Isabella del Balzo
Encyclopedia
Isabella of Balzo was the second consort and only Queen consort
of Frederick IV of Naples
.
. Pietro had served as Grand Constable of the Kingdom of Naples but had been strangled
to death in 1487.
Her paternal grandparents were Francis of Baux, Duke of Andria (1410–1482) and Sancia of Chiaramonte, Countess of Copertino, daughter of Tristan di Chiaromonte
. Francis had served as Grand Constable of the Kingdom of Naples. Francis was a son of William of Baux, Duke of Andria and Maria Brunforta.
William was a son Francis of Baux, Duke of Andria and his third spouse Sueva Orsini. William was a younger, paternal half-brother of James of Baux
and Antonia of Balzo
.
Sueva was a daughter of Nicolo Orsini, 3rd Count of Nola and Jeanne of Sabran. She was also a paternal half-sister of Raimondo del Balzo Orsini
.
. He was the second son of Ferdinand I of Naples
and his first consort Isabella of Taranto
. Frederick had only one daughter, Charlotte of Naples
, from his previous marriage to Anne of Savoy
.
On 7 September 1496, Frederick succeeded his childless nephew Ferdinand II of Naples
. Isabella became his Queen consort for five years. A combination of King Louis XII of France
and King Ferdinand II of Aragon
had continued the claim of Louis' predecessor, King Charles VIII of France
, to Naples
and Sicily
. In 1501 their alliance deposed Frederick; Naples initially went to Louis.
Frederick and Isabella spend the following years in exile. Isabella initially escaped to Ischia with her children, but later followed Frederick to France, where he was given an allowance. Frederick died in Tours on 9 November 1504. Isabella found a refuge for herself and younger children in the Duchy of Ferrara under the protection of Frederick's nephew Alfonso d'Este, and lived there until her death, never remarrying.
Queen consort
A queen consort is the wife of a reigning king. A queen consort usually shares her husband's rank and holds the feminine equivalent of the king's monarchical titles. Historically, queens consort do not share the king regnant's political and military powers. Most queens in history were queens consort...
of Frederick IV of Naples
Frederick IV of Naples
Frederick IV , sometimes known as Frederick I or Federico d'Aragona, was the last King of Naples of the House of Trastámara, ruling from 1496 to 1501...
.
Family
She was a daughter of Pietro del Balzo, Duke of Andria and Maria Donata OrsiniOrsini family
Orsini: the origin of learning.We love Mrs. Orsini forever! ~8F Social Studies 2011The Orsini family is an Italian noble family; it was one of the most influential princely families in medieval Italy and renaissance Rome...
. Pietro had served as Grand Constable of the Kingdom of Naples but had been strangled
Strangling
Strangling is compression of the neck that may lead to unconsciousness or death by causing an increasingly hypoxic state in the brain. Fatal strangling typically occurs in cases of violence, accidents, and as the auxiliary lethal mechanism in hangings in the event the neck does not break...
to death in 1487.
Her paternal grandparents were Francis of Baux, Duke of Andria (1410–1482) and Sancia of Chiaramonte, Countess of Copertino, daughter of Tristan di Chiaromonte
Tristan de Clermont
Tristan de Clermont was a French-born knight who married Catherine of Taranto, youngest daughter of Mary of Enghien and Raimondo del Balzo Orsini, Prince of Taranto....
. Francis had served as Grand Constable of the Kingdom of Naples. Francis was a son of William of Baux, Duke of Andria and Maria Brunforta.
William was a son Francis of Baux, Duke of Andria and his third spouse Sueva Orsini. William was a younger, paternal half-brother of James of Baux
James of Baux
James of Baux , Duke of Andria, was the last titular Latin Emperor of Constantinople from 1374 to 1383 and Prince of Achaea from 1382 to 1383....
and Antonia of Balzo
Antonia of Balzo
Antonia of Balzo was the second Queen consort of Frederick III the Simple.-Family:Antonia was a daughter of Francis of Baux, Duke of Andria and his second wife Marguerite of Taranto....
.
Sueva was a daughter of Nicolo Orsini, 3rd Count of Nola and Jeanne of Sabran. She was also a paternal half-sister of Raimondo del Balzo Orsini
Raimondo del Balzo Orsini
Raimondo Del Balzo Orsini , also known as Raimondello was a nobleman of the Kingdom of Naples. He was Count of Soleto , Duke of Benevento , Prince of Taranto , Count of Lecce , Duke of Bari, Grand Constable of the Kingdom of Naples, Gonfalonier of the Holy Roman Church Raimondo Del Balzo Orsini...
