Louis the Child ( it, Ludovico or ; 4 February 1338 – 16 October 1355) was
King of Sicily
The monarchs of Sicily ruled from the establishment of the County of Sicily in 1071 until the "perfect fusion" in the Kingdom of the Two Sicilies in 1816.
The origins of the Sicilian monarchy lie in the Norman conquest of southern Italy which occ ...
(also known as "Trinacria") from 15 September 1342 until his death. He was a minor upon his succession, and was under a
regency
A regent (from Latin : ruling, governing) is a person appointed to govern a state '' pro tempore'' (Latin: 'for the time being') because the monarch is a minor, absent, incapacitated or unable to discharge the powers and duties of the monarchy ...
until 1354. His actual rule was short, for he died in an outbreak of
plague
Plague or The Plague may refer to:
Agriculture, fauna, and medicine
*Plague (disease), a disease caused by ''Yersinia pestis''
* An epidemic of infectious disease (medical or agricultural)
* A pandemic caused by such a disease
* A swarm of pes ...
the next year. His reign was marked by civil war.
Birth and succession
Born in
Catania
Catania (, , Sicilian and ) is the second largest municipality in Sicily, after Palermo. Despite its reputation as the second city of the island, Catania is the largest Sicilian conurbation, among the largest in Italy, as evidenced also by ...
, Louis was the son of King
Peter II and
Elisabeth of Carinthia
Elizabeth of Carinthia (1298–1352) was Queen of Sicily by marriage to Peter II of Sicily. She was the regent of Sicily during the minority of her son Louis, King of Sicily from 1348 until her death in 1352.
The daughter of the Otto, the penu ...
. On the day of his birth, his father announced him as his heir in a proclamation to the
municipal governments (''universitates'') of the realm. Louis was the first male child of Peter since the death of the firstborn, Frederick, in 1325. On 12 February, Peter issued a privilege to the city of Catania exempting it from the payment of the customary hospitality to the royal court. He also credited the intervention of Catania's patron saint,
Agatha, on whose feast the child was born, for the successful delivery of a boy.
Louis was only four years old when his father died on 15 August 1342, and he was not immediately given the title of king. His uncle, Marquis
John of Randazzo, already Peter's second-in-command as vicar, assumed the regency. During his father's lifetime, Louis was called ''primogenitus'' (first born) and ''infans'' (royal prince, i.e.
infante
''Infante'' (, ; f. ''infanta''), also anglicised as Infant or translated as Prince, is the title and rank given in the Iberian kingdoms of Spain (including the predecessor kingdoms of Aragon, Castile, Navarre, and León) and Portugal to t ...
). After his father's death and before his own coronation, he was titled ''successor''. On 10 September John ordered the citizens of
Palermo
Palermo ( , ; scn, Palermu , locally also or ) is a city in southern Italy, the capital (political), capital of both the autonomous area, autonomous region of Sicily and the Metropolitan City of Palermo, the city's surrounding metropolitan ...
to nominate their representatives to swear the
oath of fealty
An oath of fealty, from the Latin ''fidelitas'' (faithfulness), is a pledge of allegiance of one person to another.
Definition
In medieval Europe, the swearing of fealty took the form of an oath made by a vassal, or subordinate, to his lord. "Fea ...
at Louis's coronation. Louis was crowned in the
cathedral of Palermo
Palermo Cathedral is the cathedral church of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Palermo, located in Palermo, Sicily, southern Italy. It is dedicated to the Assumption of the Virgin Mary. As an architectural complex, it is characterized by the pre ...
on 15 September and thereafter he bore the title of king (''rex'').
Early reign
![Catania_-_Castello_Ursino_01](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/4/40/Catania_-_Castello_Ursino_01.jpg)
After his coronation, Louis lived at Catania from October 1342 until at least March 1343. Towards the end of 1344 negotiations were begun to marry Louis to
Constance
Constance may refer to:
Places
*Konstanz, Germany, sometimes written as Constance in English
*Constance Bay, Ottawa, Canada
* Constance, Kentucky
* Constance, Minnesota
* Constance (Portugal)
* Mount Constance, Washington State
People
* Consta ...
