Louis II of Naples
Who was Louis II of Naples?
King of Naples
Biographical data adapted from Wikipedia’s article on Louis II of Naples (CC BY-SA 4.0).
Biography
Louis II of Anjou (5 October 1377 – 29 April 1417) was Duke of Anjou and Count of Provence. He spent much of his life trying to claim the Kingdom of Naples. Born in Angers to Louis I of Anjou and Marie of Blois, he took over his father's titles and ambitions as a child after his father's death during a military campaign in southern Italy in 1384. His father had been adopted by Queen Joanna I of Naples, which gave the Angevins a legal claim to the Neapolitan throne.
In the early years of Louis II's reign, his mother Marie of Blois acted as regent and struggled to hold onto his territories. The Provençal nobles initially refused to recognize the young duke's authority, prompting Marie to engage in careful diplomacy between 1385 and 1387 to win their loyalty. Meanwhile, his uncles John, Duke of Berry, and Philip II, Duke of Burgundy, chose not to continue the costly Neapolitan war that had drained his father's resources and led to his death.
Things turned around for Louis II when his cousin King Charles VI of France decided to support his Italian ambitions in 1389. This support led to his coronation as King of Naples by Antipope Clement VII in Avignon on 1 November 1389, providing him with both political and church backing for his claims. With French support, Louis II launched his campaign to claim his inheritance in southern Italy, managing to establish control in parts of the kingdom.
The Neapolitan campaign was only somewhat successful, as Louis II ended up in conflict with Ladislaus of Naples, who controlled competing territories within the kingdom. This resulted in a split of Naples between the two claimants, with neither gaining full control. Louis II's position weakened further as the relationship between France and Antipope Benedict XIII, Clement VII's successor, worsened. This change undermined the papal support essential for legitimizing his rule.
By 1399, military pressure from Ladislaus and a lack of strong French support forced Louis II to give up his Neapolitan territories and return to Provence. He spent the rest of his reign consolidating his control over his northern lands, ruling as Duke of Anjou and Count of Provence until he died in Angers on 29 April 1417. His marriage to Yolanda de Aragon brought valuable dynastic ties, although it ultimately didn't help secure his Italian ambitions.
Before Fame
Louis II's rise was determined by family inheritance and the ambitions of his father, Louis I of Anjou, who was a younger son of King John II of France. His future claims were set when Queen Joanna I of Naples adopted Louis I, allowing a legal way for Angevin succession to the Neapolitan throne. However, when Louis I died in 1384 during his military campaign to secure these claims, the seven-year-old Louis II was left with big ambitions but limited means to pursue them.
During his young years, his mother, Marie of Blois, focused on protecting his inheritance from doubtful nobles and hesitant royal uncles who saw the Italian campaign as an expensive distraction. The political situation in 14th-century France, full of internal conflicts and the ongoing struggles of the Hundred Years' War, initially made it difficult to continue costly foreign adventures in southern Italy.
Key Achievements
- Successfully secured recognition as Duke of Anjou and Count of Provence despite initial noble resistance
- Obtained papal coronation as King of Naples from Antipope Clement VII in 1389
- Established effective control over significant portions of the Kingdom of Naples from 1390-1399
- Maintained French royal support for his Italian claims under King Charles VI
- Consolidated Angevin power in Provence following his return from Italy
Did You Know?
- 01.He was crowned King of Naples by an antipope in Avignon rather than in Rome, reflecting the Western Schism's impact on medieval politics
- 02.His mother Marie of Blois had to personally negotiate with individual Provençal nobles between 1385-1387 to secure their recognition of his authority
- 03.Despite being titled King of Naples, he never controlled the entire kingdom, ruling only parts of southern Italy from 1390-1399
- 04.His father died when Louis II was only seven years old, leaving him with inherited claims to one of Europe's most contested kingdoms
- 05.He spent the same number of years fighting for Naples (9 years) as he did in exile from it after his defeat by Ladislaus