ABSTRACT
TheheirtoCharlesI,CharlestheLame,princeofSalerno, wasstillaprisoneroftheAragoneseatthetimeofhis father'sdeath.'Andhisinheritance,notmerelySicilybut partsofthemainlandtoo,wasnoteveninthehandsof Angevinofficers.Therecoveryofthekingdomfromsuch aninauspiciousbeginningtoanewreignwasaremarkable achievement,partlyattributabletothedeterminedefforts ofMartinIVandhissuccessorsHonoriusIV(1285-88)and NicholasIV(1288-92).AssuzerainofthekingdomofSicily, MartinIVsenttroopsandadministratorssouthtoNaples soonafterCharlesl'sdeath;andheinstalledapapalemissaryasjointregentwiththeroyalnominee,RobertofArtois. Martin'ssuccessorHonoriuscontinuedtoemphasisethe claimsoftheHolySeetocontrolsouthItalianaffairsduringCharlesofSalerno'scaptivity,buthemadeimportant effortstoremovethecausesofdiscontentinthesouthand toreconcilewarringfactionsinthenorth.HiscriticalawarenessoftheexistenceofpastabusesintheKingdomofSicily, andhiswillingnesstoseekcompromisebetweenGuelfsand GhibellinesinthenortherntownsearnedhimareputationasalukewarmdefenderofAngevininterests;butwhat hereallysawwastheimpossibilityofsustainingaggressive AngevinpoliciesatamomentofnearruinforbothAngevin andpapalinterestsinItaly.Inthe'Constitutionconcerning thegovernmentoftheKingdomofSicily'(Constitutiosuper
ordinationeregniSicilie,1285),HonoriusIVproclaimedsignificantchangesinsouthItalianadministration,intendedto removethe'abuses'attributedtoFrederickIIandCharles IandtoreturntothegoodolddaysofWilliamIItheNor-
man.~Thisappealtooldlawmighteasilybetakenfora formalstatement,echoingthephrasesofpreviousrulersof thesouth;butHonoriusIV'sbullwasunusuallyspecificin detailingtheabuses.Aswellasprovidingnewregulations, thebullsoughttoforbidexcessivefinancialdemandsbythe crown:thegeneraltaxesknownasthecollecta,firstlevied byFrederickII,weretobereducedandcontrolled;some Hohenstaufenchecksonfeudatorieswereabolishedormodified,notablycontrolsoverinheritancetofiefs;thetowns toowouldbenefitfromlowerdemandsfortaxesandfor militaryornavalservices,whileroyalcontroloverthemovementofgoodswasalsoreduced.Thesemeasuresinonesense strengthenedtheAngevinsinNaplesandApulia,wherethe supportofthecoastalcitiesandofthebaronswasdesperatelyneeded.WhatislesscleariswhetherHonoriusIVwas strengtheningthecrowninthewaysitmosturgentlyneeded. Adynastyatwarneedsmoney,yetlesswastobefoundif thestrictletterofthepapalconstitutionwereobserved.The Angevinsneededalsomenandvictualsfortheirfleet,but thesetoowerelesseasytoobtain.Inonewaythepapacydid trytoensuretheAngevinmonarchycouldfindadequate resources:alienationofthecrown'sownlandswasforbidden. Butinfactthegreaterpartoftheoldroyaldemesnehad beenlostalongwithSicily:therichgrainestatesoftheisland werenowinAragonesehands,contributingtothewarfinancesofCharlesII'sdeadliestenemies.:
Itishere,infact,thatacrucialissueinthemodernhistoriographyoftheVesperscomestothefore.Brese'snotion oftheVespersasakeymomentdefiningthefutureofSicily asan'underdeveloped'region,a'colonial'societywhose economywasdominatedbyoutsideinterests-notablythe GenoeseandtheCatalanswiththeirinvolvementinthe
benefitedfromthedeathofAlfonsoofAragonandthetransferofJamesofSicilytothethroneofhisbrotherinSpain. JamesdefiedhisfatherPeter'swillanddidnotmaintain theseparationofthekingdomsofAragonandofSicily;his brotherFrederickwasappointedroyallieutenantinSicilybut wasdeniedtheroyaltitle.LikePeter,Jamesdid,however, maintainthetraditionalorderofpriority:Aragon-Catalonia becamehenceforthhisownbase;Sicilysoonprovedtoo distanttocontrolfromSpain.By1295JamesofAragonwas willingtorenouncecontrolofSicilyinexchangeforadynasticalliancewiththeAngevinsandthesuppressionofFrench claimstohisowncrowninSpain.Hevalued,asasuccessor toalineofkingswhohadacknowledgedpapaloverlordshipoverAragon,thechancetoreturntotheobedienceof theChurch.Hesawachanceofcompensation,too,inan offerofrightsovertheislandofSardinia,likeSicilyasource ofwheatandrawmaterials.HJamesandhisnewallieswere wrong,however,inassumingthatanagreementbetween thekingsofFrance,AragonandNaplesandapope-the redoubtableBonifaceVIII(1294-1303)-wouldbindthe Siciliansthemselves.
