Henry VI

Reign: 1191 – 1197
Life: 1165–1197

Well educated in the Latin language, as well as Roman and canon law, he was also a patron of poets and a skilled poet himself. Based on an enormous ransom for the release and submission of King Richard I of England, he conquered Sicily in 1194; however, the intended unification with the Holy Roman Empire ultimately failed due to the opposition of the Papacy. In Sicily, Henry had a reputation for ruthless suppression of political opponents. To this day, he is sometimes given the epithet "the Cruel" (il crudele) by Italian historiographers.

During Henry VI's reign, Richard I of England ruled England, Alfonso VIII of Castile ruled Spain, and Sancho I of Portugal ruled Portugal.

Want to learn more? Further reading

Frederick Barbarossa by John B. Fried

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Frederick Barbarossa

John B. Fried

Freed on Henry VI's inheritance of the Hohenstaufen dream, Sicily, empire, and crusade.

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