, the newborn daughter of
Peter IV of Aragon
Peter IV, ; an, Pero, ; es, Pedro, . In Catalan, he may also be nicknamed ''el del punyalet'': "he of the little dagger". (Catalan: ''Pere IV''; 5 September 1319 – 6 January 1387), called the Ceremonious (Catalan: ''el Cerimoniós''), w ...
. In June 1346 an ambassador from
Louis I of Hungary
Louis I, also Louis the Great ( hu, Nagy Lajos; hr, Ludovik Veliki; sk, Ľudovít Veľký) or Louis the Hungarian ( pl, Ludwik Węgierski; 5 March 132610 September 1382), was King of Hungary and Croatia from 1342 and King of Poland from 1370 ...
arrived proposing a marriage between Louis and one of the Hungarian king's relatives.
On 7 November 1347 Sicily concluded a
peace treaty at Catania with the
Kingdom of Naples
The Kingdom of Naples ( la, Regnum Neapolitanum; it, Regno di Napoli; nap, Regno 'e Napule), also known as the Kingdom of Sicily, was a state that ruled the part of the Italian Peninsula south of the Papal States between 1282 and 1816. It was ...
, which claimed the island of Sicily. The latter's independence was preserved, but Louis was required to take the title king of "Trinacria", an ancient name for Sicily. The treaty never received the necessary ratification of
Pope Clement VI
Pope Clement VI ( la, Clemens VI; 1291 – 6 December 1352), born Pierre Roger, was head of the Catholic Church from 7 May 1342 to his death in December 1352. He was the fourth Avignon pope. Clement reigned during the first visitation of the Bla ...
. After the death of John of Randazzo on 3 April 1348, the regency passed by his testament to
Blasco II de Alagona
Blasco II d'Alagona (died 23 October 1355), called the Younger, was a very influential nobleman in fourteenth century Sicily. He was probably born in Sicily, of an Aragonese family. He succeeded his uncle Blasco I. The family originated in Alag ...
, a
Catalan
Catalan may refer to:
Catalonia
From, or related to Catalonia:
* Catalan language, a Romance language
* Catalans, an ethnic group formed by the people from, or with origins in, Northern or southern Catalonia
Places
* 13178 Catalan, asteroid #1 ...
nobleman who was already the
grand justiciar and had been John's lieutenant since October 1342. In May 1348 Louis was residing in
Messina
Messina (, also , ) is a harbour city and the capital of the Italian Metropolitan City of Messina. It is the third largest city on the island of Sicily, and the 13th largest city in Italy, with a population of more than 219,000 inhabitants in ...
when he confirmed the succession of John's son
Frederick Frederick may refer to:
People
* Frederick (given name), the name
Nobility
Anhalt-Harzgerode
*Frederick, Prince of Anhalt-Harzgerode (1613–1670)
Austria
* Frederick I, Duke of Austria (Babenberg), Duke of Austria from 1195 to 1198
* Frederick ...
to the duchies of
Athens
Athens ( ; el, Αθήνα, Athína ; grc, Ἀθῆναι, Athênai (pl.) ) is both the capital and largest city of Greece. With a population close to four million, it is also the seventh largest city in the European Union. Athens dominates ...
and
Neopatria
The Duchy of Neopatras ( ca, Ducat de Neopàtria; scn, Ducatu di Neopatria; gr, Δουκάτο Νέων Πατρών; la, Ducatus Neopatriae) was a principality in southern Thessaly, established in 1319. Officially part of the Kingdom of Sici ...
and the marquisate of
Randazzo
Basilica of Santa Maria Assunta.
Randazzo ( scn, Rannazzu) is a town and ''comune'' in the Metropolitan City of Catania, Sicily, southern Italy. It is situated at the northern foot of Mount Etna, c. northwest of Catania. It is the nearest to ...
.
Civil war
![Castello_di_Montalbano_Elicona_02](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/1/15/Castello_di_Montalbano_Elicona_02.JPG)
Guardianship of Palizzi
In the first half of June 1348, Count
Matteo Palizzi
Matteo is the Italian language, Italian form of the given name Matthew (name), Matthew. Another form is Mattia. The Hebrew meaning of Matteo is "gift of god". Matteo can also be used as a patronymic surname, often in the forms of de Matteo, De Mat ...
returned from exile in
Pisa
Pisa ( , or ) is a city and ''comune'' in Tuscany, central Italy, straddling the Arno just before it empties into the Ligurian Sea. It is the capital city of the Province of Pisa. Although Pisa is known worldwide for its leaning tower, the cit ...
