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The name of Torre Astura is associated with Conradin of Swabia, the last of the Hohenstaufen. In 1267, at the age of 15 Conradin tried to regain control of southern Italy, which his uncle Manfred had lost in 1266, beaten in Benevento by Charles of Anjou. Conradin, with limited resources from Germany and a few very young followers meandered for a while in northern Italy until Pisa provided him the support to attempt the reconquest of Naples and Sicily. He entered Rome, abandoned by the pope who preferred to stay in safer Viterbo, and he received some help from the powerful Roman families. In August 1268, near Tagliacozzo, his army seemed to defeat the Angevins of King Charles and Conradin dispersed his forces to follow the fugitives. But Charles kept some fresh forces as a reserve and threw them in the field at this point and won the battle. Conradin managed to escape, reached Rome and tried to go back to Pisa: in this attempt he came to Torre Astura, to a small castle of the Frangipane. Giovanni Frangipane at first was inclined to help Conradin, but the emissaries of Charles reached him and, after a few days of uncertainty, he handed over Conradin and his young friends to Charles.