ABSTRACT
BothRoberttheWiseandFrederickIIIofSicilyweredeeply piousmen,willingtoshowfavourtotheSpiritualFranciscans. ItisthusaparadoxthatsoChristianamonarchasFrederick shouldhavespentsomuchofhiscareeraskingbitterly engagedinconflictwiththepapacy.Suchwashisrespectfor theHolySeethat,whenexcommunicate,hedutifullyavoided attendingMass,unlikehisflamboyantallyMatteoViscontiof Milan,whoseChristiandevotionswereemployedtodiscredit papalaccusationsagainsthimself.Indeed,oneimportantelementofFrederick'sprogrammeofreformsafter1302wasthe restorationandrebuildingofchurchesandmonasteries,and theestablishmentofschoolsfortheteachingofreligion. 1 Frederickemergesasapiousevangelist,awareoftheneed togeneraterecovery,andsimilartohisAngevinrivalsinhis insistencethatmoralreformwouldgeneratelastingpeace andwelfare.HisinterestintheabstruseedgesofChristian beliefculminatedinhispatronageofthemissionarymystics RamonLlullandArnaudeVilanova.
