Editing Eighth Crusade (section)

===Charles I of Anjou===

The forces of [[Manfred, King of Sicily|Manfred of Sicily]] were defeated at Benevento by [[Charles I of Anjou]] in 1266 and Manfred himself, refusing to flee, was killed in battle. Charles was lenient with Manfred's supporters, but they did not believe that this conciliatory policy could last. Clement IV censured Charles for his methods of administration, regarding him as an arrogant and obstinate. Nevertheless, Charles was asked to help oust the [[Ghibellines]] from Florence, but his expansionism towards Tuscany alarmed the pope. Clement forced Charles to promise that he would abandon all claims to Tuscany within three years. Charles pledged that he would assist [[Baldwin II, Latin Emperor|Baldwin II of Courtenay]] in recapturing Constantinople from the Byzantine emperor, Michael VIII Palaiologos, in exchange for one third of the conquered lands.<ref>Abulafia, David, “[https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0304418199000123 Charles of Anjou Reassessed],” Journal of Medieval History 26 (2000), 93–114.</ref>

[[File:Enthauptung Konradins.jpg|thumb|alt=A young man who holds a sword above his head stands by an other young man who is kneeling.|[[Conradin]] is executed in Naples, 1268.]]

Charles returned to Tuscany and laid siege to the fortress of [[Poggibonsi]], but it did not fall until the end of November 1267.{{sfn|Runciman|1958|p=101|loc=The fortress of Poggibonsi}} Some of Manfred's supporters had fled to Bavaria to attempt to persuade the 15-year-old [[Conradin]] to assert his hereditary right to Sicily. Conradin accepted their proposal and [[Frederick of Castile]], a supporter of Manfred, was allowed by [[Muhammad I al-Mustansir]], the [[Hafsid dynasty|Hafsid caliph]] of [[Ifriqiya|Ifiqiya]] (modern Tunisia), to invade Sicily from North Africa. At the [[Battle of Tagliacozzo]] on 23 August 1268, it appeared that Conradin had won the day, but, in the end, his army was routed. On 29 October 1268, Conradin and his ally [[Frederick I, Margrave of Baden|Frederick of Baden]] were beheaded.<ref>James Francis Loughlin (1908). "[[wikisource:Catholic Encyclopedia (1913)/Pope Clement IV|Pope Clement IV]]". In Herbermann, Charles (ed.). ''Catholic Encyclopedia''. '''4.''' New York: Robert Appleton Company.</ref> Frederick of Castile and his forces were allowed to escape to Tunis rather than being imprisoned. There they served the Tunisians in fighting against Louis' Crusaders in 1270.{{sfn|Runciman|1954|pp=326–327|loc=Hugh, King of Cyprus and Jerusalem}}