List of the rulers of Naples
This list contains the sovereign rulers of Naples beginning with the division of the Norman Kingdom of Sicily into an insular (Trinacria) and a continental (Mezzogiorno) kingdom in 1282 until the establishment of the Kingdom of Italy in 1861. The monarchs of the two resulting kingdoms continued to name themselves "Kings of Sicily". The term “ Kingdom of Naples ” is a modern way of describing the continental empire in order to distinguish it from the island.
For the kings of Trinacria (Sicily) see List of Rulers of Sicily
Angevin Naples
From 1266, Charles of Anjou ruled as King of Sicily. He already had his main residence in Naples , in contrast to his Norman-Hohenstaufen predecessors, who resided in Palermo . After the outbreak of the Sicilian Vespers in 1282, he lost the rule on the island of Sicily, which was subsequently taken over by King Peter III. was conquered by Aragon . While the island came under the domination of the Aragonese-Catalan house, Charles of Anjou was able to assert himself on the mainland. His son of the same name finally recognized after several years of war in the Treaty of Caltabellotta 1302 the division of the old Norman kingdom into an insular (Trinacria) and a continental (Mezzogiorno) kingdom.
The house of Anjou was a branch of the French ruling Capetian dynasty .
Surname | Reign | relationship | Remarks | |
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House Anjou |
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Charles I of Anjou | 1266-1285 | |||
Charles II the Lame | 1285-1309 | Son of the predecessor | ||
Robert the Wise | 1309-1343 | Son of the predecessor | ||
Johanna I. | 1343-1382 | Granddaughter of the predecessor | Before her disempowerment, Johanna adopted Duke Ludwig I of Anjou , whom she designated as her heir. He and his descendants also held the title of king and did not recognize the rule of the Anjou-Durazzo. | |
Ludwig I. | 1352-1362 | Johanna's cousin and husband | Co-king of his wife. | |
House Anjou-Durazzo |
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Charles III from Durazzo | 1382-1386 | Great-grandson of Charles II | Queen Johanna disempowered. King of Hungary since 1385. | |
Ladislaus | 1386-1414 | Son of the predecessor | ||
Joan II | 1414-1435 | Sister of the predecessor | Johanna adopted both King Alfonso V of Aragon and René of Anjou, who both fought for rule in Naples after their deaths. | |
House Anjou-Valois |
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René the good king | 1435-1442 | Grandson of Duke Ludwig I of Anjou and adopted son of Queen Johanna II. |
The Aragonese Naples
King Alfonso V of Aragón achieved papal recognition as King of Naples after the death of King René. Since he was also King of Sicily (Trinacria), he brought the "two Sicilies" together in a personal union for the first time since their division. But this ended with his death.
Surname | Reign | relationship | Remarks | |
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House Trastámara |
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Alfons I. | 1442-1458 | Adopted son of Queen Johanna II. | King of Aragon (Alfonso V) King of Sicily (Trinacria) |
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Ferdinand I (Ferrante) | 1458-1494 | Son of the predecessor | ||
Alfonso II | 1494-1495 | Son of the predecessor | His rule was interrupted in 1495 by King Charles VIII of France , who claimed Naples as the heir of the Anjou and briefly occupied the country. | |
Ferdinand II (Ferrandino) | 1495-1496 | Son of the predecessor | ||
Friedrich I. | 1496-1501 | Son of Ferdinand I. | Frederick transferred his kingdom to the King of France. | |
House Valois | ||||
Ludwig | 1501-1504 | King of France (Louis XII.). called himself King of Naples "Ludwig IV." in the succession of the Dukes of Anjou. |
Spanish Naples
King Ferdinand II. The Catholic of Aragón conquered the Kingdom of Naples after the battle of Garigliano in 1504 and rose to be its king. Since he was also King of Sicily (Trinacria), he established a permanent personal union of the "two Sicilies".
The kings had their residence in Spain, they were represented by appointed viceroys. See the list of viceroys of Naples .
