Ferdinand (Calabria)

Coat of arms of the Duke of Calabria

Ferdinand of Aragon, Duke of Calabria ( Italian Ferdinando d'Aragona, Duca di Calabria , Catalan Ferran d'Aragó, duc de Calàbria , Spanish Fernando de Aragón, duque de Calabria * December 15, 1488 in Andria ( Apulia , Italy ); † October 26, 1550 in Valencia ) was Crown Prince of Naples and Viceroy of Valencia .

family

Ferdinand was the son of King Frederick I of Naples and his wife Isabella del Balzo. He was a great-grandson of Alfonso V of Aragon . Ferdinand had an older sister, Carlotta (1480–1506), who came from his father's marriage to Anna of Savoy; she married Guido XV in 1500. von Montmorency, Count of Laval, and two younger sisters, Julia (1492–1542), who married Giovanni Giorgio de Montferrato in 1533, and Isabella (approx. 1500–1550).

Life

Political development in Naples during Ferdinand's childhood and youth

At the time of Ferdinand's birth in 1488, his grandfather Ferdinand I was King of Naples. Ferdinand I, King Alfonso V of Aragon was illegitimate son, 1458 by Pope Pius II. Declared legitimate and from him to the kingdom of Naples belehnt Service.

After the death of King Ferdinand I of Naples, his son Alfonso II was crowned in Naples by the papal legate Juan de Borja Lanzol de Romaní . Since Alfonso II had no support in the population and in circles of the Neapolitan nobility, he resigned on January 23, 1495 in favor of his son Ferdinand II . Alfons went to Sicily and died on December 18, 1495 in Messina .

The unclear situation in the Kingdom of Naples enabled Charles VIII of France to occupy the kingdom in February 1495. He claimed the Crown of Naples for the House of Anjou . On May 20, 1495 he was by Pope Alexander VI. crowned King of Naples in the Cathedral of Naples . King Ferdinand II of Naples fled to Sicily and asked the Catholic Kings for help. They had well-trained troops , mainly Castilians , who were no longer needed after the conquest of the Kingdom of Granada . They sent this to support Ferdinand II of Naples. The French troops could not hold their own against the Castilian soldiers. The commandant of the French troops in Naples, the Duke of Montepensier, capitulated on July 27, 1496.

Ferdinand II died on October 7, 1496 (Naples). Whose uncle Frederick I of Naples , the father of Ferdinand, was on 19 December 1496 by Cardinal Cesare Borgia crowned King of Naples and Ferdinand as Crown Prince to Duke of Calabria appointed.

In the Treaty of Chambord-Granada of October 10 and November 11, 1500, Louis XII agreed . of France and the Catholic Monarchs on the division of the Kingdom of Naples. Ludwig was to bear the title of King of Naples. The Pope approved the agreement on June 25, 1501. In July 1501, Louis XII. Troops in the Kingdom of Naples, who were able to occupy the territories that had been assigned to France without much resistance. In August 1501 King Frederick left the capital Naples and found refuge with his wife and smaller children on the island of Ischia , from where they traveled on to France. The more difficult part of the occupation of the Kingdom of Naples, due to the elevation structure and fortified sites, was the area assigned to the Catholic Kings. With this task Gonzalo Fernández de Córdoba y Aguilar was again supervised. He also besieged the city of Taranto , where Ferdinand (at the age of 14) was in command. Gonzalo made him give up by making false promises. Ferdinand was captured and taken to Spain. He was promised a marriage to Catherine of Aragon, who was widowed in England .

In the Treaty of Chambord-Granada, large parts of the kingdom were not clearly assigned. When France occupied these territories, a dispute arose which caused the Catholic Kings to declare the treaty broken by France. Ferdinand demanded the whole kingdom of Naples not only because of the breach of contract by the French, but also because of his inheritance rights to succeed Alfonso V. The Catholic kings sent additional troops to Naples. Gonzalo Fernández de Córdoba entered Naples on May 16, 1503. With the surrender of Gaeta on January 1, 1504, the entire kingdom was in the hands of the troops of the Catholic Kings.

