William II (1153 – November 11, 1189 Palermo), called the Good, was king of Sicily and Naples from 1166 to 1189. Events January 6 - Henry of Anjou arrives in England. ... is the 315th day of the year (316th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Events January 21 - Philip II of France and Richard I of England begin to assemble troops to wage the Third Crusade September 3- Richard I of England is crowned as king of England. ... For other uses, see Palermo (disambiguation). ... Flag The Kingdom of Sicily as it existed at the death of its founder, Roger II of Sicily, in 1154. ... Capital Naples Government Monarchy King  - 1285-1309 Charles II  - 1815-1816 Ferdinand I History  - Established 1285  - Union with Sicily 1816 The Kingdom of Naples was an informal name of the polity officially known as the Kingdom of Sicily which existed on the mainland of southern Italy after of the secession...

Biography

William was only thirteen years old at the death of his father William I, when he was placed under the regency of his mother, Margaret of Navarre. William I (d. ... Marguerite of Navarre (April 11, 1492 - December 21, 1549), also known as Marguerite of Angouleme and Margaret of Navarre, was the queen consort of King Henry II of Navarre. ...

Monreale Cathedral, the greatest building project of William's II reign. William and his parents are buried there.

Until the king came of age in 1171 the government was controlled first by the chancellor Stephen du Perche, cousin of Margaret (1166–1168), and then by Walter Ophamil, archbishop of Palermo, and Matthew of Ajello, the vice-chancellor. Image File history File links Download high-resolution version (1536x1028, 525 KB) Cathedral of Monreale Byzantine mosaics covering the interior walls Photographer Bernhard J. Scheuvens aka Bjs Date August 2004 Permission photographed by myself Camera Canon EOS 300V with Canon Zoom Lens EF 28-90mm Scan from the film negative... Image File history File links Download high-resolution version (1536x1028, 525 KB) Cathedral of Monreale Byzantine mosaics covering the interior walls Photographer Bernhard J. Scheuvens aka Bjs Date August 2004 Permission photographed by myself Camera Canon EOS 300V with Canon Zoom Lens EF 28-90mm Scan from the film negative... Monreale (contraction of monte-reale, so-called from a palace built here by Roger I of Sicily) is a small city in the province of Palermo, in Sicily, Italy, on the slope of Monte Caputo, overlooking the beautiful and very fertile valley called La Conca doro (the Golden Shell... Events Saladin abolishes the Fatimid caliphate, restoring Sunni rule in Egypt. ... Stephen du Perche was the chancellor of Sicily (1166–1168) and archbishop of Palermo (1167–1168) during the early regency of his cousin, Queen Margaret of Navarre (1166–1171). ... // Events Marko III succeeds Yoannis V as patriarch of Alexandria. ... // Events December 22 - Afraid that Old Cairo would be captured by the Crusaders, its Caliph orders the city set afire. ... Walter of the Mill, Italianised as Gualtiero Offamiglio or Offamilio and Latinised as Ophamilius (subsequently Anglicised as Ophamil), was the archdeacon of Cefalù, dean of Agrigento, and archbishop of Palermo (1168–1191), called il primo ministro. ... For other uses, see Palermo (disambiguation). ... Matthew of Ajello[1] (Italian: ) first appears as the notary of the Admiral Maio of Bari who drew up the Treaty of Benevento of 1156. ...

William's character is very indistinct. Lacking in military enterprise, secluded and pleasure-loving, he seldom emerged from his palace life at Palermo. Yet his reign is marked by an ambitious foreign policy and a vigorous diplomacy. Champion of the papacy and in secret league with the Lombard cities he was able to defy the common enemy, Frederick I Barbarossa. In 1174 and 1175 he made treaties with Genoa and Venice and his marriage in February 1177 with Joan, daughter of Henry II of England and Eleanor of Aquitaine, marks his high position in European politics. The Pope is the Catholic Bishop and patriarch of Rome, and head of the Roman Catholic Church and the Eastern Catholic Churches. ... For the village of the same name in Ontario, Canada, see Lombardy, Ontario. ... Frederick Barbarossa in a 13th century chronicle. ... Events Vietnam is given the official name of Annam by China. ... Events Ruaidri Ua Conchobair (Rory OConner), last High King of Ireland, submits to Henry II as vassal of Ireland with the Treaty of Windsor Ly Cao Ton becomes ruler of Vietnam William of Tyre becomes archbishop of Tyre Massacre of Abergavenny ends with several noblemen dead at the hands... For other uses, see Genoa (disambiguation). ... For other uses, see Venice (disambiguation). ... Events November 25 - Baldwin IV of Jerusalem and Raynald of Chatillon defeat Saladin at the Battle of Montgisard. ... Joan of England (October, 1165 – 4 September 1199) was the seventh child of King Henry II of England and his Queen consort, Eleanor of Aquitaine. ... Henry II of England 5 March 1133 – 6 July 1189) ruled as King of England (1154–1189), Count of Anjou, Duke of Normandy, Duke of Aquitaine, Duke of Gascony, Count of Nantes, Lord of Ireland and, at various times, controlled parts of Wales, Scotland and western France. ... Eleanor of Aquitaine Eleanor of Aquitaine (Aliénor dAquitaine in French), Duchess of Aquitaine and Gascony and Countess of Poitou (1122[1] –April 1, 1204) was one of the wealthiest and most powerful women in Europe during the High Middle Ages. ...

In July 1177, he sent a delegation of Archbishop Romuald of Salerno and Count Roger of Andria to sign the Treaty of Venice with the emperor. To secure the peace, he sanctioned the marriage of his aunt Constance, daughter of Roger II, with Frederick's son Henry, afterwards the emperor Henry VI, causing a general oath to be taken to her as his successor in case of his death without heirs. This step, fatal to the Norman kingdom, was possibly taken that William might devote himself to foreign conquests. Events November 25 - Baldwin IV of Jerusalem and Raynald of Chatillon defeat Saladin at the Battle of Montgisard. ... Romuald Guarna (between 1110 and 1120 – 1 April 1181 or 1182) was probably the most eminent of the archbishops of Salerno in the Middle Ages. ... Tancred, depicted as a monkey, enjoys the imprisonment of Roger, his chief enemy in this illumination from the Liber ad honorem Augusti of Peter of Eboli (1196). ... The Treaty or Peace of Venice, 1177, was an important peace treaty between the papacy and its allies, the north Italian city-states of the Lombard League, and Frederick I, Holy Roman Emperor. ... Constance of Sicily ( 1154 - November 27, 1198) was in her own right Queen of Sicily, became German Empress as the wife of the Holy Roman Emperor Henry VI, and was the mother of the Emperor and King of Sicily Frederick II. She was the posthumous daughter of Roger II of... Roger II, from Liber ad honorem Augusti of Petrus de Ebulo, 1196. ... Henry VI (November 1165 – 28 September 1197) was King of Germany from 1190 to 1197, Holy Roman Emperor from 1191 to 1197 and King of Sicily from 1194 to 1197. ... Norman conquests in red. ...

Unable to revive the African dominion, William directed his attack on Egypt, from which Saladin threatened the Latin kingdom of Jerusalem. In July 1174, 50,000 men were landed before Alexandria, but Saladin's arrival forced the Sicilians to re-embark in disorder. A better prospect opened in the confusion in Byzantine affairs which followed the death of Manuel Comnenus (1180), and William took up the old design and feud against Constantinople. Durazzo was captured (June 11, 1185). Afterwards while the army (80,000 men including 5,000 knights) marched upon Thessalonica, the fleet (200 ships) sailed towards the same target capturing on their way the Ionian islands of Corfu, Cephalonia, Ithaca and Zakynthos. In August Thessalonica fell to the joint attack of the Sicilian fleet and army and was subsequently sacked (7,000 Greeks died). A world map showing the continent of Africa Africa is the worlds second-largest and second most-populous continent, after Asia. ... Saladin, properly known as Salah al-DÄ«n Yusuf ibn Ayyub (Arabic: , Kurdish: , Turkish: ) (c. ... Official language Latin, French, Italian, and other western languages; Greek and Arabic also widely spoken Capital Jerusalem, later Acre Constitution Various laws, so-called Assizes of Jerusalem The Kingdom of Jerusalem was a Christian kingdom established in the Levant in 1099 by the First Crusade. ... Events Vietnam is given the official name of Annam by China. ... Nickname: Alexandria on the map of Egypt Map of Alexandria Coordinates: , Country Egypt Founded 334 BC Government  - Governor Adel Labib Population (2001)  - City 3,500,000 Time zone EET (UTC+2)  - Summer (DST) EEST (UTC+3) Twin Cities  - Baltimore  United States  - Cleveland  United States  - ConstanÅ£a  Romania  - Durban  South Africa... Saladin, properly known as Salah al-DÄ«n Yusuf ibn Ayyub (Arabic: , Kurdish: , Turkish: ) (c. ... “Byzantine” redirects here. ... Manuel I Comnenus (Greek: Μανουήλ Α ο Κομνηνός; November 28, 1118 – September 24, 1180), was a Byzantine Emperor of the 12th century who reigned over a crucial turning point in the history of Byzantium and the Mediterranean. ... Events April 13 - Frederick Barbarossa issues the Gelnhausen Charter November 18 - France Emperor Antoku succeds Emperor Takakura as emperor of Japan Afonso I of Portugal is taken prisoner by Ferdinand II of Leon Artois is annexed by France Prince Mochihito amasses a large army and instigates the Genpei War between... This article is about the city before the Fall of Constantinople (1453). ... View of Durrës Durrës (Greek: Δυρράχιον dyrakhion, Επίδαμνος epidamnos, Latin: Dyrrhachium, Italian: Durazzo, Turkish: Dıraç, Bulgarian, Serbian and Macedonian: Драч) is the most ancient and one of the most economically important cities of Albania. ... is the 162nd day of the year (163rd in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Events April 25 - Genpei War - Naval battle of Dan-no-ura leads to Minamoto victory in Japan Templars settle in London and begin the building of New Temple Church End of the Heian Period and beginning of the Kamakura period in Japan. ... The White Tower The Arch of Galerius Map showing the Thessaloníki prefecture Thessaloníki (Θεσσαλονίκη) is the second-largest city of Greece and is the principal city and the capital of the Greek region of Macedonia. ... Pontikonisi island in the background with the Vlaheraina Monastery in the foreground. ... Geography The capital of the Cephallonia prefecture is Argostoli. ... Localization of Ithaca The big island in the center is Kefalonia. ... “Zante” redirects here. ... The White Tower The Arch of Galerius Map showing the Thessaloníki prefecture Thessaloníki (Θεσσαλονίκη) is the second-largest city of Greece and is the principal city and the capital of the Greek region of Macedonia. ...