Surname | Reign | relationship | Remarks | |
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House Trastámara |
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Ferdinand III. the Catholic | 1504-1516 | Grandson of Alfonso V of Aragon | King of Aragon (Ferdinand II) King of Sicily (Trinacria) |
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Johanna III. the madwoman | 1516-1555 | Daughter of the predecessor | Queen of Sicily (Trinacria) Queen of Castile and Aragon |
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The Habsburgs |
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Charles IV | 1516-1554 | Son of Johannas | King of Sicily (Trinacria) King of Spain Roman Emperor |
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Philip I. | 1554-1598 | Son of the predecessor | King of Sicily (Trinacria) King of Spain |
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Philip II | 1598-1621 | Son of the predecessor | King of Sicily (Trinacria) King of Spain |
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Philip III | 1621-1665 | Son of the predecessor | King of Sicily (Trinacria) King of Spain |
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Charles V | 1665-1700 | Son of the predecessor | King of Sicily (Trinacria) King of Spain |
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House of Bourbon |
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Philip IV | 1700-1713 | King of Sicily (Trinacria) King of Spain |
Habsburg, Bourbon and Bonaparte
In the Treaty of Utrecht , which ended the War of the Spanish Succession in 1713, the Spanish crown had to cede the Kingdom of Sicily (Trinacria) to Savoy and the Kingdom of Naples to Habsburg. The personal union of the "two Sicilies" ended therewith, but as early as 1720 the Habsburg emperor Charles VI. Exchange the Kingdom of Sardinia with Viktor Amadeus of Savoy for Sicily and thus restore the personal union.
Surname | Reign | relationship | Remarks | |
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The Habsburgs |
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Charles VI | 1713-1735 | Roman Emperor from 1720 King of Sicily (Trinacria) |
During the Polish War of Succession Sicily was conquered again by Spain. In the peace treaty of Vienna in 1735, Habsburg ceded both Naples and Sicily to the Spanish royal family. Both kingdoms were left to a prince of the house, thus preserving the personal union of "the two Sicilies".
Surname | Reign | relationship | Remarks | |
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House of Bourbon |
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Charles VII | 1735-1759 | Son of King Philip V of Spain | King of Sicily (Trinacria). Charles became king of Spain in 1759. He gave the kingdoms of Naples and Sicily to his younger son. | |
Ferdinand IV. | 1759-1806 | Son of the predecessor | King of Sicily (Trinacria). His rule in Naples was interrupted in 1799 by the Parthenopean Republic . |
The Bourbons lost Naples to the French Emperor Napoleon Bonaparte during the Napoleonic Wars in 1806 . He put his family members there as kings. The Bourbons were able to maintain their rule in Sicily (Trinacria), which ended the personal union of "the two Sicilies" again.
Surname | Reign | relationship | Remarks | |
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House Bonaparte | ||||
Joseph Bonaparte | 1806-1808 | Brother of Emperor Napoleon Bonaparte | Was installed as king by his brother, first in Naples and then in Spain in 1808. | |
Joachim Murat | 1808-1815 | Brother-in-law of Joseph and Napoleon | Was used by his brother-in-law in Naples. Overthrown in 1815. |
After the end of Napoleon Bonaparte, the Bourbone Ferdinand was restored to the throne in Naples. The personal union of the "two Sicilies" was restored.
Surname | Reign | relationship | Remarks | |
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House of Bourbon |
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Ferdinand IV. | 1815-1816 | King of Sicily (Trinacria). |
The Kingdom of the Two Sicilies
By decree, King Ferdinand abolished the personal union between Sicily and Naples (Regno di Sicilia ulteriore) in 1816 and united both kingdoms in a real union. The newly created state was called the “ Kingdom of the Two Sicilies ”, and Ferdinand remained head of state.
Surname | Reign | relationship | Remarks | |
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House of Bourbon |
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Ferdinand I. | 1816-1825 | |||
Franz I. | 1825-1830 | Son of the predecessor | ||
Ferdinand II. | 1830-1859 | Son of the predecessor | ||
Francis II | 1859-1860 | Son of the predecessor |
Dictator of Sicily
Surname | Reign | relationship | Remarks | |
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Giuseppe Garibaldi | 1860-1861 | In the course of the " Risorgimento " Giuseppe Garibaldi conquered Sicily in 1860 and then invaded Naples. The last Bourbon king fled into exile, whereupon Garibaldi ruled the state dictatorially until 1861. Then the country was united with the Kingdom of Sardinia-Piedmont and finally merged with this in the newly founded Kingdom of Italy . |