Chronology of the War of the Sicilian Vespers

* indicates event verified in the Catalan-Aragonese Fleet Accounts

1250
Roger of Lauria born at Lauria, in Calabria, Italy.
December 13, 1250
Frederick II, Holy Roman Emperor and King of Sicily, dies. Succeeded by Conrad IV.
January 1254
Conflicts with Pope Innocent IV come to a head and Conrad IV is excommunicated. Innocent IV calls a crusade against Conrad IV.
May 21, 1254
While enjoying military success against Innocent IV Conrad IV dies of malaria. Succeeded by the young boy Conradin. Manfred, natural son of Frederick II named regent of the Kingdom of Sicily.
December 7, 1254
Innocent IV dies at Naples after a series of defeats inflicted by Manfred. Replaced by Alexander IV.
1257 - 1258
The papacy tries to give the kingdom of Sicily to the king of England to separate it from the Hohenstaufens. English nobility balk at the exorbitant price. Negotiations end in 1262.
August 1258
Manfred usurps Conradin's authority and is crowned King of Sicily. Manfred thwarts papal attempts to retake Sicily.
May 25, 1261
Pope Alexander IV dies tormented by his feeling of helplessness to stop the political evils he preceives.
July 1261
Greek Byzantine forces retake Constantinople and the Latin Empire of the East falls.
August 1261
Urban IV elected pope. After fruitless negotiations with the English, he turns to Charles of Anjou for help.
June 13, 1262
Prince Peter of Aragon marries Constance of Hohenstaufen, daughter of Manfred, over the objections of the pope and Louis IX of France.
September 1264
Charles of Anjou becomes the champion of the church and is given the kingdom of Sicily by the papacy.
October 2, 1264
Pope Urban IV dies at Perugia.
February 1265
After four months and pressure from Charles of Anjou, the French Cardinal of Sabina is elected as Pope Clement IV.
May 1265
Charles of Anjou enters Rome.
February 26, 1266
Battle of Benevento. Manfred is defeated and killed. Charles of Anjou quickly gains control of Sicily. The family of Roger of Lauria flees to the court of James I of Aragon.
September 1267
The policies of Charles of Anjou, and the machinations of Conradin in Germany to retake the kingdom, lead to open revolt forst in Sicily, and then elsewhere, against the Angevins.
August 23, 1268
Battle of Tagliacozzo. Conradin defeated and captured. Charles of Anjou will later execute him to the disgust of most of Christendom.
November 29, 1268
Pope Clement IV dies. The position remains vacant for three years.
July 1270
Louis IX launches a crusade against Tunis, which interrupts Charles's planned invasion of the Byzantine Empire. Charles of Anjou uses crusade to reestablish tribute from Tunisia.
1271
Charles of Anjou invades Albania and Corfu.
September 1, 1271
Gregory X becomes pope. His attempts at reunionification of the Latin and Greek churches thwart Charles's plans to invade the Byzantine Empire.
1275 - 1276
Roger of Lauria helps putting down the Muslim revolt in Valencia.
January 10 - September 13, 1276
Gregory X dies and succeeded by Innocent V, who dies in June. He was followed by Adrian V who died in August. On September 13, John XXI ascends the papal throne and continues the policies of Gregory X, much to the frustration of Charles of Anjou.
November 1276
Peter III is crowned king of the Crown of Aragon at Zaragoza following the death of his father James I.
March 1277
Charles of Anjou buys the title of King of Jerusalem.
May 20, 1277
Pope John XXI dies. Followed by Nicolas III, who proved to be a foe of Charles of Anjou, further delaying his plans against Constantinople.
August 22, 1280
Pope Nicolas III dies, to the relief of Charles of Anjou.
February 21, 1281
After Charles imprisions several cardinals, Simon de Brie is elected and becomes Pope Martin IV. The former chancellor of Louis IX of France is eager to advance the policies of Charles of Anjou.
July 1281
Pope Martin IV abandons the policy of rapprochement with the Byzantine Empire and excommunicates the Byzantine Emperor at the urging of Charles of Anjou. Charles begins to prepare to invade the Byzantine Empire.
