Frederick of Naples

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Frederick (19 April 1452 – 9 November 1504), sometimes called Frederick IV or Frederick of Aragon, was the last King of Naples from the Neapolitan branch of the House of Trastámara, ruling from 1496 to 1501. He was the second son of Ferdinand I, younger brother of Alfonso II, and uncle of Ferdinand II, his predecessor.

A combination of King Louis XII of France and Frederick's famous cousin King Ferdinand II of Aragon had continued the claim of Louis's predecessor, King Charles VIII of France, to Naples and Sicily. In 1501, they deposed Frederick; Naples initially went to Louis, but by 1504 a falling-out led to Naples' seizure by Ferdinand, after which it remained part of the Spanish possessions until the end of the War of the Spanish Succession.

Early life and education

Born in Naples to Ferdinand I and his first wife, Isabella of Clermont, Princess of Taranto, he succeeded his childless nephew Ferdinand II after the latter's early death in 1496, at the age of 27.

He was baptized on 19 April 1452, in Castel Capuano and his godfather was the Emperor Frederick III, who was then sent to Alfonso the Magnanimous on a diplomatic visit.

His father ascended to the throne of Naples, upon the death of Alfonso the Magnanimous on 27 June 1458, and gave his son the best mentors: Andrea da Castelforte, Giovanni Elisio Calenzio, Girolamo Baldassare, and Offeriano Forti.

As one of the richest heiresses of her time, Mary of Burgundy had many nobles attempting to marry her. The suitors included princes and lords such as Ferdinand the Catholic, Duke Nicholas I of Lorraine, Philibert of Savoy, George of England, and Charles de Guyenne. Louis XI himself expressed interest in nominating a prince of Aragon or Naples, with whom he could exchange the claims of Anjou against the Burgundian territories he sought to inherit in Maine.

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In February 1472, King Ferdinand received Frederick with the aim to aid in the project, a Burgundian delegation insisted that Charles the Bold, for its part, had not stopped his choice. Frederick's sister Eleanor expressed confidence in the idea that the Duke of Burgundy sought to join in alliance before Easter. But these hopes were shattered during the summer when they learned, at the court of Naples, of the engagement of Mary of Burgundy to Nicholas of Lorraine, a claimant to the Kingdoms of Naples and Aragon, resulting from the alliance concluded between Charles, Duke of Burgundy and Nicholas, Duke of Lorraine on 25 May 1472, and signed by Nicholas, in turn, on 27 May 1472. Mary gave her consent to the promise of marriage on 13 June 1472, and Nicolas sent her his "Mons-en-Hainaut" the same day.

While Frederick of Aragon arrived at the court of Burgundy, Antoine de Bourgogne, the half- brother of Charles the Bold, set off to Naples with his son Philippe, François d'Este, an illegitimate son of Lionel Este and Guillaume de Rochefort and a hundred men to submit to King Ferdinand the collar of the Order of the Golden Fleece in which he was admitted to the Chapter of Valenciennes in 1473 at the request of Charles the Bold. Arriving at Mechelen around 15 February, Antoine de Bourgogne stayed at Moncalieri from 4 to 6 March at the Duchess Yolande's estate. He likely met with Frederick at this time at the estate of Chambéry.

Antoine de Bourgogne was received at the Milanese court from 9 to 16 March 1475, then traveled to Naples where he was welcomed by the Duke of Calabria Alphonse on 15 April. On 20 April, King Ferdinand was ordained in the Order of the Golden Fleece, and had sworn to abide by its statutes. The arrival of the Burgundian embassy became an occasion for great festivities including jousts.

Court of Louis XI

In the summer of 1479, Frederick married Anne of Savoy, daughter of Amadeus IX, Duke of Savoy, and Yolande of France. He lived with his young wife at the court of her maternal uncle, King Louis XI of France. After the death of his wife in 1480, he returned to Naples.

In 1485, Frederick received the title of Prince of Squillace, and was sent by his father on several diplomatic missions.

King of Naples

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He succeeded his nephew as king and soon was forced to fight the claims of Louis XI 's successor, King Charles VIII of France, to his kingdom. He was crowned on 26 June 1497. Louis XII of France took these claims on his own and began the conquest of the kingdom from 1499 to 1501. Frederick had to call upon his cousin Ferdinand II, King of Aragon, to repel the French, but the latter, after defeating Louis XII, retained the kingdom for himself. Stripped of his dominions, Frederick was forced to implore the generosity of the King of France, who had made him an annuity of thirty thousand pounds on the duchy of Anjou.

Loss of Naples

The representatives of Louis XII of France and those of Ferdinand and Isabella of Spain signed a secret treaty in Granada on 11 November 1500. The French and Aragonese sovereigns agreed to attack the Kingdom of Naples, conquer it and immediately divide it between themselves. Louis XII would receive Naples, Terra di Lavoro and Abruzzo and the titles of King of Jerusalem and King of Naples; Ferdinand of Aragon would become Duke of Apulia and Duke of Calabria. Each of the two sovereigns sought the endorsement of Pope Alexander VI, the overlord of these hypothetical territories.

In Malaga, Ferdinand armed a fleet of 50 vessels carrying 1,200 horses and 8,000 infantry under the command of Gonzalo de Córdoba. These forces sailed to support the Venetians in the battles against the Turks, then returned after the campaign around 1500–1501 to Sicily. French and Aragonese forces occupied Naples in 1501.

Death

In August 1501, Naples fell to the invading French army forcing Frederick, now in Blois, to negotiate with Louis XII of France. In return for an annual pension and the county of Maine, he forfeited his rights to Naples. Frederick accompanied Louis into Italy, but returned to Tour in March 1503. He died in Tours in 1504.

Marriages and children

Frederick married twice. His first wife was Anne of Savoy—daughter of Amadeus IX, Duke of Savoy, and Yolande of Valois, daughter of Charles VII, King of France—whom he married on 11 September 1478, in Milan. With Anne he had one daughter:

Charlotte (1480–1506), who married Guy XVI, Count of Laval

His second wife was Isabella del Balzo. He also had five children from his second marriage to Isabella:

Ferdinand, Duke of Calabria (15 December 1488 – 1550), who married first Germaine of Foix (her third marriage) and secondly Mencía de Mendoza
Julia (1492 – 10 March 1542), who married John George of Montferrat
Isabella (1496–1550)
Alfonso (1498–1515)
Caesar (1502–1520)