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Boleslaus II

(Encyclopedia)Boleslaus II, c.1039–1081, duke (1058–76), and later king (1076–79) of Poland; son and successor of Casimir I. Throughout his reign he opposed the influence of the Holy Roman Empire. He asserted...

Molay, Jacques de

(Encyclopedia)Molay, Jacques de zhäk də môlāˈ [key], 1243?–1314, last grand master of the Knights Templars. He distinguished himself in defending Palestine against the Saracens. After the Templars were drive...

Rienzi, Cola di

(Encyclopedia)Rienzi or Rienzo, Cola di kôˈlä dē rēĕnˈtsē, rēĕnˈtsō [key], 1313?–1354, Roman popular leader. In 1343 on a mission to Pope Clement VI at Avignon, he won the papal confidence. While ther...

Canossa

(Encyclopedia)Canossa känôsˈsä [key], village, in Emilia-Romagna, N central Italy, in the Apennines. There are ruins of the 10th-century castle of the powerful feudal family that took its name from the place. I...

Urban IV

(Encyclopedia)Urban IV, d. 1264, pope (1261–64), a Frenchman (b. Troyes) named Jacques Pantaléon; successor of Alexander IV. In the pontifical service he was sent on missions into N Germany; then he was made bis...

Bamberg

(Encyclopedia)Bamberg bämˈbĕrk [key], city, Bavaria, S Germany, a port on the Regnitz River. It is an in...

Avignon

(Encyclopedia)Avignon ävēnyôNˈ [key], city, capital of Vaucluse dept., SE France, on the Rhône River. It is a farm market with a wine trade and a great variety of manufactures. Loc...

Italian Wars

(Encyclopedia)Italian Wars, 1494–1559, series of regional wars brought on by the efforts of the great European powers to control the small independent states of Italy. Renaissance Italy was split into numerous ri...

Charles III, king of Naples

(Encyclopedia)Charles III (Charles of Durazzo), 1345–86, king of Naples (1381–86) and, as Charles II, of Hungary (1385–86); great-grandson of Charles II of Naples. Adopted as a child by Joanna I of Naples, he...

Clement, in the Bible

(Encyclopedia)Clement, in Philippians, one of Paul's coworkers. He is traditionally identified with St. Clement of Rome, the likely author of a letter written from there to the Corinthian church in c.a.d. 96. ...