Training Ferdinand

Ferdinand's great-grandfather Alfons V was considered a great patron of art who had amassed an extensive library. Ferdinand's father Friedrich brought a large number of poets to his court. He also made sure that Ferdinand was trained by people who later left behind quite significant works such as B. Gonzalo Fernández de Oviedo , who entered Frederick's service in 1500. During his childhood and youth, the Duke of Calabria learned Tuscan, Neapolitan and Latin. But he also came into contact with other languages ​​such as French, which was widely spoken in the vicinity of his father, as his first wife was from France, as well as Catalan, Aragon and especially Castilian, which he can assume he already spoke. before he came to the Iberian Peninsula in 1502. Already in his youth he was interested in music and theater and received an education in his childhood that made him a typical educated and cultivated Renaissance prince.

captivity

Germaine de Foix first wife of Ferdinand

Mencía de Mendoza second wife of Ferdinand

Ferdinand spent his first time in Spain in Granada at the court of Queen Isabella. Before leaving for Italy, Ferdinand II appointed Ferdinand in Barcelona on August 28, 1506 as his deputy in the County of Barcelona , in the Kingdom of Mallorca and in the Counties of Roussillon and Cerdanya . On his return from Italy in 1507, Ferdinand II had Ferdinand detained in the fortress of Xàtiva in the Kingdom of Valencia. Ferdinand II of Aragon, the new King Ferdinand III. of Naples, feared that Ferdinand, Duke of Calabria, as Crown Prince of Naples, might try to assert his claims to the Crown of Naples. The imprisonment was continued under Charles V (as Charles IV King of Naples). During his imprisonment, Ferdinand was able to have a large part of the royal library sent from Naples. It formed the basis of his later very extensive library. It was not until December 13, 1523 that Charles V lifted his custody.

Viceroy of Valencia

Germaine de Foix had been appointed by her first husband Ferdinand II of Aragon to be his general representative in all the kingdoms of the Crown of Aragon. During her first husband's lifetime, she presided over various Cortes in the lands of the Crown of Aragon . After the death of Ferdinand II and her wedding on June 17, 1519 to Johann von Brandenburg-Ansbach-Kulmbach , she and her husband were jointly appointed viceroys of Valencia by Charles V on March 27, 1523. Her husband Johann was also Capitán General, that is, the highest military commander of the Kingdom of Valencia. Germaine's office as viceroy was not tied to a husband from the start. After her second husband died on July 5, 1525, she married Ferdinand. The wedding took place on May 13, 1526 in Seville. Emperor Charles V and his wife Isabella of Portugal were the witnesses. On August 31, 1526, Ferdinand and his wife Germaine de Foix were appointed viceroys of Valencia. In the certificate of appointment (privilegio del nombramiento como virreyes y lugartenientes de Valencia a los duques de Calabria) their political, economic, social and religious authority were described in detail. Ferdinand was also Captain General of the Kingdom of Valencia. Both were sworn in at the usual solemn ceremony in Valencia Cathedral. Ferdinand retained the post after the death of Germaine de Foix in 1536. In 1541 he married Mencía de Mendoza, Marquesa del Cenete. She was the widow of Count Heinrich III. of Nassau , governor of Holland and Zealand .

The viceroys of Valencia had considerable income from their office. In addition, there was income from the possessions of Germaines in Castile and Ferdinand in Italy. Ferdinand's second wife, Mencía de Mendoza, also had significant resources of her own as Marquesa del Cenete.

Ferdinand as a patron of art

The education he received in the Kingdom of Naples formed the basis of his wide-ranging cultural interests. Ferdinand had grown up at the royal court of Naples in an environment shaped by the emerging ideas of humanism. He had a particular interest in books (primarily manuscripts at that time ). His first wife, Germaine de Foix, came from the royal family of Navarre and lived at the court of her uncle Louis XII from the age of twelve. in Paris, where Queen Anne de Bretagne , a woman with an extensive humanistic education, was responsible for her upbringing. As Queen of Aragon, Germaine already ran a court that was exemplary for other courts in Europe. Her second husband Johann von Brandenburg-Ansbach-Kulmbach was a grandson of the Polish royal couple Casimir IV. Andreas and Elisabeth von Habsburg . This meant that all the prerequisites were given in terms of ancestry for the court of the viceroys of Valencia, who resided in the royal palace (Palau del Real), to become a center of Renaissance culture. This was particularly true of literature. Two writers who worked at the court were Juan Fernández de Heredia and Luis de Milán , who was also known as a composer and music theorist. In his literary text "El Cortesano" he describes life at the court of the viceroys. It is reported that the court had the best orchestra with every type of instrument and singer.

