Joanna, Duchess of Durazzo
Encyclopedia
Joanna of Durazzo was the eldest daughter and eldest surviving child of Charles, Duke of Durazzo
and his wife Maria of Calabria
. She succeeded as Duchess on the death of her father in 1348 when she was only a child of four years old. Joanna was a member of the House of Anjou-Durazzo
.
She reigned as Duchess of Durazzo from 1348-1368. She married twice; firstly to Louis of Navarre
and then after his death to Robert IV of Artois, Count of Eu
.
wife of James of Baux
, Clementia who died aged seventeen in Naples
and Margaret who married Charles III of Naples
and became consort of Naples
and Hungary
. Maria was born in 1329 and she gave birth to Joanna in 1344, this means Maria was only fourteen or fifteen at the birth of her daughter.
Her mother remarried twice more, her third marriage to Philip II, Prince of Taranto produced no surviving children. However her second marriage to Robert, Lord of Baux produced four children: Raymond III, Lord of Baux, Francis, Lord of Aubagne, Phanette of Baux and Ettienette, Lady of Roussillon.
Joanna's maternal grandparents were Charles, Duke of Calabria
and his second wife Marie of Valois. Joanna's aunt was Joan I of Naples
. Her paternal grandparents were John, Duke of Durazzo
and his second wife Agnes de Périgord.
rather than going to Durazzo. It was here she was betrothed to her cousin Charles Martel, son of Queen Joan. Charles Martel was heir in Hungary
due to a lack of male heirs. The boy was moved to Hungary
, however the engagement was broken when the young boy died around 1348 in Hungary.
In 1365 aged twenty one, Joanna married her first husband Louis of Navarre
, who became Duke of Durazzo in right of his wife. He was the son of Joan II of Navarre
. Durazzo was soon later captured by the Albanians
. Joanna and her husband wished to take back Durazzo as well as the Kingdom of Albania
. They received assistance from both Louis' brother and the king of France in this undertaking, for Durazzo (the remnant of the kingdom) was in the hands of Karl Thopia
. In 1372, Louis brought over the Navarrese Company of mercenaries, who had fought with him during the war in France
, to assist them in taking Durazzo. Their ranks swelled considerably in 1375 with new recruits directly from Navarre. Many documents survive telling us of the complex nature of the military planning and engineering which was undertaken to ensure success. This they attained, taking the city in midsummer 1376. Louis died shortly after. Louis and Joanna had no children. Joanna never fully regained control of Durazzo.
Around 1376 Joanna remarried to Robert IV of Artois, Count of Eu
. This marriage was also childless. Robert was not Count of Eu for long, he and Joanna were not informed of his father's death in 1387. They were staying at Castel dell'Ovo
in Naples where they were both poisoned by their brother-in-law Charles III of Naples
, who had also murdered Queen Joan.
Joanna is buried in San Lorenzo (Naples)
. Charles III was later murdered on the orders of Elizabeth of Bosnia. Joanna's sister Margaret had Elizabeth strangled for this act, even though Charles had murdered her own sister.
Charles, Duke of Durazzo
Charles of Durazzo was a Neapolitan nobleman, the eldest son of John, Duke of Durazzo and Agnes de Périgord.He succeeded his father as Duke of Durazzo and Count of Gravina in 1336....
and his wife Maria of Calabria
Maria of Calabria
Maria of Calabria was the first Empress consort of Philip II of Taranto, titular Latin Emperor of Constantinople.-Family:...
. She succeeded as Duchess on the death of her father in 1348 when she was only a child of four years old. Joanna was a member of the House of Anjou-Durazzo
Capetian House of Anjou
The Capetian House of Anjou, also known as the House of Anjou-Sicily and House of Anjou-Naples, was a royal house and cadet branch of the direct House of Capet. Founded by Charles I of Sicily, a son of Louis VIII of France, the Capetian king first ruled the Kingdom of Sicily during the 13th century...
.
