Isabella of Taranto
Encyclopedia
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
.
, Count of Copertino
, and Catherine of Taranto
. She was also the niece and heiress presumptive
of childless Giovanni Antonio del Balzo Orsini
, Prince 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 1406–1414. Thus, she was the heiress presumptive of feudal possessions in Southern Italy.
, then Duke of Calabria (1423–1494), natural son of Alfonso V of Aragon
who had recently conquered the Neapolitan kingdom from French Angevins, and thus was the new liege lord of Isabella and her family.
Alfonso arranged this marriage in order to give a good future to his favorite bastard son, by giving him his own principality by marriage. Also, Alfonso wanted his loyal people (such as his own son) to have feudal fiefs in his new kingdom, which would happen in the future as soon as Ferdinand and Isabella succeeded in Taranto. The marriage also strengthened the king's grip on the current lords of Taranto.
On 27 June 1458 her husband became, by the will of king Alfonso, King in his conquered territories and as such used the title King of Naples and Jerusalem, and Isabella became Queen consort. By that point, they had several children of their own, the eldest being the 10-year-old Alphonso.
They no longer wanted to make Taranto their principal holding, but it was still a strong possession, and in 1463 Isabella succeeded her uncle Giovanni Antonio in Taranto. Isabella also inherited the Brienne claim
to the Kingdom of Jerusalem
.
Isabella died on 30 March 1465, and was buried in St. Peter the Martyr. Her heir was her eldest son, Alphonso, then Duke of Calabria, the future king Alfonso II of Naples
and Jerusalem.
Her widower King Ferdinand (born 1423, died 25 January 1494) secondly married his paternal first cousin Joanna of Aragon, daughter of his uncle John II of Aragon
and Juana Enríquez
.
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Principality of Taranto
The Principality of Taranto was a state in southern Italy created in 1088 for Bohemond I, eldest son of Robert Guiscard, as part of the peace between him and his younger brother Roger Borsa after a dispute over the succession to the Duchy of Apulia....
in her own right and first Queen consort
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 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:...
.
Family
She was the elder daughter of Tristan de ClermontTristan 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....
, Count of Copertino
Copertino
Copertino is a town and comune in the province of Lecce in the Apulia region of south-east Italy.-History:Following Charles of Anjou's successful campaign in 1266, the Hohenstaufen tower of Copertino was held first by the de Pratis family and then by Walter VI of Brienne, Duke of Athens, Duke of...
, and Catherine of Taranto
Catherine of Taranto
Caterina d'Enghien Orsini was a daughter of Mary of Enghien and Raimondo del Balzo Orsini di Nola.She was married to Tristan, Count of Copertino , a knight of the French family of de Clermont-Lodeve....
. She was also the niece and heiress presumptive
Heir Presumptive
An heir presumptive or heiress presumptive is the person provisionally scheduled to inherit a throne, peerage, or other hereditary honour, but whose position can be displaced by the birth of an heir or heiress apparent or of a new heir presumptive with a better claim to the position in question...
of childless Giovanni Antonio del Balzo Orsini
Giovanni Antonio del Balzo Orsini
Giovanni Antonio Del Balzo Orsini was Prince of Taranto, Duke of Bari, Count of Lecce, Acerra, Soleto and Conversano, as well as Count of Matera and of Ugento ....
, Prince of Taranto. She was a granddaughter of queen Mary of Enghien
Mary of Enghien
Mary of Enghien, also Maria d'Enghien, was Countess of Lecce from 1384 to 1446, and, by her second marriage, Queen of Naples and titular Queen of Sicily, Jerusalem, and Hungary .- Family :...
(mother of Giovanni and Catherine), who had been queen consort of Naples (Queen of Jerusalem and Sicily) in 1406–1414. Thus, she was the heiress presumptive of feudal possessions in Southern Italy.
Marriage
On 30 May 1444/1445, Isabella married Ferdinand of AragonFerdinand 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:...
, then Duke of Calabria (1423–1494), natural son of Alfonso V of Aragon
Alfonso V of Aragon
Alfonso the Magnanimous KG was the King of Aragon , Valencia , Majorca, Sardinia and Corsica , and Sicily and Count of Barcelona from 1416 and King of Naples from 1442 until his death...
who had recently conquered the Neapolitan kingdom from French Angevins, and thus was the new liege lord of Isabella and her family.
Alfonso arranged this marriage in order to give a good future to his favorite bastard son, by giving him his own principality by marriage. Also, Alfonso wanted his loyal people (such as his own son) to have feudal fiefs in his new kingdom, which would happen in the future as soon as Ferdinand and Isabella succeeded in Taranto. The marriage also strengthened the king's grip on the current lords of Taranto.
On 27 June 1458 her husband became, by the will of king Alfonso, King in his conquered territories and as such used the title King of Naples and Jerusalem, and Isabella became Queen consort. By that point, they had several children of their own, the eldest being the 10-year-old Alphonso.
