Manfred of Sicily

Manfred of Sicily was a 13th-century nobleman and the last King of Sicily from the Hohenstaufen dynasty. Born in 1232, he was the illegitimate son of the Holy Roman Emperor Frederick II. Manfred ruled Sicily from 1258 until his defeat and death in 1266 at the Battle of Benevento. His reign was marked by efforts to centralize power and promote cultural achievements, but he faced resistance from the papacy and rival factions. Manfred's death led to the eventual decline of Hohenstaufen influence in Italy and the rise of the Angevin dynasty under Charles I of Anjou.