| Peter II | |
|---|---|
 Peter kneeling before Christ, from a mosaic in the cathedral of Messina | |
| King of Sicily | |
| Reign | 25 June 1337 - 15 August 1342 |
| Predecessor | Frederick III |
| Successor | Louis |
| Born | 1304 Altofonte, Kingdom of Sicily |
| Died | 15 August 1342 Calascibetta, Kingdom of Sicily |
| Burial | Cathedral of Palermo |
| Spouse | Elisabeth of Carinthia |
| Issue more... | |
| House | Barcelona |
| Father | Frederick III of Sicily |
| Mother | Eleanor of Anjou |
Peter II (Latin: Petrus, Italian: Pietro, Sicilian: Pietru; 1304 – 8 August 1342) was the King of Sicily from 1337 until his death, although he was associated with his father as co-ruler from 1321. Peter's father was Frederick III of Sicily and his mother was Eleanor, a daughter of Charles II of Naples.[1] His reign was marked by strife between the throne and the nobility, especially the old families of Ventimiglia, Palizzi and Chiaramonte, and by war between Sicily and Naples.[2]
Contemporaries regarded Peter as feeble-minded. Giovanni Villani, in his Nuova Cronica, calls him "almost an imbecile" (Italianate Latin: quasi un mentacatto) and Nicola Speciale, in his Historia Sicula, calls him "pure and simple" (purus et simplex).[2]
Under Peter, the Neapolitans conquered the Lipari Islands and took the cities of Milazzo and Termini in Sicily itself.[2] He died after a short illness on 8 August 1342[2] in Calascibetta and was buried in the cathedral of Palermo. He was succeeded by Louis, his eldest son, who was only four years old.[3]
- ^ Grierson & Travaini 1998, p. 256.
- ^ a b c d Grierson & Travaini 1998, p. 268.
- ^ Grierson & Travaini 1998, p. 269.