Editing Frederick III of Sicily (section)

===Early years===
Frederick was born in [[Barcelona]].{{sfn|Hohenstaufen|1961|p=495}}

When his father died in 1285, he left the [[Kingdom of Aragon]] to his eldest son, [[Alfonso III of Aragon|Alfonso]], and that of Sicily to his second son, [[James II of Aragon|James]]. When Alfonso died in 1291, James became king of Aragon and left Frederick as regent in Sicily. The war between the [[Capetian House of Anjou|Angevins]], who contested the title to Sicily from their peninsular possessions centred on [[Naples]] (the so-called [[Kingdom of Naples]]), and the [[Crown of Aragon]] for the possession of the island was still in progress, and although the Crown of Aragon was successful in Italy, James’ position in [[Spain]] became very insecure due to internal troubles and [[France|French]] attacks. Peace negotiations were begun with [[Charles II of Naples]], but were interrupted by the successive deaths of two popes. At last, under the auspices of [[Pope Boniface VIII]], James concluded a treaty, by which, in exchange for being left undisturbed in the rest of the territories belonging to the Crown of Aragon and promised possession of [[Sardinia]] and [[Corsica]], he gave up Sicily to the [[Papal States|Church]], for whom it was to be held by the Angevins ([[Treaty of Anagni]], 10 June 1295). The Sicilians refused to be made over once more to the hated French they had expelled in 1282 (in the [[Sicilian Vespers]]), and found a national leader in the regent Frederick. In vain the pope tried to bribe him with promises and dignities; he was determined to stand by his subjects, and was crowned king by the nobles at [[Palermo]] in 1296.{{sfn|Chisholm|1911|p=57}}

When Frederick heard that James was preparing to go to war with him, he sent a messenger, Mountainer Pérez de Sosa, to Catalonia in an effort to stir up the barons and cities against James in 1298.<ref name="Riquer">Riquer, 1687&ndash;1688.</ref> Mountainer carried with him an [[Occitan literature|Occitan poem]], ''Ges per guerra no.m chal aver consir'', intended as a communication with his supporters in Catalonia. This communiqué seems to have had in mind Ponç Hug as a recipient, for the count penned a response (under the title ''con d'Empuria''), ''A l'onrat rei Frederic terz vai dir'', in which he praised Frederick's tact and diplomacy, but told him bluntly that he would not abandon his sovereign.<ref name="Riquer"/> This poetic transaction is usually dated to January&ndash;March, Spring, or August 1296, but [[Gerónimo Zurita]] in the seventeenth century specifically dated the embassy of Mountainer to 1298.