Spring – Emperor
Manuel I (Komnenos) sends an embassy led by
John Kontostephanos to
Jerusalem, to ask King
Baldwin III to nominate one of the princesses of the
Crusader States, as a bride for the widowed emperor. Their two candidates are 15-year-old
Maria of Antioch, and
Melisende of Tripoli. Baldwin suggests Melisende, and her brother Count
Raymond III sets about gathering an enormous
dowry. The ambassadors are not satisfied, and delay the marriage for over a year. They hear rumours about Melisende's birth, based on her mother's (Countess
Hodierna of Jerusalem) infidelity, and therefore Melisende's possible illegitimacy.[1]
Europe
January 25 – King
Frederick I (Barbarossa) captures
Crema after a 6-month siege, as part of his campaign against the independent Italian city-states. Some 20,000 survivors are allowed to leave the city with whatever they could carry before Crema is looted and burnt to the ground.[2] The expense of the siege (over 2,000 silver marks) and Frederick's determination to enforce it over the winter, demonstrates his ability to hold troops in the field and to keep his allies on side.[3]
May 18 –
Erik Jedvardsson (Eric IX) is murdered, after which his murderer
Magnus Henriksen proclaims himself king of
Sweden as Magnus II. He is murdered in turn the following year, however. Erik is soon worshipped as a saint. Though never formally canonized by Pope
Alexander III, he eventually becomes the
patron saint of Sweden.
A plot of land at
Miholjanec is donated to the
Knights Templar, who build a monastery in nearby Zdelia. This is the earliest historical mention of the Templars in
Croatia and
Hungary.[4]
Autumn –
Raynald of Châtillon, prince of
Antioch, makes a plundering raid in the valley of the
Euphrates at
Marash to seize cattle, horses and camels from the local peasants. On his way back to Antioch, he and his retinue are attacked by Zangid warriors. Raynald is unhorsed and captured, and sent to
Aleppo where he is put in jail.[6]
Africa
The Almohads conquer
Mahdia (modern
Tunisia) from the
Normans after an important naval success near the city, against Christian reinforcements coming from
Sicily.[7]
^Bradbury, Jim (1992). The Medieval Siege, p. 92. Woodbridge, Suffolk: Boydell Press.
ISBN978-0-851-15357-5.
^Andrew Roberts (2008). Great Commanders of the Medieval World (454–1582), p. 134.
ISBN978-0-85738-589-5.
^Hunyadi, Zsolt; Laszlovszky, József. The Crusades and the Military Orders. Central European University. Dept. of Medieval Studies. p. 246.
ISBN978-963-9241-42-8.
^Picard, Christophe (2000). Le Portugal musulman, VIIIe-XIIIe siècle: L'Occident dál-Andalus sous domination islamique. Paris: Maisonneuve & Larose. p. 110.
ISBN2-7068-1398-9.
^Steven Runciman (1952). A History of The Crusades. Vol II: The Kingdom of Jerusalem, p. 291.
ISBN978-0-241-29876-3.
^Picard, Christophe (1997). La mer et les musulmans d'Occident VIIIe-XIIIe siècle. Paris: Presses Universitaires de France.
^Samson, George (1958). A History of Japan to 1334, pp. 256–258. Standford University Press.
ISBN08-0470-523-2.
Spring – Emperor
Manuel I (Komnenos) sends an embassy led by
John Kontostephanos to
Jerusalem, to ask King
Baldwin III to nominate one of the princesses of the
Crusader States, as a bride for the widowed emperor. Their two candidates are 15-year-old
Maria of Antioch, and
Melisende of Tripoli. Baldwin suggests Melisende, and her brother Count
Raymond III sets about gathering an enormous
dowry. The ambassadors are not satisfied, and delay the marriage for over a year. They hear rumours about Melisende's birth, based on her mother's (Countess
Hodierna of Jerusalem) infidelity, and therefore Melisende's possible illegitimacy.[1]
Europe
January 25 – King
Frederick I (Barbarossa) captures
Crema after a 6-month siege, as part of his campaign against the independent Italian city-states. Some 20,000 survivors are allowed to leave the city with whatever they could carry before Crema is looted and burnt to the ground.[2] The expense of the siege (over 2,000 silver marks) and Frederick's determination to enforce it over the winter, demonstrates his ability to hold troops in the field and to keep his allies on side.[3]
May 18 –
Erik Jedvardsson (Eric IX) is murdered, after which his murderer
Magnus Henriksen proclaims himself king of
Sweden as Magnus II. He is murdered in turn the following year, however. Erik is soon worshipped as a saint. Though never formally canonized by Pope
Alexander III, he eventually becomes the
patron saint of Sweden.
A plot of land at
Miholjanec is donated to the
Knights Templar, who build a monastery in nearby Zdelia. This is the earliest historical mention of the Templars in
Croatia and
Hungary.[4]
Autumn –
Raynald of Châtillon, prince of
Antioch, makes a plundering raid in the valley of the
Euphrates at
Marash to seize cattle, horses and camels from the local peasants. On his way back to Antioch, he and his retinue are attacked by Zangid warriors. Raynald is unhorsed and captured, and sent to
Aleppo where he is put in jail.[6]
Africa
The Almohads conquer
Mahdia (modern
Tunisia) from the
Normans after an important naval success near the city, against Christian reinforcements coming from
Sicily.[7]
^Bradbury, Jim (1992). The Medieval Siege, p. 92. Woodbridge, Suffolk: Boydell Press.
ISBN978-0-851-15357-5.
^Andrew Roberts (2008). Great Commanders of the Medieval World (454–1582), p. 134.
ISBN978-0-85738-589-5.
^Hunyadi, Zsolt; Laszlovszky, József. The Crusades and the Military Orders. Central European University. Dept. of Medieval Studies. p. 246.
ISBN978-963-9241-42-8.
^Picard, Christophe (2000). Le Portugal musulman, VIIIe-XIIIe siècle: L'Occident dál-Andalus sous domination islamique. Paris: Maisonneuve & Larose. p. 110.
ISBN2-7068-1398-9.
^Steven Runciman (1952). A History of The Crusades. Vol II: The Kingdom of Jerusalem, p. 291.
ISBN978-0-241-29876-3.
^Picard, Christophe (1997). La mer et les musulmans d'Occident VIIIe-XIIIe siècle. Paris: Presses Universitaires de France.
^Samson, George (1958). A History of Japan to 1334, pp. 256–258. Standford University Press.
ISBN08-0470-523-2.