1266

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{{About year|1266}}

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File:Villani Benevento.jpg (left) defeats Manfred of Sicily at the Battle of Benevento.]]

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

Events

= By place =

== Europe ==

  • January 2Siege of Murcia: King James I of Aragon ("the Conqueror") marches with his army from Orihuela and lays siege at Murcia on the Segura River. Skirmishes break out between the defenders and the Aragonese forces. The Muslim garrison, realizing that they are outnumbered and cut off from reinforcements, asks for terms. James offers to ask King Alfonso X of Castile ("the Wise") to restore the Murcians' legal rights (see 1244) from before the rebellion: self-government under Castilian suzerainty, freedom of worship, and preservation of lands and properties. They agree to this offer but request Alfonso's explicit agreement rather than just James' promise to ask him. James refuses to get Alfonso's agreement before the city surrenders. Finally, the Moors yield Murcia to James on January 31. Seeing his standard on the walls, James enters the city on February 3, accepting its surrender.O'Callaghan, Joseph F. (2011). The Gibraltar Crusade: Castile and the Battle for the Strait, p. 46. University of Pennsylvania Press. {{ISBN|978-0-8122-0463-6}}.
  • February 26Battle of Benevento: Guelph forces (some 12,000 men), led by Charles of Anjou, brother of King Louis IX of France, defeat a combined German and Sicilian army under King Manfred of Sicily, during a long-running power struggle in Italy. Manfred takes up a strong position near Benevento. As the French infantry advances, he unleashes his Saracen archers and light cavalry, which scatters the French. But the Saracens leave themselves exposed to the French heavy cavalry, and are overwhelmed. Manfred orders his heavy cavalry (some 1,200 German mercenary knights) into the attack, but they are defeated by the Guelph forces, and take heavy losses. Manfred is killed, and Pope Clement IV invests Charles as ruler of Sicily and Naples. Meanwhile, Michael II, despot of Epirus, invades Albania, and recovers the lands that Manfred has taken from him.Esposito, Gabriele (2019). Armies of the Medieval Italian Wars 1125–1325, p. 39. Bloomsbury Publishing. {{ISBN|9781472833426}}.
  • June – The Mudéjar revolt of 1264–1266 ends. The rebels make their formal submission to Alfonso X. They recognize the error that the Moors of Murcia have committed against their overlord Alfonso. Representatives of the aljama, or municipal council, renew their allegiance and humbly beg for pardon, mercy and favour. With this, the Mudéjar uprising in the Kingdom of Murcia is formally ended.O'Callaghan, Joseph F. (2011). The Gibraltar Crusade: Castile and the Battle of the Strait, p. 47. University of Pennsylvania Press. {{ISBN|978-0-8122-0463-6}}.
  • June 23Battle of Trapani: The Venetian fleet (24 galleys) led by Admiral Jacopo Dondulo moves to Marsala and attacks the larger Genoese fleet anchored at Trapani, capturing all its ships. Some 1,200 Genoese drown and many are killed. Dondulo is acclaimed a hero on his return to Venice in July and elected as Captain General of the Sea, Venice's highest naval command position.Stanton, Charles D. (2015). Medieval Maritime Warfare, p. 165. Barnsley, South Yorkshire: Pen and Sword. {{ISBN|978-1-4738-5643-1}}.
  • July 2Treaty of Perth: King Alexander III of Scotland agrees to a peace settlement with King Magnus VI of Norway ("the Law-mender") in which the Outer Hebrides and Isle of Man are ceded to Scotland in exchange for 4,000 marks. In return, Alexander confirms Norwegian sovereignty over the islands of Shetland and Orkney.{{cite web|title=When Hebrideans were offered a new start in Norway|url=https://www.scotsman.com/news/when-hebrideans-were-offered-a-new-start-in-norway-1-4372635|website=Scotsman|access-date=27 April 2018|language=en}}

== England ==

== Levant ==

  • July 23Siege of Safed: Mamluk forces capture the castle of Safed, defended by a garrison of 1,700 men (including some 500 Knights Templar), after a 6-week siege. Sultan Baibars promises safe conduct but when the Christians and Templars are on their way towards Acre, they are seized and beheaded.Andrew Roberts (2011). Great Commanders of the Medieval World (454–1582), pp. 194–196. {{ISBN|978-0-85738-589-5}}.
  • August 24Battle of Mari: Mamluk forces (some 30,000 men) led by Baibars defeat the Armenian army in Cilicia, in retaliation for the support of the Mongol invasion in Syria. He expands his domain, capturing the city of Byblos (modern Lebanon) and the important castle of Toron from the Crusader States.
  • October 28 – A Crusader advance guard is ambushed by the Egyptian garrison of Safed, while local Arabs attack the Crusader camp. The 13-year-old Hugh II, ruler of Cyprus, is advised to retire and withdraw with heavy losses. Meanwhile, Baibars campaigns in Galilee and leads a lightning raid to Tripoli.Steven Runciman (1952). A History of The Crusades. Vol III: The Kingdom of Acre, p. 268. {{ISBN|978-0-241-29877-0}}.

== Asia ==

== America ==

= By topic =

== Economics ==

== Religion ==

Births

Deaths

References

{{Reflist}}

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