Pope Honorius III, born Cencio Savelli, was head of the Catholic Church and ruler of the Papal States from 18 July 1216 to his death. A canon at the Basilica di Santa Maria Maggiore, he came to hold a number of important administrative positions, including that of Camerlengo. In 1197, he became tutor to the young Frederick II. As pope, he worked to promote the Fifth Crusade, which had been planned under his predecessor, Innocent III. Honorius repeatedly exhorted King Andrew II of Hungary and Emperor Frederick II to fulfill their vows to participate. He also gave approval to the recently formed Dominican and Franciscan religious orders.
Honorius III kneeling at the feet of Christ, apse mosaic of Saint Paul Outside the Walls
Honorius depicted in a 13th-century manuscript from Weissenau Abbey
Papal bulla of Honorius III
Saint Francis preaches in the presence of Honorius III: fresco by Giotto in the Basilica of Saint Francis of Assisi (c. 1296-98)
Frederick II, Holy Roman Emperor
Frederick II was King of Sicily from 1198, King of Germany from 1212, King of Italy and Holy Roman Emperor from 1220 and King of Jerusalem from 1225. He was the son of emperor Henry VI of the Hohenstaufen dynasty and Queen Constance of Sicily of the Hauteville dynasty.
A gold augustalis bearing Frederick's effigy. Legend: c(a)esar aug(ustus) imp(erator) rom(anorum)
The birth of Frederick on the market square of Jesi from the Nuova Cronica, Biblioteca Apostolica Vaticana, ms. Chigi L. VIII.296 (cat. XI.8)
Constance handing her son over to the care of the duchess of Spoleto, the wife of Conrad of Urslingen, from the Liber ad honorem Augusti by Peter of Eboli
Seals used by Frederick as Emperor (ed. Otto Posse 1909): 1: first imperial seal (1221–1225), 2: second imperial seal (1226), 3: third imperial seal, addition of the title of King of Jerusalem (1226–1250) 4: seal used in 1221 and 1225, 5: first seal as King of Jerusalem (1233).
