FREDERICK II

One of the most controversial rulers of his time, the 13th-century Holy Roman Emperor Frederick II was known for his grand ambitions and was nicknamed ‘stupor mundi’, meaning ‘the astonishment of the world’. However, he was also embroiled in a life-long clashwith the Church, resulting in him being excommunicated four times for his disregard for the pope’s opinion. Frederick was infamous for his fascination with science, and the lengths that he would go to in his quest for knowledge both enthralled and appalled his contemporaries.

One of the shadier matters associated with this ruler are the tales told about him by Salimbene di Adam, a contemporary Italian monk. He joined the Franciscan order in 1238 and produced several works, the most relevant to learning more about Frederick being . The purpose of this was to highlight Frederick’s faults and immoral nature, including his lack of Christian piety and disinterest in supporting the Church of Rome, and it contains varied and descriptive examples intended to fully illustrate the emperor’s wickedness. Among the most horrendous actions the monk attributes to Frederick