. This act spurred the rivalry between the local Sicilian nobility (the families of
Chiaramonte
The Chiaramonte are a noble family of Sicily. They became the most powerful and wealthy family in Sicily. In the 13th century the marriage of Manfredi Chiaramonte to Isabella Mosca, united the two Sicilian counties of Modica and Ragusa. Aroun ...
, Palizzi and Scaloro degli Uberti) and that of Catalan origin (the families of Peralta, Alagona and Ventimiglia), which eventually degenerated into civil war. The Sicilian families are sometimes called ''filoangioini'' (pro-
Angevin
Angevin or House of Anjou may refer to:
*County of Anjou or Duchy of Anjou, a historical county, and later Duchy, in France
** Angevin (language), the traditional langue d'oïl spoken in Anjou
**Counts and Dukes of Anjou
*House of Ingelger, a Frank ...
, the house that ruled Naples) and the Catalans ''filoaragonesi'' (pro-
Aragonese). Initially, Blasco sent Louis to Catania, but the court stopped at
Taormina
Taormina ( , , also , ; scn, Taurmina) is a ''comune'' (municipality) in the Metropolitan City of Messina, on the east coast of the island of Sicily, Italy. Taormina has been a tourist destination since the 19th century. Its beaches on ...
early in November and then moved to the castle of
Montalbano Elicona
Montalbano Elicona ( Sicilian: ''Muntarbanu'') is a ''comune'' (municipality) in the Metropolitan City of Messina in the Italian region Sicily, located about east of Palermo and about southwest of Messina on the Nebrodi mountains at the bord ...
. From there the queen mother made contact with Matteo, who was at Messina, and made him guardian of the young king.
By the end of the year, open warfare had broken out between the two camps. Louis's movements can be traced during the period of civil war, in which his mother sided with the pro-Angevin (Neapolitan) party. He was at
Lentini
Lentini ( scn, Lintini, historically Liuntini; la, Leontīnī; grc, Λεοντῖνοι) is a town and in the Province of Syracuse, South East of Sicily (Southern Italy).
History
The city was founded by colonists from Naxos as Leontini in 72 ...
from late March through April 1349 and at
Augusta in May and early June. Around this time, between May and July, the queen mother died and her role was taken up by Louis's older sister, the abbess
Constance
Constance may refer to:
Places
*Konstanz, Germany, sometimes written as Constance in English
*Constance Bay, Ottawa, Canada
* Constance, Kentucky
* Constance, Minnesota
* Constance (Portugal)
* Mount Constance, Washington State
People
* Consta ...
. From late June through July Louis was with the army besieging Catania. By 22 July Louis had returned to Lentini. In September and October he was at
Castrogiovanni, in November at
Agira
Agira (; Sicilian language, Sicilian: ''Aggira'', grc, Ἀγύριον) is a town and ''comune'' in the province of Enna, Sicily (southern Italy). It is located in the mid-valley of the River Salso River, Salso, from Enna. Until 1861 it was cal ...
and in December at Messina.
An armistice was signed on 10 September 1350 in the king's presence. Both parties agreed to suspend hostilities until the king attained his majority and could judge the dispute. On 23 February 1352, after Louis had turned fourteen, Matteo pushed him to write a letter to the people of Catania declaring his intention to begin his personal rule. Blasco denounced the letter and sent ambassadors to Louis's court on 22 August. Peace was finally concluded in October.
Vicariate of Constance
On 9 June 1353 Louis left Messina in the company of the Chiaramonte, his supporters, to put down the revolt of
Castroreale
Castroreale ( Sicilian: ''Castruriali'') is a village in the Metropolitan City of Messina, Sicily, southern Italy.
It has around 2,702 inhabitants but over 80 churches, with some houses dating to the 13th century. It is from Barcellona Pozzo di ...
