Camiola

Camiola Turinga was from Messina and was known as a virtuous woman. She was the daughter of Lawrence of Thuringia. She lived in the beginning of the fourteenth century, during the time of the reign of Frederick III of Sicily. When her husband and parents died she inherited much wealth and was known for handling this large fortune in a moral fashion.

Boccaccio, as a medieval historian and early Renaissance archaeologist, describes the events that happened that lead up to her becoming a widow when she was still a young lady. He says in his De mulieribus claris in the next to the last biography that when king Frederick III of Sicily died, his eldest son Peter took over. Right after that time Godfrey of Squillace, commander for king Robert of Sicily, attacked the town of Lipari. The townspeople were overwhelmed and practically wiped out. Peter then gathered together an army of mercenaries and volunteer auxiliary troops. He put them into the command of a Count John of Chiaamonte. John's mission was to bring much needed supplies for the starving people of Lipari.

When Godfrey learned that John's army outnumbered his own, he abandoned his camp and left all his supplies there. John then came upon these supplies and took back to the people of Lipari. Then with overconfidence John challenged Godfrey to battle. Godfrey accepted the challenge. He prepared and reinforced his troops overnight and was fully prepared in the morning. John, being overconfident, did not expect Godfrey to attack, assuming instead that he Godfrey would retreat.

Godfrey's men attacked the Sicilians with much vigor. The Sicilians under John's command were stunned with the onslaught. Hand-to-hand combat took place on the Sicilian ships. The Sicilians ultimately lost confidence, since they were not fully prepared for such an attack. They then took whatever ships were still seaworthy and hightailed it. Many of the Sicilian ships were sunk and victory was within grasp for Godfrey. Even though some of John's ships were able to get away, John himself along with some princes and missionaries, were captured. The town of Lipari surrendered and sued for peace.

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