Siege of Naples (1191) facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Siege of Naples
Siege of Naples in 1191 by the forces of Holy Roman Emperor Henry VI, Peter of Eboli, Liber ad honorem Augusti, Palermo, 1196
Date May–August 1191 AD Location Naples, Italy Result Decisive Sicilian victory
Belligerents
Kingdom of Sicily	Holy Roman Empire
Commanders and leaders
Richard of Acerra Nicholas of Ajello Aligerno Cottone Margaritus of Brindisi	Emperor Henry VI Conrad II, Duke of Bohemia Philip I, Archbishop of Cologne Henry III Testa Henry of Welf
Casualties and losses
	hundreds

The Siege of Naples happened in 1191. It was a major event during the time when Henry VI, Holy Roman Emperor tried to take over the Kingdom of Sicily. He believed he had the right to rule Sicily because his wife, Empress Constance, was the rightful heir.

The siege lasted for three months. Henry VI's army faced strong resistance and also suffered greatly from diseases. Because of these problems, Henry had to give up his attack. After he left, the Sicilians fought back. They took back most of the lands Henry had captured. They even managed to capture Empress Constance! It was very unusual for an empress to be captured during a military campaign.

Why the Siege Happened

When William II, King of Sicily died, he had no children. He had named his aunt, Princess Constance, as his heir. Constance was married to Henry. This meant Henry would become king of Sicily.

But many Norman leaders in Sicily did not want to be ruled by Germans. So, when William died in 1189, they chose someone else. They picked Tancred, who was William's cousin. Even the Pope, Pope Clement III, recognized Tancred as the new king.

Another person, Roger of Andria, supported Constance and Henry. But he was killed in 1190. Henry was determined to claim the Sicilian throne. His plans were delayed when his own father died.

In April 1191, Henry and Constance were crowned Emperor and Empress in Rome. They then began their journey to take Sicily by force. They had help from the powerful navy of Pisa. At the same time, the kings of England and France decided not to help Tancred. They were busy with a Crusade.

Many towns in northern Sicily welcomed Henry's army. These included important places like Capua and Aversa. Other towns like Sorella and Teano also joined him. Several powerful nobles also sided with the Emperor. Henry made a new agreement with Pisa to get their navy's support. With Pisa's help, he began the siege of Naples. The Sicilian army had gathered there to defend the city.

The Siege of Naples

In May, the German army arrived at Naples. Naples was a very rich and strong city. This was the first time Henry VI's army faced real resistance. The city was defended by Aligerno Cottone and Richard of Acerra. Richard was Tancred's brother-in-law.

During the siege, the city of Salerno offered to welcome Henry. They even invited Empress Constance to stay in a palace there. They suggested she could get treatment for her health. But Nicholas of Ajello, the Archbishop of Salerno, instead fled to Naples. When Richard of Acerra was injured, Nicholas took over the defense of Naples.

The walls of Naples were very strong. They held up against many attacks. Margaritus of Brindisi also arrived with a fleet of 72 ships. He helped keep the harbor open. This meant supplies could still reach the city. The people of Naples fought bravely. Even Henry was impressed by their strong defense.

After about three months, Henry's army faced serious problems. The German soldiers suffered from the heat. Many got sick with malaria, dysentery, and cholera. These diseases were made worse by the swampy air. They also started running out of supplies.

Two important leaders, Conrad II, Duke of Bohemia and Philip I, Archbishop of Cologne, died from disease. Emperor Henry VI himself became ill. Another leader, Henry of Welf, left the siege and went back to Germany. He even falsely claimed that the Emperor had died.

Even though Henry VI recovered, he decided to end the siege. On August 24, he ordered his army to leave Naples. He left Constance with a small group of soldiers in Salerno. This was a sign that he might return to Sicily later. He also left German soldiers in other important towns. Only about one-tenth of the German army survived the siege.

What Happened Next

After Henry left, the Sicilian army quickly fought back. They took back their lands. Richard of Acerra left Naples and attacked Capua. He defeated the Germans there. Then he attacked other German-held areas.

The cities that had surrendered to Henry now went back to supporting Tancred. Salerno was one of these cities. The people of Salerno turned against Constance. She was captured and taken to Tancred in Messina.

Henry and his younger brothers managed to return to Germany. One of his commanders, Dipold, successfully protected the army's retreat. Tancred was too slow to completely destroy the German army. Henry heard about his wife's capture in Genoa. The Sicilians had taken back all of Henry's conquests, including Capua. But Henry still held some places like Monte Cassino.

Tancred felt more secure after defeating the German invasion. He had also captured Empress Constance. Tancred did not want to harm the empress. He held her in Castel dell'Ovo, a castle surrounded by water. He hoped to trade her for Henry VI's agreement to stop the war. In 1192, Tancred made Margaritus of Brindisi the first Count of Malta. This was a reward for his success, especially for capturing the empress.

However, this victory did not last long. In 1192, Tancred was forced to give Constance to Pope Celestine III. The Pope wanted to help make peace between Tancred and Henry VI. Constance was released by German soldiers on her way. Tancred himself died in 1194. Just months later, Henry VI launched a second invasion. This time, he finally conquered Sicily. Naples surrendered without a fight.

Images for kids

• 

  Siege of Naples in 1191 by the forces of Henry VI, Holy Roman Emperor