Frederick III of Aragon (1296–1337)
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Entry Frederick III of Aragon (1296–1337) Mirko Vagnoni Independent Researcher, I-50050 Gambassi Terme, Italy; [email protected] Definition: Frederick III of Aragon, King of Sicily (1296–1337). Frederick III of Aragon was the third king of the Aragonese dynasty on the throne of Sicily. He ruled from 1296 to 1337 and he was the only Aragonese king of Sicily who made a significant use of his image. In particular, we have four official (namely, commissioned directly by him or his entourage) representations of him: the royal seal, the billon silver denaro coin, the lost mosaic from the Church of Santa Maria della Valle (known as Badiazza) near Messina, and the mosaic in the Cathedral of Messina. Keywords: royal images; royal iconography; kings of Sicily; Aragonese dynasty; Frederick III of Aragon 1. Introduction Notwithstanding he already ruled as vicar of his brother James II from 1291, only in 11 December 1295 was Frederick III of Aragon elected King of Sicily by the Sicilian Parliament. Afterwards, he was crowned in Palermo on 25 March 1296 and he reigned until his death in 25 June 1337 (about Frederick III of Aragon, King of Sicily, see [1–4], the update [5] and synthetically [6–8]. More recent but not particularly interesting are [9–11]. For a historiographical framework on Frederick III, see [12], [13] (pp. 183–211)). Among the kings of the Aragonese dynasty on the Sicilian throne, Frederick III seems to be the only one Citation: Vagnoni, M. Frederick III of who made significant use of his image and, for this reason, he has been selected to represent Aragon (1296–1337). Encyclopedia the iconography of this royal family (we do not know of any images of Peter III of Aragon 2021, 1, 566–575. https://doi.org/ acting as King of Sicily. The lost wall paintings of the Cappella di Santa Maria Incoronata 10.3390/encyclopedia1030047 in Palermo date back to the 16th century [14] and it does not seem that he made a specific seal for the Kingdom of Sicily by only using the seal of king of Aragon [15] (Volume 1, Academic Editor: Song-Chong Lee pp. 115–117 and 207–208). With regard to James II of Aragon acting as King of Sicily, we only have the images of the seal [15] (Volume 1, p. 8 and pp. 240–241, no. 187), [16] Received: 26 May 2021 (p. 82, although the reference should be corrected) and the denaro [17] (p. 10), [18] (p. 264 Accepted: 8 July 2021 Published: 14 July 2021 and pp. 696–697, plate 42, images no. 769–770)). Regarding him, we have four official (namely, commissioned directly by him or his entourage) representations: the royal seal, the billon silver denaro coin, the lost mosaic from the Church of Santa Maria della Valle Publisher’s Note: MDPI stays neutral with regard to jurisdictional claims in (known as Badiazza) near Messina, and the mosaic in the Cathedral of Messina (about the published maps and institutional affil- identification of Frederick III’s official image, see [19]). iations. 2. The Royal Seal Diplomatic research attests to the use of a seal to corroborate the documents issued by Frederick III’s royal chancellery (for example, the catalogue for the exhibition on the Messina documents of the Fundación Casa Ducal de Medinaceli of Seville quotes a doc- Copyright: © 2021 by the author. ument from 12 July 1332 with a hanging seal (however, it was later lost) [20] (p. 183, Licensee MDPI, Basel, Switzerland. This article is an open access article document no. 77)) and, in a paper from 1997, Maria Grazia Fallico listed some diplomas distributed under the terms and from this king bearing a seal [21] (pp. 69–70). In particular, they were a parchment from conditions of the Creative Commons 1320 of the Commenda della Magione section of the Archivio di Stato di Palermo (in reality, Attribution (CC BY) license (https:// in the inventory of the archive there is only one document for 1320 and it is not from creativecommons.org/licenses/by/ Frederick III [22] (p. 315, card no. 596). The diploma in question, instead, is no. 606 from 29 4.0/). July 1329 [22] (p. 324, card no. 613). The Repertorio points out the absence of the seal (this Encyclopedia 2021, 1, 566–575. https://doi.org/10.3390/encyclopedia1030047 https://www.mdpi.com/journal/encyclopedia Encyclopedia 2021, 1, FOR PEER REVIEW 2 Encyclopedia 2021, 1 567 the inventory of the archive there is only one document for 1320 and it is not from Fred- erick III [22] (p. 315, card no. 596). The diploma in question, instead, is no. 606 from 29 July 1329 [22] (p. 324, card no. 613). The Repertorio points out the absence of the seal (this hashas alsoalso beenbeen kindlykindly verifiedverified personallypersonally byby Dr.Dr. SerenaSerena Falletta,Falletta, archivistarchivist atat thethe branchbranch ofof thethe CatenaCatena ofof thethe ArchivioArchivio didi StatoStato didi Palermo)),Palermo)), twotwo parchmentsparchments from from the the city city of of MessinaMessina issuedissued onon 11 OctoberOctober 13021302 andand storedstored inin thethe ArchivioArchivio ducaleducale