Latest / The Story of Italy: Rome, Renaissance, and the Birth of Modern Europe — Fexingo History
The Battle of Beneventum 1266: How Anjou Conquered the Hohenstaufen
In 1266, the fate of Italy hung on a single battle fought outside Beneventum. Charles of Anjou, brother of King Louis IX of France, led his knights against Manfred of Hohenstaufen, the illegitimate son of Emperor Frederick II. This episode unpacks the politics of the papal-imperial struggle, the role of the Guelphs and Ghibellines, and how the French victory at Beneventum ended the Hohenstaufen dream of ruling Italy. We explore Manfred's tactical mistakes, the devastating charge of the French cavalry, and the brutal aftermath that saw the rise of Angevin power in Naples and Sicily. The…
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