. At Taormina he received the homage of Count Enrico Rosso, who nevertheless refused to help him put down the revolt. On 13 June the king was on the plain of
Milazzo
Milazzo ( Sicilian: ''Milazzu''; la, Mylae; ) is a town (''comune'') in the Metropolitan City of Messina, Sicily, southern Italy; it is the largest commune in the Metropolitan City after Messina and Barcellona Pozzo di Gotto. The town has a p ...
, but he had soon returned to Taormina, where the Chiaramonte prevented him from meeting with the nominal regent, Blasco, in spite of the accord that he been reached through the intervention of his sister Constance, who was also with him. By the end of June he had returned to Messina to attend the burial of his brother John (died 22 June) in
the cathedral there.
Support for the king had been slipping among his erstwhile allies, and on 17 July a popular riot in the city of Messina opened the gates to the armed forces of Enrico Rosso and Count Simone Chiaramonte. They demanded that Louis hand over his guardian, Matteo Palizzi, which he refused on 19 July. The palace was invaded but, while Matteo was found and killed, the king escaped. He boarded a Catalan ship and on 29 July arrived at Catania, where he joined his new allies under Blasco de Alagona. The king moved into the
Castello Ursino
Castello Ursino ( scn, Casteddu Ursinu, lit=Bear Castle), also known as Castello Svevo di Catania, is a castle in Catania, Sicily, southern Italy. It was built in the 13th century as a royal castle of the Kingdom of Sicily, and is mostly known fo ...
.
On 2 October, Louis and Blasco led a force against Milazzo, but were repulsed and retreated to Catania on 24 October. On 8 November Louis declared the Chiaramonte traitors. A royal charter from 10 November indicates that at some point the office of vicar was transferred to Constance. Louis's subsequent attempts to break out from Catania were failures. On 15 November he entered the fortress at Agira and then moved on to
Calascibetta
Calascibetta (Sicilian language, Sicilian: ''Calascibbetta'') is a ''comune'' in the Province of Enna, Sicily, southern Italy.
History
It was assumed that Calascibetta was founded in the 9th century as a Muslim military camp, on the fortress in ...
, but he could not take Castrogiovanni and was forced to return to the safety of Catania by 28 November. A few days later he ventured to Taormina, but had returned to Catania by 4 December.
Neapolitan invasion and death
In April 1354, the Neapolitans, with Grand Seneschal
Niccolò Acciaiuoli at the head of a small fleet, invaded Sicily and subjugated Palermo and most of the interior in alliance with the Chiaramonte and the other ''filoangioini'' families. Only Catania and Messina remained under Louis's control, that is, with the Catalan (''filoaragonese'') faction. Fortunately for Louis, the new Neapolitan king,
Louis I Louis I may refer to:
* Louis the Pious, Louis I of France, "the Pious" (778–840), king of France and Holy Roman Emperor
* Louis I, Landgrave of Thuringia (ruled 1123–1140)
* Ludwig I, Count of Württemberg (c. 1098–1158)
* Louis I of Blois ( ...
, refused to provide the required reinforcements and supplies to maintain the invasion. In May the king of Sicily (Trinacria) sent an ambassador to
Naples
Naples (; it, Napoli ; nap, Napule ), from grc, Νεάπολις, Neápolis, lit=new city. is the regional capital of Campania and the third-largest city of Italy, after Rome and Milan, with a population of 909,048 within the city's adminis ...
to protest the invasion. On 4 June he sent out an embassy to Peter IV of Aragon to request assistance.
![Castello Normanno (SEC](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/3/30/Castello_Normanno_%28SEC._XI%29_B.7.jpg)
In June Louis rehabilitated the
Ventimiglia family
The Ventimiglia were a noble family of Liguria, now in Italy. Descendants of the family held positions and titles of nobility in Sicily in Mediaeval times and later.
Members of the family
* Giovanni I Ventimiglia (1383–1475), eighth count ...
, old rivals of the Chiaramonte, and restored them to the office of chamberlain. In November he personally led the force that reconquered
Piazza Armerina
Piazza Armerina (Gallo-Italic of Sicily: ''Ciazza''; Sicilian: ''Chiazza'') is a ''comune'' in the province of Enna of the autonomous island region of Sicily, southern Italy.
History
The city of Piazza (as it was called before 1862) developed d ...