Neither Germaine nor Ferdinand was particularly interested in painting. Germaine owned a number of portraits depicting her first husbands and other family members. Ferdinand's second wife Mencía de Mendoza, on the other hand, got to know the Flemish painters during her stays in the Netherlands and also commissioned Jan Gossaert , Bernard van Orley and Maarten van Heemskerck . She brought an excellent collection of paintings, carpets and jewelry to Valencia.

Germaine de Foix wanted to build a monastery of the Hieronymites , which should serve as her final resting place. The Cistercian monastery of San Bernardo de la Huerta outside of Valencia only had a three-person community. Pope Paul III dissolved the monastery and handed it over to the Hieronymites. A new building complex was planned to replace the old monastery. The building costs were taken over by the viceroys of Valencia. The start of construction on the “San Miguel de los Reyes” monastery was delayed until the foundation stone could be laid in 1548. Germaine de Foix had died in 1538. Ferdinand designated the monastery as his main heir in his will. He died on October 26, 1550 and was later buried with Germaine in the monastery they had founded.

Ferdinand was elected Knight of the Order of the Golden Fleece by the 20th Chapter in 1531 .

ancestors

Pedigree of Ferdinand of Aragon, Duke of Calabria

8. Alfonso V of Aragon                       4. Ferdinand I of Naples                             9. Giraldona Carlino                       2. Frederick I of Naples                                   10. Tristan von Clermont, Count of Copertino                       5. Isabella of Clermont                             11. Caterina di Taranto                       1. Ferdinand, Duke of Calabria                                         12. Francesco II del Balzo, Duke of Andria                       6. Pietro del Balzo, Duke of Andria                             13. Sancia of Clermont, Countess of Copertino                       3. Isabella del Balzo                                   14. Gabriele Orsini, Duke of Venosa                       7. Maria Donata Orsini                             15. Giovanna Caracciolo del Sole

literature

• Santiago López-Ríos Moreno: La educación de Fernando de Aragón duque de Calabria, durante su infancia y juventud (1488–1502) . In: Nicasio Salvador Miguel, Cristina Moya García (ed.): La literatura en la época de los Reyes Católicos . Iberoamericana-Vervuert, Madrid-Frankfurt 2008, ISBN 978-84-8489-356-1 , p. 127–144 (Spanish, ucm.es [accessed March 28, 2016]).

• Leandro Martínez Peñas; Manuela Fernández Rodríguez: Ultima Ratio . In: La guerra y el nacimiento del Estado Moderno: Consecuencias jurídicas e institucionales de los conflictos bélicos en el reinado de los Reyes Católicos . Asociación Veritas para el Estudio de la Historia, el Derecho y las Instituciones, Valladolid 2014, ISBN 978-84-616-8611-7 (Spanish, unirioja.es [accessed February 28, 2016]).

• Regina Pinilla Pérez de Tudela: El virreinato conjunto de doña Germana de Foix y don Fernando de Aragón (1526–1536): fin de una revuelta y principio de un conflicto . Ed .: Universidad de Valencia. Valencia 1982 (Spanish, uv.es [accessed February 28, 2016]).

