Siege of Naples (1191)

Siege of Naples

Siege of Naples in 1191 by the forces of Holy Roman Emperor Henry VI, Peter of Eboli, Liber ad honorem Augusti, Palermo, 1196
DateMay–August 1191 AD
Location
Naples, Italy
Result Decisive Sicilian victory
Belligerents
Kingdom of Sicily Holy Roman Empire
Commanders and leaders
Richard of Acerra
Nicholas of Ajello
Aligerno Cottone
Margaritus of Brindisi
Emperor Henry VI
Conrad II, Duke of Bohemia
Philip I, Archbishop of Cologne
Henry III Testa
Henry of Welf
Casualties and losses
hundreds

The siege of Naples was a siege in 1191 during the expedition of Henry VI, Holy Roman Emperor aiming to conquer the Kingdom of Sicily in name of the claim of his wife Empress Constance. It lasted three months before Henry abandoned his expedition, after suffering a heavy loss due to disease. After his retreat, the Sicilians set a counterattack that almost reconquered his conquests and captured Empress Constance. It was particularly rare in the history of war that an empress was captured in an imperial offensive campaign.