March 1282
Peter III of Aragon begins preparations for a campaign in North Africa ostensively to reestablish tribute.
March 29, 1282
Frustrated with an oppressive Angevin administration, Palermo revolts during the hour of vespers. Messina revolts on April 29th and the rest of the island soon follows.
May 1282
The Sicilians offer to place themselves under the Holy See, but Pope Martin IV demands they return to Angevin control and excommunicates the entire population.
June 3, 1282
Catalan-Aragonese fleet sails for the Mahgreb under sealed orders. Fleet lands at Collo.
August 30, 1282
After receiving emissaries from Messina, Peter III crosses to Sicily and lands at Trapani on August 30th.
September 4, 1282
Peter III crowned king of Sicily at Palermo. By the end of the month Charles of Anjou is forced to lift his siege of Messina and evacuate the island.
October 14, 1282
Battle of Nicotera. Angevin fleet is defeated by an inferior Aragonese force as it attempts to retreat north.
February 14, 1283
Peter III crosses to Calabria and captures Reggio.
March 21, 1283
Pope Martin IV declares all of the lands of Peter III forfeit, having already excommunicated him.
April 20, 1283*
Roger of Lauria replaces James Perez as admiral of the Catalan-Aragonese fleet.
June 1, 1283
Peter III goes to Bordeaux for personal combat with Charles of Anjou. Charles plans to seize him, but Peter cleverly avoids the trap.
July 8, 1283*
Battle of Malta. Roger of Lauria crushes a Provençal fleet at the Grand Harbor of Malta.
October 1283
Peter III forced to recognize the privileges of the Unions of Aragon and Valencia, and to restrict taxation.
Spring 1284*
Roger of Lauria raids Calabria and seizes the islands of Capri and Ischia.
June 5, 1284*
Battle of Naples. Roger of Lauria defeats the Angevin fleet at Naples before a fleet from Provence can join it. The Prince of Salerno, son of Charles of Anjou, is captured.
July 1284
Charles of Anjou recaptures most of Calabria and lays siege to Reggio.
August 1284
The Catalan-Aragonese fleet captures Nicotera cutting off the Angevin supplies. Charles of Anjou is forced into a disastrous retreat and looses Calabria.
January 7, 1285
Charles of Anjou dies at Foggia while preparing crusade against Catalonia.
February 1285
After receiving papal tax concessions, Philip III of France agrees to crusade against Peter III.
March 29, 1285
Pope Martin IV dies at Perugia and is followed by Honorius IV.
Spring 1285
The French cross the Pyrenees and invade Catalonia. They push south and lay siege to Gerona.
September 1, 1285
Ramon Marquett and Berenguer Mallol defeat a French squadron at Las Rosas.
September 4, 1285
Battle of Las Formigueras. In a night battle, Roger of Lauria defeats the French fleet. He goes on to raid Las Rosas, thus cutting off the French army from its supplies.
September 7, 1285
Gerona falls to the French. However, cut off from supplies the French have to immediately retreat, which turns into a rout.
October 5, 1285
Philip III dies at Perpigan.
November 11, 1285
Peter III dies at Vilafranca del Penedès while planning to retake Mallorca from his brother James of Mallorca.
February 2, 1286
Prince James crowed king of Sicily.
March-April 1286*
Roger of Lauria raids the coasts of Languedoc and Provence.
April 16, 1286
Alfonso III crowned King of the Crown of Aragon at Zaragoza.
Summer 1286*
Squadrons under Berenger de Sarría and Berenger de Villaragut raid the Apulian coast.
August 1286*
Catalan-Aragonese fleet raids the island of Kerkena and establishes a castle at Gerba.
January 1287
Alfonso III with the Catalan-Aragonese fleet lands on Mallorca. The island is retaken by the end of February.
February 27, 1287
Charles of Salerno signs a contract renouncing his claims to Sicily in an attempt to gain his freedom. but Pope Honorius IV declares the document null and void.
April 3, 1287
Pope Honorius IV dies starting a nearly year-long interregnum.
May 1, 1287*
Angevin fleet lands and takes Augusta. The fleet then sails to Sorrento.