Individual evidence

1. ↑ Borja Lanzol de Romaní, el mayor, Juan de. In: Salvador Miranda : The Cardinals of the Holy Roman Church. ( Florida International University website ), accessed December 14, 2016. (English)
2. ↑ Leandro Martínez Peñas; Manuela Fernández Rodríguez: Ultima Ratio . In: La guerra y el nacimiento del Estado Moderno: Consecuencias jurídicas e institucionales de los conflictos bélicos en el reinado de los Reyes Católicos . Asociación Veritas para el Estudio de la Historia, el Derecho y las Instituciones, Valladolid 2014, ISBN 978-84-616-8611-7 , p. 142 (Spanish, unirioja.es [accessed February 28, 2016]).
3. ↑ Leandro Martínez Peñas; Manuela Fernández Rodríguez: Ultima Ratio . In: La guerra y el nacimiento del Estado Moderno: Consecuencias jurídicas e institucionales de los conflictos bélicos en el reinado de los Reyes Católicos . Asociación Veritas para el Estudio de la Historia, el Derecho y las Instituciones, Valladolid 2014, ISBN 978-84-616-8611-7 , p. 144 (Spanish, unirioja.es [accessed February 28, 2016]).
4. ↑ Santiago López-Ríos Moreno: La educación de Fernando de Aragón duque de Calabria, durante su infancia y juventud (1488–1502) . In: Nicasio Salvador Miguel, Cristina Moya García (ed.): La literatura en la época de los Reyes Católicos . Iberoamericana-Vervuert, Madrid-Frankfurt 2008, ISBN 978-84-8489-356-1 , p. 137 (Spanish, ucm.es [accessed March 28, 2016]).
5. ↑ Leandro Martínez Peñas; Manuela Fernández Rodríguez: Ultima Ratio . In: La guerra y el nacimiento del Estado Moderno: Consecuencias jurídicas e institucionales de los conflictos bélicos en el reinado de los Reyes Católicos . Asociación Veritas para el Estudio de la Historia, el Derecho y las Instituciones, Valladolid 2014, ISBN 978-84-616-8611-7 , p. 160 (Spanish, unirioja.es [accessed February 28, 2016]).
6. ↑ Santiago López-Ríos Moreno: La educación de Fernando de Aragón duque de Calabria, durante su infancia y juventud (1488–1502) . In: Nicasio Salvador Miguel, Cristina Moya García (ed.): La literatura en la época de los Reyes Católicos . Iberoamericana-Vervuert, Madrid-Frankfurt 2008, ISBN 978-84-8489-356-1 , p. 136 (Spanish, ucm.es [accessed March 28, 2016]).
7. ↑ Regina Pinilla Pérez de Tudela: El virreinato conjunto de doña Germana de Foix y don Fernando de Aragón (1526–1536): fin de una revuelta y principio de un conflicto . Ed .: Universidad de Valencia. Valencia 1982, p. 77 (Spanish, uv.es [accessed on February 28, 2016]).
8. ↑ Regina Pinilla Pérez de Tudela: El virreinato conjunto de doña Germana de Foix y don Fernando de Aragón (1526–1536): fin de una revuelta y principio de un conflicto . Ed .: Universidad de Valencia. Valencia 1982, p. 61 f . (Spanish, uv.es [accessed on February 28, 2016]).
9. ↑ Regina Pinilla Pérez de Tudela: El virreinato conjunto de doña Germana de Foix y don Fernando de Aragón (1526–1536): fin de una revuelta y principio de un conflicto . Ed .: Universidad de Valencia. Valencia 1982, p. 87 (Spanish, uv.es [accessed on February 28, 2016]).
10. ↑ Not to be confused with Juan Fernández de Heredia
11. ↑ Rosa Elena Ríos Lloret: Amor, deseo y matrimonio en El Cortesano de Lluís del Milà . In: Tiempos modernos: Revista Electrónica de Historia Moderna . No. 6/18 , 2009 (Spanish, unirioja.es [accessed on 20 April 2016]).
12. ↑ Carla Perugini: Biografía erótica de la corte valenciana . In: Analecta Malacitana (Anmal electrónica) . No. 32 , 2012, p. 298 (Spanish, unirioja.es [accessed April 20, 2016]).
13. ↑ Miguel Falomir Faus: El Duque de Calabria, Mencía de Mendoza y los inicios del coleccionismo pictórico en la Valencia del Renacimiento . In: Ars longa: cuadernos de arte . No. 5 , 1994, pp. 123 (Spanish, unirioja.es [accessed April 20, 2016]).
14. ↑ Luis Arciniega García: Monasterio de San Miguel de los Reyes, alias San Bernardo de Rascanya . In: Saitabi: revista de la Facultat de Geografia i Història . No. 45 , 1995 (Spanish, unirioja.es [accessed April 20, 2016]).