See Naples and die!!

[King Kurt]

Well, I have started and I am finding it more difficult than I expected. I think I got my begining strategy a little wrong. I started building a good army - so many nice new troop types available from day 1. I also started on my navy to kick off the trade. I think I rushed it a bit and overstretched myself. To top it all, the Pope tried to steal Naples, but I kicked him out. I had been building towards invading Tunisia with a Crusade building behind it. I had brought some nice mercs, put 2 fleets on the Almo fleet and promptly lost! That left me a bit high and dry - I went into insufficient funds and needed to break the cycle. I couldn't invade anywhere and I couldn't build any more ships to trade myself out. So I did some housekeeping, paring some forces - and then the Pope invaded Naples again. I fought the defence out - nearly killed the Pope - his unit was down to 1 man!!! - but my general got himself killed and despite hanging on for a bit more, my army broke. Next turn, I invaded Naples to lift the seige and invaded Rome as well. Pope retreats in both. I am excommed without warning. I pursue and about 3 years later I have wiped the Pope off the face of the map.
Elsewhere the Byzants had a civil war - during which I missed an opportunity to take Greece - Italy beat me by a year. Italy has prospered from this and has taken Contaninople and a few other Byzant lands.
It is now 1230 - don't forget I started in 1205 - the Horde have arrived and I have just defeated the Pope - so time for some thoughts on what next.
The Pope will come back I assume in about 10 - 15 years - I am tempted to slash and burn all but the castles in both provinces so he doesn't come back with much - an alternative is to leave happy and economic buildings - I will keep smallish garrisons with my main force in Naples. Any comments/ ideas on how to deal with the inevitable reappearance?
The other question is which wider strategy - attack the Italians, who I will assume will have some problems with the Horde/ Turks soon or stick to building a trade empire and taking the north coast of Africa/ Egypt with forces/ Crusades etc.
I feel nicely poised - it felt touch and go in my brief savage war with the Pope and if Italy and intervened I think it would have been curtains - but, after a brief interlude to build some fleets, regroup my armies and develop my agents - I already have a nice 3 star assasin active in Northen Italy - it will be time for King Aed - my 8 star Jedi - to look for new activities.