They no longer wanted to make Taranto their principal holding, but it was still a strong possession, and in 1463 Isabella succeeded her uncle Giovanni Antonio in Taranto. Isabella also inherited the Brienne claim
Brienne claim to the Kingdom of Jerusalem
Hugh, Count of Brienne claimed the regency of Jerusalem in 1264 as senior heir of Hugh I of Cyprus and Alice of Jerusalem, being the son of their eldest daughter, but was passed over by the Haute Cour in favor of his cousin Hugh III of Cyprus. This claim fell to his son Walter V of Brienne and...
to the Kingdom of Jerusalem
Kingdom of Jerusalem
The Kingdom of Jerusalem was a Catholic kingdom established in the Levant in 1099 after the First Crusade. The kingdom lasted nearly two hundred years, from 1099 until 1291 when the last remaining possession, Acre, was destroyed by the Mamluks, but its history is divided into two distinct periods....
.
Isabella died on 30 March 1465, and was buried in St. Peter the Martyr. Her heir was her eldest son, Alphonso, then Duke of Calabria, the future king Alfonso II of Naples
Alfonso II of Naples
Alfonso II of Naples , also called Alfonso II d'Aragon, was King of Naples from 25 January 1494 to 22 February 1495 with the title King of Naples and Jerusalem...
and Jerusalem.
Her widower King Ferdinand (born 1423, died 25 January 1494) secondly married his paternal first cousin Joanna of Aragon, daughter of his uncle John II of Aragon
John II of Aragon
John II the Faithless, also known as the Great was the King of Aragon from 1458 until 1479, and jure uxoris King of Navarre from 1425 until his death. He was the son of Ferdinand I and his wife Eleanor of Alburquerque...
and Juana Enríquez
Juana Enríquez
Juana Enriquez de Córdoba, 5th Lady of Casarrubios del Monte , was a Castilian noblewoman who became Queen of the Kingdoms of the Crown of Aragon.-Biography:...
.
Issue
She had six children with Ferdinand:- Alfonso II of NaplesAlfonso II of NaplesAlfonso II of Naples , also called Alfonso II d'Aragon, was King of Naples from 25 January 1494 to 22 February 1495 with the title King of Naples and Jerusalem...
(4 November 1448 – 18 December 1495). - Eleanor of Naples (22 June 1450 – 11 October 1493). She was firstly consort of Massimiliano Sforza, Duke of Bari, and secondly consort of Ercole I d'Este, Duke of FerraraErcole d'Este IErcole I d'Este was Duke of Ferrara from 1471 until 1505. He was a member of the house of Este. He was nicknamed North Wind and the Diamond.-Biography:...
and mother of Isabella d'EsteIsabella d'EsteIsabella d'Este was Marchesa of Mantua and one of the leading women of the Italian Renaissance as a major cultural and political figure. She was a patron of the arts as well as a leader of fashion, whose innovative style of dressing was copied by women throughout Italy and at the French court...
and Beatrice d'EsteBeatrice d'EsteBeatrice d'Este , duchess of Milan, one of the most beautiful and accomplished princesses of the Italian Renaissance, was the daughter of Ercole I d'Este and younger sister of Isabella d'Este and Alfonso d'Este....
. The latter daughter was consort of Ludovico SforzaLudovico SforzaLudovico Sforza , was Duke of Milan from 1489 until his death. A member of the Sforza family, he was the fourth son of Francesco Sforza. He was famed as a patron of Leonardo da Vinci and other artists, and presided over the final and most productive stage of the Milanese Renaissance...
. - Frederick IV of NaplesFrederick IV of NaplesFrederick 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...
(19 April 1452 – 9 November 1504). - John of Naples (25 June 1456 – 17 October 1485). Later Archbishop of Taranto (and/or "Strigonia", apparently Esztergom in Hungary) and then CardinalCardinal (Catholicism)A cardinal is a senior ecclesiastical official, usually an ordained bishop, and ecclesiastical prince of the Catholic Church. They are collectively known as the College of Cardinals, which as a body elects a new pope. The duties of the cardinals include attending the meetings of the College and...
. - Beatrice of NaplesBeatrice of NaplesBeatrice of Naples was the daughter of Ferdinand I of Naples and Isabella of Taranto. She was queen consort to both Matthias Corvinus of Hungary and Vladislaus II of Bohemia and Hungary so she was Queen of Hungary and Bohemia.-Biography:Beatrice received a good education at her father's court in...
(14 September/16 November 1457 – 23 September 1508). She was Queen consortQueen consortA 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 Matthias Corvinus of HungaryMatthias Corvinus of HungaryMatthias Corvinus , also called the Just in folk tales, was King of Hungary and Croatia from 1458, at the age of 14 until his death...
and Ladislaus II of Bohemia and Hungary. - Francis of Naples, Duke of Sant Angelo (16 December 1461 – 26 October 1486).
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