of Urban III Urban III vigorously took up his predecessor's quarrels with
Holy Roman Emperor Frederick I Barbarossa, including the standing dispute about the disposal of the territories of the countess
Matilda of Tuscany. This was embittered by personal enmity, for at the sack of Milan in 1162 the emperor had caused several of the pope's relatives to be proscribed or mutilated. After his
elevation to the papacy, Urban III continued to hold the archbishopric of Milan, and in this capacity refused to crown as King of Italy Frederick I's son
Henry, who had married
Constance, the heiress of the
kingdom of Sicily. By this marriage/bond the papacy lost that Norman support on which it had so long relied in its contests with the emperor. Urban exerted himself to bring about peace between England and France, and on 23 June 1187, his legates by threats of
excommunication prevented a
pitched battle between the armies of the rival kings near
Châteauroux, and brought about a two years' truce. While Henry in the south cooperated with the rebel
Senate of Rome, his father Frederick blocked the passes of the Alps and cut off all communication between Urban, then living in
Verona, and his German adherents. Urban now resolved on
excommunicating Frederick I, but the Veronese protested against such a proceeding being resorted to within their walls. He accordingly withdrew to
Ferrara, but Urban died 20 October 1187, before he could give effect to his intentions. He was succeeded by
Gregory VIII. According to the chroniclers
Ernoul and
Benedict of Peterborough, Urban III died of shock and grief after
Joscius, Archbishop of Tyre brought him news of the Christian defeat at the
Battle of Hattin. It is also commonly stated that Urban's death was caused by the news of the
fall of Jerusalem, but
William of Newburgh stated the report of the disaster of Hattin (3-4 July) did not reach the
Holy See until after the election of Gregory VIII, it may be that Urban III never heard of the surrender of the Holy City, which took place on 2 October. ==See also==