June 23, 1287*
Battle of the Counts. Angevin fleet defeated off Naples and a large number of the nobility is captured. Angevins at Augusta surrender on news of the defeat.
July 1287
King Edward I of England brokers the Treaty of Oloron in an attempt to end the war. Lack of a pope prevents the treaty from being implemented.
December 27, 1287
Alfonso III forced to sign the Privileges of the Union.
February 22, 1288
Nicolas IV finally elected pope after a ten-month interregnum.
July 1288
Sancho IV of Castile signs a treaty with Philip IV of France of mutual assistance against the Crown of Aragon.
October 28, 1288
Treaty of Canfranc. Charles of Salerno released, but at the urging of Philip IV and the pope he disavows the treaty after his release.
April 15, 1289*
Alfonso III and the fleet cross to Reggio and begin to move up the Calabrian coast taking San Lucida and Policastro.
June 30, 1289*
Siege of Gaeta starts. Alfonso III and the Catalan-Aragonese fleet lay siege to Gaeta. Angevin forces trap the Aragonese forces on the peninsula and start a counter-siege.
August 30, 1289*
Robert de Artois and Alfonso III sign a truce permitting the Aragonese to leave in return for not molesting Angevin shipping and ceasing operations in Calabria.
December 1289*
Ignoring the treaty the Agagonese fleet undertakes a series of operations that retake Calabria from the Angevins and does so by May 1290.
June 1290*
Five galleys sent to support Acre. The squadron raids the Levant during its return.
July 1290*
Plan to reinstall former ruler of Tripoli fails. Roger of Lauria goes on to raid Tolmetta.
February 12,1291
Treaty of Tarascon. Alfonso III agrees to give up Sicily and remove support from his brother.
June 18, 1291
Alfonso III dies and the Treaty of Tarascon begins to fall apart.
August 13,1291
James of Sicily arrives in Barcelona and shortly afterwards is crowned James II of Aragon at Zaragoza. James II repudiates the Treaty of Tarascon and names his brother Frederick as vicroy of Sicily.
March-June 1292*
Manfred Lancia undertakes an anti-piracy sweep around Sicily and Calabria.
April 4, 1292
Pope Nicolas IV dies. A two-year interregnum follows.
June 1292*
Catalan-Aragonese fleet under Roger of Lauria attacks Angevins in Calabria and the Basilicata.
July 14, 1292*
Roger of Lauria starts raid into Western Greece and the Aegean Sea by raiding the County of Cephalonia.
August 25, 1292*
Island of Chios is sacked.
September 6, 1292*
Venetian naval base at Modon is sacked by the fleet.
December 1293
Under political pressure from the Unions and merchants James II meets Charles II of Salerno at Figueras and signs an accord to end hostilities.
July 7, 1294
Charles II forces the election of a new pope Celestine V.
December 13, 1294
Unable to stand the pressures, Celestine V resigns his office.
December 24, 1294
Pope Boniface VIII is elected.
June 12, 1295
Treaty of Anagni. James II agrees to give up Sicily in return for Sardinia. Catalan-Aragonese fleet leaves Sicily.
December 12, 1295
The Sicilians feeling betrayed by Aragon crown the brother of James II as Frederick III of Sicily.
April 2, 1297
James II at Rome names Roger of Lauria, over Roger's objections, Admiral of the Crown of Aragon and papal forces as part of an agreement to help the papacy and the Angevins retake Sicily.
Fall 1298
Sicilian forces removed from Calabria but attempt by the Catalan-Aragonese and Angevin forces to take Messina and Syracuse fails.
July 4, 1299
Battle of Cape Orlando. Roger of Lauria defeats the Sicilian fleet but allows Frederick III to escape under orders from James II. Catalan-Aragonese fleet is withdrawn from the conflict afterwards. Roger of Lauria becomes admiral of the Angevin navy.
June 14, 1300
Battle of Ponza. Frederick III attacks the Angevin fleet at Naples but is defeated by Roger of Lauria. The Sicilian fleet never recovers from the defeat
August 31, 1302
Treaty of Caltabellota. War of the Sicilian Vespers ends.
January 17, 1305
Roger of Lauria dies of natural causes at Valencia while preparing another raid against the Byzantine Empire.