Tomorrow, December 13, is the feast day of Frederick II, Holy Roman Emperor, also known as Frederick of Hohenstaufen. Frederick was born around 1194 e.v., the son of the Emperor Henry VI and the grandson of Frederick Barbarosa. During his lifestime he was not only Holy Roman Emperor, but also King of Sicily, King of Germany, and King of Jerusalem. He ended his life a crusader, yet excommunicated by Rome.
Frederick loved astronomy, the arts, engineering, and natural sciences. He studied with noted scientists, poets, philosophers, mathematicians, architects, artists, and scholars from around the world. He was fluent in Italian, German, French, Greek, and Arabic, and had some familiarity with Hebrew as well.
The Invisible Basilica of Sabazius says that Frederick of Hohenstaufen’s “… troubles with the Church began when, after having announced his intention to go on a crusade at his coronation as King of Germany, he postponed actually taking up the cross for fifteen years; instead, he used the papal protection given a crusader to help him consolidate his holdings in Italy. Pope Honorius tolerated Frederick’s procrastination, but his successor, Gregory IX, was less charitable, and excommunicated him upon receiving the tiara in 1227 e.v.”
The Hohenstaufen dynasty originated in the medieval Duchy of Swabia, which is now Bavaria. Please enjoy these recipes from Swabia in memory of Frederick II.
Learn more about Frederick of Hohenstaufen:
