Manfred's Imperial Ambition

After Manfred of Sicily (née Lancia) was excommunicated by the pope in 1254, he handled it in two ways. The first was to talk to the pope and resolve whatever issue the pope had. This led to Manfred accepting the title of Papal vicar for southern Italy, acknowledging that the papacy had authority over the territory. Pope Innocent IV lifted the excommunication.The second way was to reject the idea that he was "under" the pope. He went to the Muslims of Lucera for support, and with them he defeated a papal army on 2 December 1254 in Foggia, essentially declaring publicly that he intended to rule the Regno (southern Italy and Sicily).He also gave German troops to aid the Ghibellines, the group that supported imperial power over papal power. This helped the Ghibellines take over Tuscany and Siena. They went on to defeat Florence.Pope Innocent IV died, succeeded by Pope Alexander IV, who immediately excommunicated Manfred. Manfred, however, continued in his successful quest to put down any…