Louis I of Naples of the House of Anjou

Capetian House of Anjou

The Capetian House of Anjou, also known as the House of Anjou-Sicily and House of Anjou-Naples, was a royal house and cadet branch of the direct House of Capet. Founded by Charles I of Sicily, a son of Louis VIII of France, the Capetian king first ruled the Kingdom of Sicily during the 13th century...

, was the Prince of Taranto

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....

 from 1346 and King of Naples from 1352. He was a son of Philip I of Taranto

Philip I of Taranto

Philip I of Taranto : of the Angevin house, was titular Emperor of Constantinople , despot of Epirus, King of Albania, Prince of Achaea and Taranto, and Lord of Durazzo....

 and Catherine II of Valois, Princess of Achaea

Catherine II of Valois, Princess of Achaea

Catherine of Valois was titular Empress of Constantinople from 1308 to her death as Catherine II, Princess consort of Achaea from 1332 to 1341, and Governor of Cephalonia from 1341 to her death.-Life:...

. His paternal grandparents were Charles II of Naples

Charles II of Naples

Charles II, known as "the Lame" was King of Naples, King of Albania, Prince of Salerno, Prince of Achaea and Count of Anjou.-Biography:...

 and Maria of Hungary

Maria Arpad of Hungary

Mary of Hungary , of the Árpád dynasty, was Queen consort of the Kingdom of Naples. She was a daughter of Stephen V of Hungary and his wife Elizabeth the Cuman.-Family:Mary's mother followed the Shamanist religion, like other Cumans...

. His maternal grandparents were Charles of Valois

Charles of Valois

Charles of Valois was the fourth son of Philip III of France and Isabella of Aragon. His mother was a daughter of James I of Aragon and Yolande of Hungary. He was a member of the House of Capet and founded the House of Valois...

 and his second wife, Catherine I of Courtenay

Catherine I of Courtenay

Catherine I of Courtenay was Titular Empress of Constantinople from 1283 to her death in 1307. In 1301, she became the second wife of Charles of Valois, by whom she had one son and three daughters; the eldest of these, Catherine II of Valois, Princess of Achaea succeeded her as titular...

.

In 1342, Louis became Grand Master of the Order of the Holy Sepulchre

Order of the Holy Sepulchre

The Equestrian Order of the Holy Sepulchre of Jerusalem is a Roman Catholic order of knighthood under the protection of the pope. It traces its roots to Duke Godfrey of Bouillon, principal leader of the First Crusade...

, one of the oldest and most prestigious military orders of Christendom. In 1346, his elder brother Robert

Robert of Taranto

Robert II of Taranto , of the Angevin family, Prince of Taranto , King of Albania , Prince of Achaea , Titular Emperor of Constantinople ....

 became the titular Latin Emperor

Emperor of Constantinople

Emperor of Constantinople can refer to:* the Byzantine Emperors, who ruled in the city from 330 to 1204 and from 1261 to 1453* the Latin Emperors, who ruled in the city from 1204 to 1261, as well as the later pretenders to this title...

. Louis was invested with Taranto.

On 20 August 1346, Louis married his cousin, the queen of Naples, Joan I

Joan I of Naples

Joan I , born Joanna of Anjou, was Queen of Naples from 1343 until her death. She was also Countess of Provence and Forcalquier, Queen consort of Majorca and titular Queen of Jerusalem and Sicily 1343–82, and Princess of Achaea 1373/5–81....

, in Naples

Naples

Naples is a city in Southern Italy, situated on the country's west coast by the Gulf of Naples. Lying between two notable volcanic regions, Mount Vesuvius and the Phlegraean Fields, it is the capital of the region of Campania and of the province of Naples...

, becoming her second husband and the only of her husbands to be accorded the title of king. He was crowned King of Naples in 1352 (or perhaps 1353).

In 1360, as king, Louis invaded 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 support of the insurrection against Frederick III the Simple

Frederick III the Simple

Frederick III , called the Simple, was King of Sicily from 1355 to 1377. He was the second son of Peter II of Sicily and Elisabeth of Carinthia. He succeeded his brother Louis...

. In 1361, Louis and Joan had to flee Naples for Gaeta

Gaeta

Gaeta is a city and comune in the province of Latina, in Lazio, central Italy. Set on a promontory stretching towards the Gulf of Gaeta, it is 120 km from Rome and 80 km from Naples....

 to escape the armies of Louis I of Hungary. When Louis died, no husband of Joan was ever crowned king after him and Taranto passed to his younger brother Philip II

Philip II of Taranto

Philip II of Taranto of the Angevin house, was Prince of Achaea and Taranto, and titular Emperor of Constantinople from 1364 to his death in 1374....

.

Wife and children

Children of his marriage (1346), with Joan I, Queen of Naples:

• Catherine (1347–aft. 1362)
• Francesca (1349–1352)

Other offspring:

• Esclabonde (illegitimate)
• Clemenzia (illegitimate)