Ferdinand I of Naples
Ferdinand I of Naples should not be confused with Ferdinand I of the Two Sicilies, a latter king of Naples.Ferdinand I (
1423 –
January 25,
1494), also called
Don Ferrante, was the
King of Naples from
1458 to 1494.
He was the natural son of
Alfonso V of Aragon and I of
Sicily and
Naples.
In order to arrange a good future for Ferdinand, King Alfonso had him married in 1444 to a feudal heiress,
Isabella of Taranto, who besides being the elder daughter of Tristan di Chiaramonte (Tristan de Clermont-Lodeve), Count of Capertino, and Catherine of
Baux Orsini, was the niece and heiress presumptive of childless prince
Giovanni Antonio del Balzo Orsini of
Taranto. She was a granddaughter of Queen
Mary of Enghien (mother of Giovanni and Catherine), who had been Queen Consort of Naples (Queen of Jerusalem and Sicily) in 1406-14.
Ferrante's wife was the heiress presumptive of remarkable feudal possessions in Southern Italy.
He used the title King of Naples and Jerusalem (Ferdinand I of Naples). In accordance with his father's will, Ferdinand succeeded Alfonso on the throne of Naples in 1458, when 35 years old, but
Pope Calixtus III declared the line of
Aragon extinct and the kingdom a
fief of the church. But although he died before he could make good his claim (August
1458), and the new
Pope Pius II recognized Ferdinand,
John of Anjou, profiting by the discontent of the Neapolitan
barons, decided to try to regain the throne of his ancestors that was lost by his father
René, and invaded Naples.
Ferdinand was severely defeated by the
Angevins and the rebels at
Sarno in July
1460, but with the help of
Alessandro Sforza and of the
Albanian chief,
Skanderbeg, who came to the aid of the prince whose father had aided him, he triumphed over his enemies, and by
1464 had re-established his authority in the kingdom. In
1478 he allied himself with
Pope Sixtus IV against
Lorenzo de 'Medici, but the latter journeyed alone to Naples where he succeeded in negotiating an honourable peace with Ferdinand.
The original intent of making Taranto as his and his heirs' main principality was not any longer current, but still it was a strengthening of Ferrante's resources and position that his wife in 1463 succeeded her uncle Giovanni Antonio del Balzo Orsini as possessor of Taranto fiefs. Isabella became also the holder of Brienne rights to the
Kingdom of Jerusalem.
After Isabella's death in
1465, Ferrante married secondly
Infanta Juana of Aragon, his own first cousin, in 1476.
In
1480, forces of the
Ottoman Empire under orders of
Mehmed II captured
Otranto, and massacred the majority of the inhabitants, but in the following year it was retaken by Ferdinand's son Alphonso, duke of
Calabria. His oppressive government led in
1485 to an attempt at revolt on the part of the nobles, led by
Francesca Coppola and
Antonello Sanseverino and supported by
Pope Innocent VIII; the rising having been crushed, many of the nobles, notwithstanding Ferdinand's promise of a general amnesty, were afterwards treacherously murdered at his express command.
Encouraged by
Ludovico Sforza of Milan, in
1493 King
Charles VIII of France was preparing to invade
Italy for the conquest of Naples and starting the
Italian Wars, and Ferdinand realized that this was a greater danger than any he had yet faced. With almost prophetic instinct he warned the Italian princes of the calamities in store for them, but his negotiations with
Pope Alexander VI and
Ludovico Sforza failed.
He died on January 25, 1494, worn out with anxiety; he was succeeded by his son,
Alfonso, Duke of Calabria, who was soon deposed by the invasion of King Charles which his father had so feared. The cause of his death was determined, in 2006, to have been
colorectal cancer, by examination of his mummy.
According to the
Encyclopedia Britannica Eleventh Edition, "Ferdinand was gifted with great courage and real political ability, but his method of government was vicious and disastrous. His financial administration was based on oppressive and dishonest monopolies, and he was mercilessly severe and utterly treacherous towards his enemies."
Ferdinand married twice.
*First to Isabel de Claremont in
1444. Isabel was daughter to Tristan, Count di Papertino and Caterina Orsini. She died in
1465. They had six children:
**
Alphonso II of Naples (
November 4,
1448 –
December 18,
1495).
**
Leonora of Naples (
June 22,
1450 –
October 11,
1493). She was consort to
Ercole I d'Este, Duke of Ferrara and mother to
Isabella d'Este and
Beatrice d'Este. The later daughter was consort to
Ludovico Sforza.
**
Frederick IV of Naples (
April 19,
1452 –
November 9,
1504).
**
Giovanni of Naples (
June 25,
1456 –
October 17,
1485). Later
Archbishop of
Taranto and then
Cardinal.
**
Beatrice of Naples (
September 14/
November 16,
1457 –
September 23,
1508). She was
Queen consort to
Matthias Corvinus of Hungary and
Ladislaus II of Bohemia and Hungary.
**
Francesco of Naples, Duke of Sant Angelo (
December 16,
1461 –
October 26,
1486).
*Second to
Joanna of Aragon (
1454 –
January 9,
1517). She was born to
John II of Aragon and Juana Enríquez. They were married on
September 14,
1476. They had two children:
**
Giovanna of Naples (
1478 –
August 27,
1518).
Queen consort to her nephew
Ferdinand II of Naples, who was actually her elder.
**
Carlo of Naples (
1480–
1486).
Ferdinand also had a number of illegitimate children:
* By his mistress Diana Guardato.
**
Ferdinand d' Aragona, Duke di Montalto.
**
Maria d'Aragona. Later consort to
Antonio Todeschini Piccolomini, Duke of Amalfi, a nephew of
Pope Pius II and brother of
Pope Pius III.
**
Giovanna d' Aragona. Later consort to
Leonardo della Rovere, Duke of Arce and Sora, a nephew of
Pope Sixtus IV and brother of
Pope Julius II.
* By his mistress Eulalia Ravignano.
**
Maria d'Aragona. Later wife to Gian Giordano
Orsini.
* By his mistress Giovanna Caracciola.
**
Ferdinand d'Aragona, Count of Arsena.
**
Arrigo d'Aragona, Marquess of Gerace**
Cesare d'Aragona, Marquess of Santa Agata.
**
Leonor d'Aragona.
*
Lucrezia d'Aragona, daughter of either Giovanna Caracciola or Eulalia Ravignano. She was consort to
Onorata III, Prince of Altamura.
*
His descent from Ferdinand IV of Castile
