Battle of Benevento
River Calore, near Benevento, Campania, Italy
What happened
Charles of Anjou, backed by the Pope, fought King Manfred of Sicily, the last Hohenstaufen king. The popes opposed Manfred and called on Charles of Anjou to take his kingdom. Manfred waited behind the River Calore, crossed by a single bridge, and his German knights charged first but were overwhelmed. Manfred's army broke, and he died in the fighting.
Why it matters
Why it matters: It marked the collapse of Hohenstaufen rule in Italy. Charles took the rest of the Kingdom of Sicily with almost no resistance.
What came next
Manfred's nephew Conradin, the last Hohenstaufen hope, was defeated by Charles at Tagliacozzo in 1268. The poet Dante later placed Manfred at the foot of Mount Purgatory in his poem Purgatorio.
Did you know?
The Mamluk sultan Baybars once sent Manfred a giraffe as a diplomatic gift.
Timeline
- 10 August 1258Manfred is crowned King of Sicily at Palermo.
- 26 February 1266Charles of Anjou wins at Benevento.
- 1268Charles defeats Conradin at Tagliacozzo.