Frederick the Second

Known as the 'stupor mundi' – the wonder of the world – Holy Roman Emperor Frederick the Second led one of those extraordinary lives, full of drama, incident and unbridled ambition. Born in 1194, Frederick was the son of emperor Henry II and Constance, Queen of Sicily, who, at the age of forty, allegedly gave birth to him in a public square so no one could doubt he was her son. He was crowned King of Sicily at the age of four; Pope Innocent III was his guardian; the future Pope Honorious III was his tutor. Once he came of age, the beautiful and golden-haired Frederick fought for control over the lands he considered his birth right and became King of the Germans, King of Jerusalem and Holy Roman Emperor; his vast empire straddling Christendom and the Holy Land. He led crusades but was excommunicated four times and was hailed as a tyrant and a Messiah in equal measure. He spoke six languages and had wide cultural tastes, welcoming Christian, Jewish and Muslim scholars to his court. Dante saluted his contribution to Sicilian literature and language, yet still consigned him to hell in his Inferno.