She reigned as Duchess of Durazzo from 1348-1368. She married twice; firstly to Louis of Navarre
Louis, Duke of Durazzo
Louis of Évreux was the youngest son of Philip III of Navarre and Joan II of Navarre. He inherited the county of Beaumont-le-Roger from his father and became Duke of Durazzo in right of his second wife, Joanna, in 1366.Louis's first marriage was to Maria de Lizarazu in 1358...
and then after his death to Robert IV of Artois, Count of Eu
Robert IV of Artois, Count of Eu
Robert IV of Artois , son of John of Artois, Count of Eu and Isabeau of Melun, was Count of Eu in 1387.About 1376, he married Joanna of Durazzo, daughter of Charles, Duke of Durazzo. He was poisoned and died in the Castel dell'Ovo, Naples....
.
Family
Joanna was the eldest daughter and second eldest child born to her parents. Her older brother Louis died in 1344, the same year Joanna was born. She had three younger siblings, all sisters: AgnesAgnes of Durazzo
Agnes of Durazzo was the Empress consort of James of Baux, titular Latin Emperor of Constantinople. She was the last consort of the Latin Empire.-Family:She was the second daughter of Charles, Duke of Durazzo and Maria of Calabria...
wife of James of Baux
James of Baux
James of Baux , Duke of Andria, was the last titular Latin Emperor of Constantinople from 1374 to 1383 and Prince of Achaea from 1382 to 1383....
, Clementia who died aged seventeen in Naples
Naples
Naples is a city in Southern Italy, situated on the country's west coast by the Gulf of Naples. Lying between two notable volcanic regions, Mount Vesuvius and the Phlegraean Fields, it is the capital of the region of Campania and of the province of Naples...
and Margaret who married Charles III of Naples
Charles III of Naples
Charles the Short or Charles of Durazzo was King of Naples and titular King of Jerusalem from 1382 to 1386 as Charles III, and King of Hungary from 1385 to 1386 as Charles II. In 1382 Charles created the order of Argonauts of Saint Nicholas...
and became consort of Naples
Naples
Naples is a city in Southern Italy, situated on the country's west coast by the Gulf of Naples. Lying between two notable volcanic regions, Mount Vesuvius and the Phlegraean Fields, it is the capital of the region of Campania and of the province of Naples...
and Hungary
Hungary
Hungary , officially the Republic of Hungary , is a landlocked country in Central Europe. It is situated in the Carpathian Basin and is bordered by Slovakia to the north, Ukraine and Romania to the east, Serbia and Croatia to the south, Slovenia to the southwest and Austria to the west. The...
. Maria was born in 1329 and she gave birth to Joanna in 1344, this means Maria was only fourteen or fifteen at the birth of her daughter.
Her mother remarried twice more, her third marriage to Philip II, Prince of Taranto produced no surviving children. However her second marriage to Robert, Lord of Baux produced four children: Raymond III, Lord of Baux, Francis, Lord of Aubagne, Phanette of Baux and Ettienette, Lady of Roussillon.
Joanna's maternal grandparents were Charles, Duke of Calabria
Charles, Duke of Calabria
Charles, Duke of Calabria was the son of King Robert of Naples and Yolanda of Aragon.-Biography:Born in Naples, he became Duke of Calabria in 1309 on his father's accession, and was created Vicar-General of the Kingdom of Sicily...
and his second wife Marie of Valois. Joanna's aunt was Joan I of Naples
Joan I of Naples
Joan I , born Joanna of Anjou, was Queen of Naples from 1343 until her death. She was also Countess of Provence and Forcalquier, Queen consort of Majorca and titular Queen of Jerusalem and Sicily 1343–82, and Princess of Achaea 1373/5–81....
. Her paternal grandparents were John, Duke of Durazzo
John, Duke of Durazzo
John of Gravina , Count of Gravina 1315–1336, Duke of Durazzo 1332–1336 and ruler of the Kingdom of Albania , was a younger son of Charles II of Naples and Maria of Hungary....
and his second wife Agnes de Périgord.
