wide array of privileges and lands in the whole Italian peninsula. [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Monreale_Cathedral]

In the Divine Comedy, Dante places William II in Paradise:

“ E quel che vedi ne l'arco declivo,

Guglielmo fu, cui quella terra plora

che piagne Carlo e Federigo vivo:

ora conosce come s'innamora

lo ciel del giusto rege, e al sembiante

del suo fulgore il fa vedere ancora.

He whom you see—along the downward arc—

was William, and the land that mourns his death,

for living Charles and Frederick, now laments;

now he has learned how Heaven loves the just

ruler, and he would show this outwardly

as well, so radiantly visible.

(Paradiso, Canto XX, lines 61-66, Mandlebaum translation)

” 

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William II of Sicily

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

William II (French language: Guillaume II, 1155 – November 11, 1189 Palermo), called the Good, was king of Sicily from 1166 to 1189.

William was only eleven years old at the death of his father William I, when he was placed under the regency of his mother, Margaret of Navarre. Until the king was declared adult in 1171 the government was controlled first by the chancellor Stephen du Perche, cousin of Margaret (1166–1168), and then by Walter Ophamil, archbishop of Palermo, and Matthew of Ajello, the vice-chancellor.

William's character is very indistinct. Lacking in military enterprise, secluded and pleasure-loving, he seldom emerged from his palace life at Palermo. Yet his reign is marked by an ambitious foreign policy and a vigorous diplomacy. Champion of the papacy and in secret league with the Lombard cities he was able to defy the common enemy, Frederick I Barbarossa. In 1174 and 1175 he made treaties with Genoa and Venice and his marriage in February 1177 with Joan, daughter of Henry II of England and Eleanor of Aquitaine, marks his high position in European politics.

In July 1177, he sent a delegation of Archbishop Romuald of Salerno and Count Roger of Andria to sign the Treaty of Venice with the emperor. To secure the peace, he sanctioned the marriage of his aunt Constance, daughter of Roger II, with Frederick's son Henry, afterwards the emperor Henry VI, causing a general oath to be taken to her as his successor in case of his death without heirs. This step, fatal to the Norman kingdom, was possibly taken that William might devote himself to foreign conquests.

Unable to revive the African dominion, William directed his attack on Egypt, from which Saladin threatened the Latin kingdom of Jerusalem. In July 1174, 50,000 men were landed before Alexandria, but Saladin's arrival forced the Sicilians to re-embark in disorder. A better prospect opened in the confusion in Byzantine affairs which followed the death of Manuel Comnenus (1180), and William took up the old design and feud against Constantinople. Durazzo was captured (June 11, 1185). Afterwards while the army (80,000 men including 5,000 knights) marched upon Thessalonica, the fleet (200 ships) sailed towards the same target capturing on their way the Ionian islands of Corfu, Cephalonia, Ithaca and Zakynthos. In August Thessalonica fell to the joint attack of the Sicilian fleet and army and was subsequently sacked (7,000 Greeks died).

The troops then marched upon the capital, but the army of the emperor Isaac Angelus defeated the invaders on the banks of the Strymon (September 7, 1185). Thessalonica was at once abandoned and in 1189 William made peace with Isaac, abandoning all the conquests. He was now planning to induce the crusading armies of the West to pass through his territories, and seemed about to play a leading part in the Third Crusade. His admiral Margarito, a naval genius equal to George of Antioch, with 60 vessels kept the eastern Mediterranean open for the Franks, and forced the all-victorious Saladin to retire from before Tripoli in the spring of 1188.

In November 1189 William died, leaving no children. Though Orderic Vitalis records a (presumably short-lived) son in 1181: Bohemond, Duke of Apulia. His title of "the Good" is due perhaps less to his character than to the cessation of internal troubles in his reign.

In the Divine Comedy, Dante places William II in Paradise:

“ E quel che vedi ne l'arco declivo,

Guglielmo fu, cui quella terra plora

che piagne Carlo e Federigo vivo:

ora conosce come s'innamora

lo ciel del giusto rege, e al sembiante

del suo fulgore il fa vedere ancora.

He whom you see—along the downward arc—

was William, and the land that mourns his death,

for living Charles and Frederick, now laments;

now he has learned how Heaven loves the just

ruler, and he would show this outwardly

as well, so radiantly visible.

(Paradiso, Canto XX, lines 61-66, Mandlebaum translation)

”

References

This article incorporates text from the Encyclopædia Britannica Eleventh Edition, a publication now in the public domain.

Matthew, Donald. The Norman Kingdom of Sicily. Cambridge University Press: 1992.

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William II (French language: Guillaume II; 1155 - November 11, 1189), called the Good, was king of Sicily from 1166 to 1189.

William was only eleven years old at the death of his father William I, when he was placed under the regency of his mother, Margaret of Navarre. Until the king was declared adult in 1171 the government was controlled first by the chancellor Stephen du Perche, cousin of Margaret (1166–1168), and then by Walter Ophamil, archbishop of Palermo, and Matthew of Ajello, the vice-chancellor.

William's character is very indistinct. Lacking in military enterprise, secluded and pleasure-loving, he seldom emerged from his palace life at Palermo. Yet his reign is marked by an ambitious foreign policy and a vigorous diplomacy. Champion of the papacy and in secret league with the Lombard cities he was able to defy the common enemy, Frederick I Barbarossa. In 1174 and 1175 he made treaties with Genoa and Venice and his marriage in February 1177 with Joan, daughter of Henry II of England and Eleanor of Aquitaine, marks his high position in European politics.