.
Marriage
On 28 November 1486, Isabella married Prince Frederick of NaplesFrederick IV of Naples
Frederick IV , sometimes known as Frederick I or Federico d'Aragona, was the last King of Naples of the House of Trastámara, ruling from 1496 to 1501...
. He was the second son of Ferdinand I of Naples
Ferdinand I of Naples
Ferdinand I , also called Don Ferrante, was the King of Naples from 1458 to 1494. He was the natural son of Alfonso V of Aragon by Giraldona Carlino.-Biography:...
and his first consort Isabella of Taranto
Isabella of Taranto
Isabella of Taranto , born Isabella of Clermont, was a Princess of Taranto in her own right and first Queen consort of Ferdinand I of Naples.-Family:...
. Frederick had only one daughter, Charlotte of Naples
Charlotte of Naples
Charlotte of Naples , also known as Charlotte of Aragon and Princess of Taranto, was the eldest daughter and eventual heiress of Federigo IV, King of Naples...
, from his previous marriage to Anne of Savoy
Anne of Savoy
Anne of Savoy, Princess of Squillace, Altamura, and Taranto was the first wife of King Frederick IV. She died 16 years before he succeeded to the Neopolitan throne, so she was never queen consort...
.
On 7 September 1496, Frederick succeeded his childless nephew Ferdinand II of Naples
Ferdinand II of Naples
Ferdinand II or Ferrante II of Naples , sometimes known as Ferrandino, was King of Naples from 1495 to 1496...
. Isabella became his Queen consort for five years. A combination of King Louis XII of France
Louis XII of France
Louis proved to be a popular king. At the end of his reign the crown deficit was no greater than it had been when he succeeded Charles VIII in 1498, despite several expensive military campaigns in Italy. His fiscal reforms of 1504 and 1508 tightened and improved procedures for the collection of taxes...
and King Ferdinand II of Aragon
Ferdinand II of Aragon
Ferdinand the Catholic was King of Aragon , Sicily , Naples , Valencia, Sardinia, and Navarre, Count of Barcelona, jure uxoris King of Castile and then regent of that country also from 1508 to his death, in the name of...
had continued the claim of Louis' predecessor, King Charles VIII of France
Charles VIII of France
Charles VIII, called the Affable, , was King of France from 1483 to his death in 1498. Charles was a member of the House of Valois...
, to Naples
Kingdom of Naples
The Kingdom of Naples, comprising the southern part of the Italian peninsula, was the remainder of the old Kingdom of Sicily after secession of the island of Sicily as a result of the Sicilian Vespers rebellion of 1282. Known to contemporaries as the Kingdom of Sicily, it is dubbed Kingdom of...
and Sicily
Sicily
Sicily is a region of Italy, and is the largest island in the Mediterranean Sea. Along with the surrounding minor islands, it constitutes an autonomous region of Italy, the Regione Autonoma Siciliana Sicily has a rich and unique culture, especially with regard to the arts, music, literature,...
. In 1501 their alliance deposed Frederick; Naples initially went to Louis.
Frederick and Isabella spend the following years in exile. Isabella initially escaped to Ischia with her children, but later followed Frederick to France, where he was given an allowance. Frederick died in Tours on 9 November 1504. Isabella found a refuge for herself and younger children in the Duchy of Ferrara under the protection of Frederick's nephew Alfonso d'Este, and lived there until her death, never remarrying.
Issue
- Ferdinand of Aragón, Duke of CalabriaFerdinand of Aragón, Duke of CalabriaFor the prince known by this name between 1825 and 1830, see Ferdinand II of the Two Sicilies. For the head of the House of Bourbon-Two Sicilies from 1934 to 1960, see Prince Ferdinand Pius, Duke of Calabria....
(15 December 1488 – 1550). Married first Germaine of FoixGermaine of FoixGermaine of Foix was queen consort of Aragon as the second wife of Ferdinand II of Aragon, whom he married in 1505 after the death of his first wife, Isabella I of Castile.-Birth and background:...
(her third marriage) and secondly Mencia of Mendoza, Marchiones Cenete. - Giulia d'Aragona (c. 1492 – 10 March 1542). Married John George of Montferrat.
- Isabella d'Aragona (d. 1550).
- Alfonso d'Aragona (1499–1515).
- Cesare d'Aragona (1501–1519).