Life
Joanna's father died in 1348 and Joanna succeeded him, being the eldest surviving child. However Joanna remained in NaplesNaples
Naples is a city in Southern Italy, situated on the country's west coast by the Gulf of Naples. Lying between two notable volcanic regions, Mount Vesuvius and the Phlegraean Fields, it is the capital of the region of Campania and of the province of Naples...
rather than going to Durazzo. It was here she was betrothed to her cousin Charles Martel, son of Queen Joan. Charles Martel was heir in Hungary
Hungary
Hungary , officially the Republic of Hungary , is a landlocked country in Central Europe. It is situated in the Carpathian Basin and is bordered by Slovakia to the north, Ukraine and Romania to the east, Serbia and Croatia to the south, Slovenia to the southwest and Austria to the west. The...
due to a lack of male heirs. The boy was moved to Hungary
Hungary
Hungary , officially the Republic of Hungary , is a landlocked country in Central Europe. It is situated in the Carpathian Basin and is bordered by Slovakia to the north, Ukraine and Romania to the east, Serbia and Croatia to the south, Slovenia to the southwest and Austria to the west. The...
, however the engagement was broken when the young boy died around 1348 in Hungary.
In 1365 aged twenty one, Joanna married her first husband Louis of Navarre
Louis, Duke of Durazzo
Louis of Évreux was the youngest son of Philip III of Navarre and Joan II of Navarre. He inherited the county of Beaumont-le-Roger from his father and became Duke of Durazzo in right of his second wife, Joanna, in 1366.Louis's first marriage was to Maria de Lizarazu in 1358...
, who became Duke of Durazzo in right of his wife. He was the son of Joan II of Navarre
Joan II of Navarre
Joan II was Queen of Navarre from 1328 until her death. She was the only daughter of Margaret of Burgundy, first wife of King Louis X of France...
. Durazzo was soon later captured by the Albanians
Albanians
Albanians are a nation and ethnic group native to Albania and neighbouring countries. They speak the Albanian language. More than half of all Albanians live in Albania and Kosovo...
. Joanna and her husband wished to take back Durazzo as well as the Kingdom of Albania
Kingdom of Albania
The Kingdom of Albania, or Regnum Albaniae, was established by Charles of Anjou in the Albanian territory he conquered from the Despotate of Epirus in 1271. He took the title of "King of Albania" in February 1272. The kingdom extended from the region of Durrës south along the coast to Butrint...
. They received assistance from both Louis' brother and the king of France in this undertaking, for Durazzo (the remnant of the kingdom) was in the hands of Karl Thopia
Karl Thopia
Karl Topia was one of the powerful feudal princes and warlord, who between them ruled Albania from the middle of the 14th century until the Ottoman conquest. To the Roman Curia, Karl maintained usually good relations, therefore that could do...
. In 1372, Louis brought over the Navarrese Company of mercenaries, who had fought with him during the war in France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
, to assist them in taking Durazzo. Their ranks swelled considerably in 1375 with new recruits directly from Navarre. Many documents survive telling us of the complex nature of the military planning and engineering which was undertaken to ensure success. This they attained, taking the city in midsummer 1376. Louis died shortly after. Louis and Joanna had no children. Joanna never fully regained control of Durazzo.
Around 1376 Joanna remarried to Robert IV of Artois, Count of Eu
Robert IV of Artois, Count of Eu
Robert IV of Artois , son of John of Artois, Count of Eu and Isabeau of Melun, was Count of Eu in 1387.About 1376, he married Joanna of Durazzo, daughter of Charles, Duke of Durazzo. He was poisoned and died in the Castel dell'Ovo, Naples....
. This marriage was also childless. Robert was not Count of Eu for long, he and Joanna were not informed of his father's death in 1387. They were staying at Castel dell'Ovo
Castel dell'Ovo
Castel dell'Ovo is a castle located on the former island of Megaride, now a peninsula, on the gulf of Naples...
in Naples where they were both poisoned by their brother-in-law Charles III of Naples
Charles III of Naples
Charles the Short or Charles of Durazzo was King of Naples and titular King of Jerusalem from 1382 to 1386 as Charles III, and King of Hungary from 1385 to 1386 as Charles II. In 1382 Charles created the order of Argonauts of Saint Nicholas...
, who had also murdered Queen Joan.
Joanna is buried in San Lorenzo (Naples)
San Lorenzo (Naples)
San Lorenzo is a neighbourhood of Naples, southern Italy. It incorporates the precise geographical center of the ancient Greco-Roman city, centered on the intersection of Via San Gregorio Armeno and Via dei Tribunali....
. Charles III was later murdered on the orders of Elizabeth of Bosnia. Joanna's sister Margaret had Elizabeth strangled for this act, even though Charles had murdered her own sister.