Frederick II. – Federico II.

Frederick II (1194-1250) was the Roman-German king from 1212/1215 and crowned Holy Roman Emperor in Rome in 1220. His parents were Henry VI, son of Frederick Barbarossa, and Constance, daughter of the first Norman king Roger II of Sicily. Frederick spent most of his childhood and youth in Palermo.  At the age of 3 ½ after the early death of his father, Frederick was crowned King of Sicily in the cathedral of Palermo where he was later also entombed. His court was an important center of poetry and science. Frederick himself wrote a famous book on falconry. The following saying is attributed to him:

„Non invidio a Dio il paradiso perché sono ben soddisfatto di vivere in Sicilia.“
“I do not envy God’s paradise because I am happy to live in Sicily.”