On the 26th of December 1194, a child named Frederick was born in the market square of Jesi. The location itself was unusual for a royal birth and immediately sparked rumors that his parentage was not what it seemed. Some chroniclers claimed he was not the son of Emperor Henry VI but rather the offspring of a butcher or a miller from the town. His mother Constance had to swear on the gospels before a papal legate to prove her legitimacy as his parent. This public spectacle was necessary because she was older than most women who gave birth at the time. The young boy was initially named Constantine after his mother, linking him to both Norman heritage and the first Christian emperor. He received his grandfather's name only when he was two years old during a baptism in Assisi. By the age of three, he was crowned King of Sicily while traveling with his mother toward Palermo. His early life became a series of turbulent transitions between different regents who sought to control the kingdom. After his father died in September 1197, the infant was brought back to Sicily where he remained under various guardians. Markward of Annweiler seized him in 1200 and held him until 1202. William of Capparone then kept him in the royal palace of Palermo until 1206. Walter of Palearia served as his tutor until Frederick was declared of age in 1208. During these years, the young king spoke five languages including Greek, Arabic, Latin, Provençal, and Sicilian. He wandered the streets of cosmopolitan Palermo talking with all manner of people and devouring knowledge.
The Architecture Of A State
Frederick returned to southern Italy in December 1220 determined to rebuild authority that had waned over decades. The Assizes of Capua were issued soon after his arrival to restore royal lands and castles to their state at the death of William II. This legislation demanded that all privileges granted since the end of William II's reign be submitted for confirmation to the Royal Chancery before Easter 1221. Spurious legal means and forged documents used to grab land from the royal domain were comprehensively revoked pending revision. The laws promulgated at Capua also regulated the present tenure of fiefs and provided for their future control by the Emperor. Holders could neither marry nor could their children inherit directly without the sovereign's consent. Frederick launched a campaign against barons who did not submit to the decree. Those captured were either exiled or sometimes executed while their families were sold into slavery. Thomas of Celano offered serious resistance in his redoubts in the Abruzzi until his fortresses surrendered. As punishment for its resistance, the town of Celano was razed and its inhabitants deported to Sicily. Frederick began to construct fortresses across the mainland to impose order across the region. These structures were massive and utilitarian with no residential quarters and garrisoned by state troops. The loosely-knit framework of a feudal kingdom was steadily succeeded by the firm architecture of a state. In the spring of 1221, Frederick issued assizes in Messina concerned with municipal administration. He ejected Genoese traders from Syracuse and withdrew all concessions granted during the last three decades. By the end of 1221, the emperor already had two squadrons at sea.