MedinaceliMedinaceli inin Toledo,Toledo, and and fourfour parchmentsparchments fromfrom thethe citycity ofof CaltagironeCaltagironeissued issuedin in1299 1299and and storedstoredin in the theMuseo MuseoCivico Civicodi di Caltagirone,Caltagirone, inin thethe parchmentsparchments sectionsection ofof thethe Universitas Universitas di di Caltagirone. Caltagirone. ToTo mymy knowledge,knowledge, thesethese sealsseals havehave nevernever beenbeen published;published; however,however, II waswas ableable toto examineexamine somesome itemsitems inin CaltagironeCaltagirone (thanks(thanks toto thethe kindkind helphelp ofof archivistsarchivists MargheritaMargherita DiziaDizia andand EnzoEnzo Piluso).Piluso). AllAll fourfour ofof thethe examplesexamples fromfrom thisthis locationlocation areareidentical. identical. TheyThey areare redred waxwax hanginghanging sealsseals placedplaced inin aa woodenwooden boxbox (Figure(Figure1 ).1). The The legend legend has has the the inscription inscription FRIDERICUSFRIDERICUS TERCIUS TERCIUS DEI DEI GRACIA GRACIA REX REX SICILIE SICILIE DUCATUS DUCATUS APULIE APULIE ET PRINCIPATUSET PRINCIPA- CAPUETUS CAPUE and the and image the image displays displays the king the onking a horseon a horse facing facing left. Theleft. sovereignThe sovereign is wearing is wear- a helmeting a helmet with a with crown, a crown, with a with sword a sword in his rightin his hand rightand hand a shieldand a shield in his left.in his Both left. the Both latter the andlatter the and caparison the caparison of the of horse the horse bearthe bear coat the of coat arms of arms of the of dynasty: the dynasty: quartered quartered with with red barsred bars in the in field the field or of or Aragon of Aragon and aand black a black eagle eagle in the in field the fiel argentd argent of Sicily. of Sicily. FigureFigure 1.1. SealSeal of of Frederick Frederick III III of of Aragon Aragon as asKing King of Sicily, of Sicily, impression impression on red on redwax, wax, 15 October 15 October 1299. 1299.Museo Museo Civico Civico di Caltagirone di Caltagirone (ex (exCarcere Carcere Borbonico), Borbonico), section section Pergamene Pergamene della UniversitasUniversitas didi Caltagirone, inventory number MC 4910, 10/22 1997. Photo taken by author. Caltagirone, inventory number MC 4910, 10/22 1997. Photo taken by author. OwingOwing toto the the various various political political vicissitudes vicissitudes that that characterized characterized the the reign reign of Frederickof Frederick III, theIII, royalthe royal title changedtitle changed over theover years the (aboutyears ( theabout different the different royal titles royal of titles Frederick of Frederick III, see [13 III], (pp.see [ 191–192)).13] (pp. 191 The–192) seal). The probably seal probably had to adapthad to itself adapt to itself these to alterations. these alterations. Nevertheless, Never- duetheless, to the due small to the number small of number items preserved, of items preserved, it is not possible it is not to possible verify whether to verify there whether were changesthere were in thechanges iconography in the iconography or whether thisor whether type with this the type royal with image the wasroyal used image for was all 41used years for ofall his 41 reignyears (evenof his ifreign it is (even probable). if it is Regardless probable). ofRegardless this, the iconographyof this, the iconography of the seal clearlyof the differsseal clearly from differs the specimens from the of specimens the Norman of and the Swabian Norman predecessors, and Swabian but predecessors it perfectly, followsbut it perfectly the pattern follows of the the Aragonese pattern of predecessor the Aragonese as King predecessor of Sicily. as Indeed, King of it Sicily. is identical Indeed, to theit is seal identic of hisal to brother the seal James of his II, brother and it probably James II goes, and backit probably to a tradition goes back belonging to a tradition to the kingsbelong ofing Aragon to the in kings the Iberian of Aragon Peninsula in the (aboutIberian the Peninsula iconography (about of the the iconography Norman-Swabian of the kingsNorman of Sicily,-Swabian see [kings23]. About of Sicily the, see iconography [23]. About of the the iconography kings of Aragon, of the see kings [16]). of Aragon, see [16]Without). doubt, this image is an official representation of Frederick III, and it mainly had aWithout juridical doubt, function this (it image was usedis an toofficial corroborate representation the legal of value Frederick of diplomas III, and andit mainly doc- umentshad a juridical issued function by the royal (it was chancellery). used to corroborate Its mobile the support legal value would of diplomas have facilitated and docu- its circulationments issued inside by the the royal Kingdom chancellery and, in). this Its way,mobile it could support reach would a large have number facilitated of subjects. its cir- However,culation inside we should the Kingdom consider and, that sealsin this were way, not it could made toreach move a large around number but to of be subjects.