Peter II of Sicily
| Peter II of Sicily | |
|---|---|
Peter kneeling before Christ, from a mosaic in the cathedral of Messina
|
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| King of Sicily | |
| Tenure | 25 June 1337 - 15 August 1342 |
| Predecessor | Frederick III of Sicily |
| Successor | Louis, King of Sicily |
| Born | 1304 |
| Died | 15 August 1342 Calascibetta |
| Burial | Cathedral of Palermo |
| Spouse | Elisabeth of Carinthia |
| Issue |
Louis of Sicily Frederick IV of Sicily Constance of Sicily Eleanor, Queen of Aragon Beatrice, Electress Palatine Euphemia of Sicily Violante of Sicily John of Sicily Blanche, Countess of Amphurias |
| House | House of Barcelona |
| Father | Frederick III of Sicily |
| Mother | Eleanor of Anjou |
Peter II (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 Frederick III of Sicily and his mother was Eleanor, a daughter of Charles II of Naples. 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.
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).
Under Peter, the Neapolitans conquered the Lipari Islands and took the cities of Milazzo and Termini in Sicily itself. He died after a short illness on 8 August 1342 in Calascibetta and was buried in the cathedral of Palermo. He was succeeded by Louis, his eldest son, who was only five years old.
He married Elisabeth of Carinthia, with whom he had nine children:
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