1266

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Kenilworth Castle, whence besieged followers of Simon de Montfort issue the Dictum of Kenilworth in 1266, seeking peace with the king of England.

Year 1266 (MCCLXVI) was a common year starting on Friday (link will display the full calendar) of the Julian calendar.

Events

By place

Europe

• February 26 – Battle of Benevento: The army of Charles, Count of Anjou, defeats a combined German and Sicilian force led by King Manfred of Sicily. Manfred is killed in the battle and Pope Clement IV invests Charles as king of Sicily and Naples.
• July – Mary de Ferrers is ordered to surrender land and Liverpool Castle to Edmund, second son of Henry III.
• October – In England, the Second Barons' War winds down as supporters of the slain rebel leader Simon de Montfort make an offer of peace to the king in the Dictum of Kenilworth; after slight modifications to the peace settlement, it is agreed to the following year.
• The war between Scotland and Norway ends as King Alexander III of Scotland and King Magnus VI of Norway agree to the Treaty of Perth, which cedes the Western Isles and Isle of Man to Scotland in exchange for a large monetary payment.

Asia

• Niccolo and Maffeo Polo, father and uncle of Marco Polo, reach Kublai Khan's capital Khanbaliq (now Beijing) in China, setting the stage for Marco's famous expedition 5 years later. Kublai Khan sends the Polos back with a message requesting that the Pope dispatch western scholars to teach in the Mongol Empire; however, this request is largely ignored.
• The Mamluk sultan Baibars expands his domain, capturing the city of Byblos (in present-day Lebanon) and the important castle of Toron from the crusader states, and defeating the Armenians at Cilicia.

By topic

Economics

• In France, the gold écu and silver grosh coins are minted for the first time.

Religion

• Ode de Pougy, Abbess of Notre Dame aux Nonnains, sends a gang to attempt to destroy the nearly-completed Church of St Urbain, Troyes.

Births

• Hethum II of Armenia (d. 1307)
• Hedwig of Kalisz, queen consort of Poland (d. 1339)
• John of Brittany, Earl of Richmond (d. 1334)
• Beatrice Portinari, Dante Alighieri's beloved and guide through Heaven in The Divine Comedy (d. 1290)
• Margaret of Villehardouin, Lady of Akova (d. 1315)
• Rigdzin Kumaradza, Buddhist master (d. 1343)
• Zhou Daguan, diplomat and geographer (d. 1346)
• Duns Scotus, philosopher (approximate date; d. 1308)

Deaths

• January 11 – Duke Swantopolk II, Duke of Pomerania
• February 26 – King Manfred of Sicily (b. 1232)
• March 17 – Peter of Montereau, architect (b. c. 1200)
• June 12 – Henry II, Prince of Anhalt-Aschersleben (b. 1215)
• August 4 – Eudes of Burgundy, Count of Nevers (b. 1230)
• September 20 – Jan Prandota, Bishop of Kraków
• October 21 – Birger Jarl, Swedish regent and founder of Stockholm (b. c. 1210)
• October 28 – Saint Arsenije I Sremac
• October 29 – Margaret, Duchess of Austria (b. c. 1204)
• December – John of Ibelin, jurist of the Kingdom of Jerusalem (b. 1215)
• December 3 – Henry III the White, Duke of Wroclaw
• Berke, khan of the Golden Horde
• Hugh Bigod, Justiciar of England
• Ariq Böke, regent of the Mongol Empire
• Maol Choluim II, Earl of Fife
• Mo'ayyeduddin Urdi, astronomer and mathematician
• Nasir ud din Mahmud, sultan of Delhi (b. 1246)

References