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Frederick I, Holy Roman Emperor
Frederick I Barbarossa (born 1122; Died 10 June 1190) was elected King of Germany at Frankfurt on 4 March 1152 and crowned in Aachen on 9 March, crowned King of Italy in Pavia in 1154, and finally crowned Holy Roman Emperor by Pope Adrian IV on 18 June 1155. Frederick I was crowned King of Burgundy at Arles on 30 June 1178. The name Barbarossa came from the northern Italian cities he attempted to rule, and means "red beard".
Before his royal election, Frederick I was by inheritance Duke of Swabia (1147–1152, as Frederick III). He was the son of Duke Frederick II of the Hohenstaufen dynasty. His mother was Judith, daughter of Henry IX, Duke of Bavaria, from the rival House of Welf, and Frederick therefore descended from Germany's two leading families, making him an acceptable choice for the Empire's prince-electors.
The Pope Clemente III (1187 - 1191) promoted the third Crusade in which three kings took part: Frederick I Barbarossa of Germany, Phillip II of France, and Richard I Lionheart of England. Frederick received his name for the color of his hair. He was brave and valiant. After defeating many enemy armies, he was the first one to arrive at the walls of Jerusalem, but he could not fulfill his conquest because he drowned in a river on June 10, 1190. His two allies, King Richard the Lionhearted and King Phillip II had to come back to their countries. The conspiracy of John Landless and the conflicts between France and England made their return necessary.
The Emperor Frederick I Barbarossa (Redbeard) Sword by Marto of Toledo Spain has a tempered steel blade, ornamented with 24K Gold engravings on its upper part. The hilt is made in Bronze plated cast metal with short, straight quillons, decorated with relief figures, as the nut shaped pommel surmounted by two kneeling knights. The handgrip is wrapped alternatively by black leather and 24K Gold plated metal stripes. This custom crafted sword is a fine tribute befitting this great Crusader King.
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