In July 1177, he sent a delegation of Archbishop Romuald of Salerno and Count Roger of Andria to sign the Treaty of Venice with the emperor. To secure the peace, he sanctioned the marriage of his aunt Constance, daughter of Roger II, with Frederick's son Henry, afterwards the emperor Henry VI, causing a general oath to be taken to her as his successor in case of his death without heirs. This step, fatal to the Norman kingdom, was possibly taken that William might devote himself to foreign conquests.

Monreale Cathedral, built during William's II reign. William and his parents are buried there.Unable to revive the African dominion, William directed his attack on Egypt, from which Saladin threatened the Latin kingdom of Jerusalem. In July 1174, 50,000 men were landed before Alexandria, but Saladin's arrival forced the Sicilians to re-embark in disorder. A better prospect opened in the confusion in Byzantine affairs which followed the death of Manuel Comnenus (1180), and William took up the old design and feud against Constantinople. Durazzo was captured (June 11, 1185). Afterwards while the army (80,000 men including 5,000 knights) marched upon Thessalonica, the fleet (200 ships) sailed towards the same target capturing on their way the Ionian islands of Corfu, Cephalonia, Ithaca and Zakynthos. In August Thessalonica fell to the joint attack of the Sicilian fleet and army and was subsequently sacked (7,000 Greeks died).

The troops then marched upon the capital, but the army of the emperor Isaac Angelus defeated the invaders on the banks of the Strymon (September 7, 1185). Thessalonica was at once abandoned and in 1189 William made peace with Isaac, abandoning all the conquests. He was now planning to induce the crusading armies of the West to pass through his territories, and seemed about to play a leading part in the Third Crusade. His admiral Margarito, a naval genius equal to George of Antioch, with 60 vessels kept the eastern Mediterranean open for the Franks, and forced the all-victorious Saladin to retire from before Tripoli in the spring of 1188.

Palermo in mourning for the death of William II, from the Liber ad honorem Augusti by Peter of Eboli.In November 1189 William died at Palermo, leaving no children. Though Orderic Vitalis records a (presumably short-lived) son in 1181: Bohemond, Duke of Apulia. His title of "the Good" is due perhaps less to his character than to the cessation of internal troubles in his reign.

In the Divine Comedy, Dante places William II in Paradise:

E quel che vedi ne l'arco declivo,

Guglielmo fu, cui quella terra plora

che piagne Carlo e Federigo vivo:

ora conosce come s'innamora

lo ciel del giusto rege, e al sembiante

del suo fulgore il fa vedere ancora.

He whom you see—along the downward arc—

was William, and the land that mourns his death,

for living Charles and Frederick, now laments;

now he has learned how Heaven loves the just

ruler, and he would show this outwardly

as well, so radiantly visible.

(Paradiso, Canto XX, lines 61-66, Mandlebaum translation)

He is also referred to in Boccaccio's Decameron (tale V.7).

[edit] Ancestry

[show]v • d • eAncestors of William II of Sicily

 16. Tancred of Hauteville 

8. Roger I of Sicily
17. Fredisenda
4. Roger II of Sicily
18. Boniface del Vasto
9. Adelaide del Vasto
19. Agnes of Vermandois
2. William I of Sicily
20. Ferdinand I of León
10. Alfonso VI of Castile
21. Sancha of León
5. Elvira of Castile
11. Isabel
1. William II of Sicily
24. Sancho Garcés
12. Ramiro Sánchez, Lord of Monzón
25. Constance
6. García Ramírez of Navarre
26. Rodrigo Díaz de Vivar
13. Cristina Rodríguez Díaz de Vivar
27. Jimena of Oviedo
3. Margaret of Navarre
28. Richer de l'Aigle, Seigneur de l'Aigle
14. Gilbert de l'Aigle, Seigneur de l'Aigle
29. Judith d'Avranches
7. Marguerite de l'Aigle
30. Geoffrey II de Perche, Count of Perche and Mortagne
15. Juliana de Perche
31. Beatrix de Montdidier
[edit] References

This article incorporates text from the Encyclopædia Britannica, Eleventh Edition, a publication now in the public domain.

Matthew, Donald. The Norman Kingdom of Sicily. Cambridge University Press: 1992.

Preceded by

William I King of Sicily

1166–1189 Succeeded by

Tancred

Preceded by

Simon Prince of Taranto

1157–1189

Retrieved from "http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/William_II_of_Sicily"

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William II of Sicily

• Father: William I, from House of Hauteville
• Mother: Margaret of Navarre
• Fiancé of Maria of Byzantium
• Spouse Joan of England, daughter of Henry II of England and Eleanor of Aquitaine

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/William_II_of_Sicily

William II (1155 – 11 November 1189), called the Good, was king of Sicily from 1166 to 1189. ...

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... William agreed that his aunt Constance should marry Frederick’s son Henry (later Henry VI); because William’s own marriage was childless, this betrothal (Oct. 29, 1184) gave Henry a strong claim to the Sicilian succession, an arrangement disliked by the Norman national party.

http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/644121/William-II

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http://fmg.ac/Projects/MedLands/SICILY.htm#GuillaumeIIdied1189