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The eyes of all the supporters of the Swabian house were turned on the last
legitimate descendant of the family of the Hohenstaufen: Corradino (son of Conrad
IV, in turn the son of Frederick II). The boy was in 1267 fifteenth year of age, he
was tall, handsome, blond, gifted lively and of great kindness, and, most
importantly, the misfortunes of his house had improved the spirit and had reached
his thought that maturity which only comes by the years. Fierce and proud, like all
men of his race, Corradino could not resign himself to the loss of the kingdom and
the sad condition that was in the fall of the Hohenstaufen dynasty, one time master
of Germany and Italy, and now without the royal crown and imperial reduced to
the possession of a few territories. Corradino thought that the mission of his life
was to be the one to avenge his grandfather Frederick, his father Conrad IV and his
uncle Manfredi and raise the family in the former glory.
Among the Ghibellines who first reached Corradino in Verona there was certainly
his cousin Corrado Caputo of Antioch, who then, in the city met for the first time
the person that would mark a turning point in his life. In Verona, the young
Swabian granted privileges and diplomas to many Italian Ghibellines who had
declared themselves supporters of his cause, and appeared willing to support him
in his endeavor: among them was Corrado of Antioch, who obtained benefits from
Corradino perhaps never expected. The young Swabian, in the diploma granted to
Corrado and attributed to the end of 1267, after referring to the faith and devotion
of his cousin and his father Federico of Antioch towards his father Conrad IV, also
remembered the loyalty shown by Corrado of Antioch towards his person ".... erga
nostram excellentiam .... "Loyalty remained uncorrupted, despite all the
difficulties.
Corradino then, considering that Corrado is "flesh of our flesh blood of our blood
and bones of our bones" and thus reaffirming the close bonds of kinship that bound
him to Corrado, granted him estates in Abruzzo, but above all, something that most
honored Corrado, gave him the title, so far never used before, Prince of Abruzzo:
“erigimus et promevemus eundem Conradum in Aprutii princepem ut tam ipse
quam eius hereds amodo ab eo legitime descendentes sint Aprucii “. (The feuds of
Corrado had been already granted to him inherited from his father Frederick of
Antioch, Corradino assigned him other lands, and added the title of Prince of
Abruzzo).
The Hohenstaufen Dynasty - Page 180 of 200