. He followed up his success with further actions in the westernmost Sicilian province, the
Val di Mazara
Mazara del Vallo (; ) is a town and ''comune'' in the province of Trapani, southwestern Sicily, Italy. It lies mainly on the left bank at the mouth of the Mazaro river.
It is an agricultural and fishing centre and its port gives shelter to the ...
, occupying
Cammarata
Cammarata is a ''comune'' (municipality) in the Province of Agrigento in the Italian region Sicily, located about southeast of Palermo and about north of Agrigento on the eponymous mountain, which has an elevation above sea level in a territory ...
and
Trapani
Trapani ( , ; scn, Tràpani ; lat, Drepanum; grc, Δρέπανον) is a city and municipality (''comune'') on the west coast of Sicily, in Italy. It is the capital of the Province of Trapani. Founded by Elymians, the city is still an impor ...
. During late December and early January he was in
Calatafimi
Calatafimi-Segesta, commonly known as simply Calatafimi, is a small town in the province of Trapani, in Sicily, southern Italy.
The full name of the municipality was created in 1997 and is meant to highlight the presence within its territory of th ...
. Only the town of
Castronovo continued to resist in the province. On 7 January 1355 Louis was in
Giuliana, but he returned to Catania in February. From there he and the Alagona launched an assault against Lentini on 13 May, but the siege of the town had to be lifted in mid-June. On 10 July an epidemic of
bubonic plague
Bubonic plague is one of three types of plague caused by the plague bacterium (''Yersinia pestis''). One to seven days after exposure to the bacteria, flu-like symptoms develop. These symptoms include fever, headaches, and vomiting, as well a ...
broke out at Catania and the king left for Messina.
From Messina Louis led a naval and land campaign against Palermo, but succeeded only in devastating the countryside. By September he was able to return to Catania. He was struck by the plague, moved to
Aci, a castle belonging to the recently deceased Frederick of Randazzo. There he died on 16 October, only seventeen years of age. That same night his body was moved to the church of Santa Maria la Grande outside the walls of Catania. The next day (17 October) his funeral procession passed through the streets to the
cathedral of Sant'Agata
Catania Cathedral ( it, Duomo di Catania; Cattedrale di Sant'Agata), dedicated to Saint Agatha, is a Roman Catholic cathedral in Catania, Sicily, southern Italy. It was the seat of the Bishops of Catania until 1859, when the diocese was elevated ...
, where his body was placed in the same tomb as his grandfather,
Frederick II (III), and uncle, John of Randazzo.
Although marriage negotiations had languished since his accession, Louis did leave two illegitimate sons, Antonio (Anthony) and Luigi (Louis), who were sent to
Barcelona
Barcelona ( , , ) is a city on the coast of northeastern Spain. It is the capital and largest city of the autonomous community of Catalonia, as well as the second most populous municipality of Spain. With a population of 1.6 million within ci ...
to be raised by their aunt
Eleanor
Eleanor () is a feminine given name, originally from an Old French adaptation of the Old Provençal name ''Aliénor''. It is the name of a number of women of royalty and nobility in western Europe during the High Middle Ages.
The name was introd ...
, queen of Aragon. On 10 October 1355, days before his death, Eleanor had written to Louis to reopen the negotiations for his marriage to Constance, her stepdaughter. Negotiations were apparently also underway for the hand of a daughter of
Matteo II Visconti
Matteo II Visconti ( – Saronno, 29 September 1355) was co-ruler of Milan together with his brothers Galeazzo II and Bernabò.
Biography
He was the eldest son of Stefano Visconti and Valentina Doria. In 1342 he married Egidiola di Filipp ...
,
ruler of Milan, and for the hand of the King of Naples's niece
Margaret of Durazzo
Margaret of Durazzo ( it, Margherita di Durazzo 28 July 1347 – 6 August 1412) was Queen of Naples and Hungary and Princess of Achaea as the spouse of Charles III of Naples. She was regent of Naples from 1386 until 1393 during the minority of he ...
, ten years Louis's junior.
Notes
Sources
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{{Monarchs of Sicily
1338 births
1355 deaths
14th-century Kings of Sicily
House of Barcelona (Sicily)
Nobility from Catania
Burials at Catania Cathedral
14th-century deaths from plague (disease)
People of Byzantine descent
Counts of Malta