His mother, Constance Dahn, nee Le Gay, was a noted actress.
When the truce expired in 1183, a permanent peace was ratified at Constance.
Having married Constance, daughter of Manfred of Beneventum, he came forward as the representative of the claims of the Hohenstaufen in Naples and Sicily against Charles, duke of Anjou.
The pope then took refuge with Carlo Malatesta, lord of Rimini, through whom he presented his resignation to the council of Constance on the 4th of July 1415.
Attempts have been made to improve submarine cables in this respect, and in 1906 a short cable " loaded " with Pupin coils was laid across Lake Constance.