Bianca Lancia

from Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The Codex Manesse shows the minstrel Konrad von Altstetten with a lover and a bird of prey; it is often claimed that it is Friedrich and Bianca

Bianca Lancia the Younger (* around 1200/1210 in Agliano , Piedmont ; † around 1244/1246 possibly in Gioia del Colle , Apulia ) was a lover of Emperor Frederick II (HRR) from 1227 and became his wife on her deathbed.

Life

Bianca Lancia the Younger could have been the daughter of Bianca Lancia the Elder. Manfred I may have been her father, but her real ancestry is uncertain. She probably lived in the castle of Brolo .

Frederick II married her shortly before her death ( confirmatio matrimonii in articulo mortis ), which subsequently legitimized their children ( legitimatio per matrimonium subsequens ).

A few authors have claimed that she was Friedrich's only true love, but it is more likely that the romantic-looking marriage was for political purposes to strengthen the alliance between Manfred II Lancia and the Kaiser. Both were excommunicated in 1245 and, according to Houben, the Lancia family has held the highest offices in Sicily since 1246.

Their children together were:

  • Costanza (Anna) (1230 / 1232-1307); married Emperor Johannes III around 1244 . of Byzantium
  • Manfred (1232–1266), from 1258 King of Sicily
  • Violanta (before 1233 - after summer 1264); married Count Ricardo von Caserta around 1245 , (writes the older literature, but there is no evidence for this); she is also mentioned as the wife of Count Corrado Gaetani d'Oriseo e Terriccio, Viceroy of Sicily.

According to local tradition, Bianca died in Gioia del Colle , between Bari and Taranto . Her grave is said to have been discovered in the local parish church at the beginning of the 18th century.

Legends

There are a few legends about this possible love story:

  • In Mazzarino ( CL ) it is said that the ghost of Frederick still haunts the castle Castello di Grassuliato , because Bianca and Friedrich made love there.
  • The priest Bonaventura da Lama wrote that Bianca was imprisoned with Manfred von Friedrich in the tower of Gioia del Colle ( BA ) during pregnancy because he was jealous. As proof of her loyalty, she handed Friedrich the child and her cut off breasts on a tray after the birth of Manfred.

literature

  • Uwe A. Oster: The wives of Emperor Friedrich II. Piper Verlag, Munich 2008. (popular science)
  • Society for Staufer History (ed.): Women of the Staufer. Göppingen 2006. (genealogical research contributions)
  • Hubert Houben : Friedrich II. (1194-1250). Ruler, Man and Myth. Stuttgart 2008. (specialist monograph)
  • Natale Ferro: Chi fu Bianca Lancia di Agliano. In: Bianca Lancia d'Agliano, fra il Piemonte e il regno di Sicilia. Atti Del Convegno. (Asti-Agliano, April 28-29, 1990), edited by Renato Bordone, Ricerche di Storia, Schauplatz 4 (Alessandria, 1992) pp. 55-80. (Italian)
  • Aldo A. Settia:  Lancia (Lanza), Bianca (Bianca d'Agliano). In: Mario Caravale (ed.): Dizionario Biografico degli Italiani (DBI). Volume 63:  Labroca-Laterza. Istituto della Enciclopedia Italiana, Rome 2004, pp. 320-322.

Remarks

  1. ↑ 625.uni-heidelberg.de
  2. ↑ Contemporary sources such as the "Annali Genovesi" give the years between 1244 and 1246 for Bianca's death. Likewise, Matthäus von Paris reported that Bianca died 20 years after the first meeting with Friedrich II. That would have been 1246. from: Uwe A. Oster; The wives of Emperor Frederick II; Piper Verlag GmbH Munich, unabridged paperback edition 2009, p. 214 - Oster does not have any new research results on Bianca's life between 1233/34 and 1244/46. However, if one considers the more recent Italian research by Natale Ferro, there is sufficient evidence to confirm the reason for the re-dating far more; Armin Wolf's references to the Italian article can be found in the German literature. in the footnote quotation from Tosco in "Frauen der Staufer"
  3. ↑ Hubert Houben: Kaiser Friedrich II. 1194-1250: Ruler, Man and Myth , Kohlhammer, 2008, ISBN 978-3-17-018683-5 , p. 124
  4. ↑ Olaf B. Rader : Friedrich II. The Sicilian on the imperial throne. Munich 2012, p. 256.
predecessor Office Successor
Isabella of England Roman-German Empress
from 1244 to around 1246 		Margaret of Holland
personal data
SURNAME Bianca Lancia
ALTERNATIVE NAMES Bianca Lancia d'Agliano; Bianca Lancia the younger
BRIEF DESCRIPTION Beloved and wife of Emperor Friedrich II.
DATE OF BIRTH 1200 or 1210
PLACE OF BIRTH Agliano , Piedmont
DATE OF DEATH uncertain: between 1244 and 1246
Place of death uncertain: Gioia del Colle , Apulia