Palermo in mourning for the death of William II, from the Liber ad honorem Augusti by Peter of Eboli.

The troops then marched upon the capital, but the army of the emperor Isaac Angelus defeated the invaders on the banks of the Strymon (September 7, 1185). Thessalonica was at once abandoned and in 1189 William made peace with Isaac, abandoning all the conquests. He was now planning to induce the crusading armies of the West to pass through his territories, and seemed about to play a leading part in the Third Crusade. His admiral Margarito, a naval genius equal to George of Antioch, with 60 vessels kept the eastern Mediterranean open for the Franks, and forced the all-victorious Saladin to retire from before Tripoli in the spring of 1188. Image File history File linksMetadata Download high-resolution version (874x1404, 954 KB) From Medioevo Dossier - LIslam in Italia The two-dimensional work of art depicted in this image is in the public domain in the United States and in those countries with a copyright term of life of the... Image File history File linksMetadata Download high-resolution version (874x1404, 954 KB) From Medioevo Dossier - LIslam in Italia The two-dimensional work of art depicted in this image is in the public domain in the United States and in those countries with a copyright term of life of the... Self-portrait, the tonsured poeta himself, in Liber ad honorem Augusti, 1196. ... Isaac II Angelus (or Isaakios Angelos) (September 1156-1204), was the Byzantine emperor from 1185-1195, and again 1203-1204. ... The Struma (Bulgarian: Струма, Greek: Strimonis, Turkish: Karasu (meaning black water in Turkish)) is a river in Bulgaria and Greece. ... is the 250th day of the year (251st in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Events April 25 - Genpei War - Naval battle of Dan-no-ura leads to Minamoto victory in Japan Templars settle in London and begin the building of New Temple Church End of the Heian Period and beginning of the Kamakura period in Japan. ... Events January 21 - Philip II of France and Richard I of England begin to assemble troops to wage the Third Crusade September 3- Richard I of England is crowned as king of England. ... The Third Crusade (1189–1192), also known as the Kings Crusade, was an attempt by European leaders to reconquer the Holy Land from Saladin. ... Margaritus of Brindisi (also Margarito; Italian Margaritone or Greek Megareites or Margaritoni [Μαργαριτώνη]) (circa 1149 – 1197), called the new Neptune, was the last great ammiratus ammiratorum of Sicily. ... George of Antioch (died 1151 or 1152) was the first true ammiratus ammiratorum, successor of the great Christodulus. ... The Mediterranean Sea is an intercontinental sea positioned between Europe to the north, Africa to the south and Asia to the east, covering an approximate area of 2. ... This article is about the Frankish people and society. ... This page refers to Tripoli, the city in Lebanon. ... Saladin unsuccessfully besieges the Hospitaller fortress of Krak des Chevaliers in modern Syria. ...

In November 1189 William died, leaving no children. Though Orderic Vitalis records a (presumably short-lived) son in 1181: Bohemond, Duke of Apulia. His title of "the Good" is due perhaps less to his character than to the cessation of internal troubles in his reign. The "Voyage" of Ibn Jubair, a traveller in Sicily in 1183-1185, shows William surrounded by Muslim women and eunuchs, speaking and reading Arabic and living like "a Moslem king." Orderic Vitalis (1075 – c. ... Events Jayavarman VII assumes control of the Khmer kingdom. ... Bohemond or Boamund is the only recorded son of William II of Sicily and his wife Joanna of England. ... Ibn Jubayr (also Jabair, 1145-1217), Arabian geographer, was born in Valencia. ... For people named Islam, see Islam (name). ... European illustration of a Eunuch (1749) Chief Eunuch of Ottoman Sultan Abdul Hamid II at the Imperial Palace, 1912. ... Arabic ( or just ) is the largest living member of the Semitic language family in terms of speakers. ...

In the Divine Comedy, Dante places William II in Paradise: Dante shown holding a copy of The Divine Comedy, next to the entrance to Hell, the seven terraces of Mount Purgatory and the city of Florence, in Michelinos fresco. ... Dante in a fresco series of famous men by Andrea del Castagno, ca. ...

References

• This article incorporates text from the Encyclopædia Britannica Eleventh Edition, a publication now in the public domain.
• Matthew, Donald. The Norman Kingdom of Sicily. Cambridge University Press: 1992.