Charles, Duke of Calabria

Coat of arms of the House of Anjou-Napels.

Charles, Duke of Calabria (1298 – November 9, 1328) was the son of King Robert of Naples and Yolanda of Aragon.

Biography

Born in Naples, he became Duke of Calabria in 1309 on his father's accession, and was created Vicar-General of the Kingdom of Sicily (Naples). His father intended him to lead the force sent to aid Florence in 1315, but was constrained by time to send Robert's brother, Philip I of Taranto, instead. The Florentine-Neapolitan coalition was badly beaten at the ensuing Battle of Montecatini.

The victory of Castruccio Castracani at Altopascio in 1325 led the Florentines to elect Charles signore (lord) of the city for ten years in 1326. At the time, he was unsuccessfully attempting to seize Sicily from his first cousin Frederick III, and sent Walter VI of Brienne as his deputy until he could arrive, where Walter made a (misleadingly) favorable impression. While Charles' arrival checked Castruccio, he exacted onerous taxes from the Florentines, until he was recalled to Naples in December 1327 due to the advance of Emperor Louis IV into Italy. There he died in 1328. He left as heir his eldest surviving daughter, Joan; a posthumous daughter, Marie, was born in 1329.

Family and ancestry

In 1316, he married Catherine of Habsburg (1295–1323), daughter of Albert I of Germany. After her death, he married Marie of Valois (1309–1332), daughter of Charles of Valois. They had five children:

• Eloisa (b. January or February 1325 - d. December 27, 1325).
• Maria (b. April 1326 – d. 1328).
• Charles Martel (b. Florence, April 13, 1327 – d. Florence, April 21, 1327).
• Joanna (b. Naples, 1328 – d. castello di San Fele, May 22, 1382), Queen of Naples after succeeded her grandfather.
• Maria (b. posthumously, Naples, May 1329 – d. Naples, May 20, 1366), Countess of Alba.

Ancestors of Charles, Duke of Calabria

16. Louis VIII of France

8. Charles I of Naples

17. Blanche of Castile

4. Charles II of Naples

18. Ramon Berenguer IV, Count of Provence

9. Beatrice of Provence

19. Beatrice of Savoy

2. Robert of Naples

20. Béla IV of Hungary

10. Stephen V of Hungary

21. Maria Laskarina

5. Maria of Hungary

22. Kuthen, Khan of Cumania

11. Elizabeth the Cuman

23. Mstislawna of Galicia

1. Charles, Duke of Calabria

24. Peter II of Aragon

12. James I of Aragon

25. Marie of Montpellier

6. Peter III of Aragon

26. Andrew II of Hungary

13. Violant of Hungary

27. Violant of Courtenay

3. Yolanda of Aragon

28. Frederick II, Holy Roman Emperor

14. Manfred of Sicily

29. Bianca Lancia

7. Constance of Sicily

30. Amadeus IV of Savoy

15. Beatrice of Savoy

31. Anne of Burgundy

External links

• Foundation for Medieval Genealogy
• History of Florence, Niccolò Machiavelli