Louis I de France, duc d'Anjou

Louis I of Naples From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Louis I of Anjou (July 23, 1339 – September 20, 1384) was the second son of King John II of France and Bonne of Luxembourg. He was the Count of Anjou 1356–1360, Duke of Anjou 1360–1384, Count of Maine 1356–1384, Duke of Touraine 1370–1384, and titular King of Naples and Jerusalem and Count of Provence and Forcalquier 1382–1384. Louis was born at the Château de Vincennes. He was present at the Battle of Poitiers (1356), in the battalion commanded by his brother Charles, the Dauphin. They hardly fought and the whole group escaped in the middle of the confrontation. Although humiliating, their flight allowed them to avoid capture by the English, who won the battle decisively. King John II and Louis' younger brother Philip were not so fortunate and were captured by the English, commanded by Edward, the Black Prince. Their ransom and peace conditions between France and England were agreed in the Treaty of Brétigny, signed in 1360. Amongst the complicated items of the treaty was a clause that determined the surrender of 40 high-born hostages as guarantee for the payment of the king's ransom. Louis, already Duke of Anjou, was in this group and sailed to England in October 1360. However, France was not in good economic condition and further installments of the debt were delayed. As consequence, Louis was in English custody for much more than the expected six months. He tried to negotiate his freedom in a private negotiation with Edward III of England and, when this failed, decided to escape. On his return to France, he met his father's disapproval for his unknightly behavior. John II considered himself dishonored and this, combined with the fact that his ransom payments agreed to in the Treaty of Brétigny were in arrears, caused John to return to captivity in England to redeem his honor. From 1380 to 1382 Louis served as regent for his nephew, King Charles VI of France, but left France in the latter year to claim the throne of Naples following the death of Queen Joanna I. She had adopted him to succeed her, as she was childless and did not wish to leave her inheritance to any of her close relatives, with whom she had quarreled. While he was able to succeed her as Count of Provence and Forcalquier after her murder in 1382 by Charles of Durazzo (her second cousin), he was unsuccessful in regaining the Kingdom of Naples from Charles. He died at Bari in 1384.

Family and issue

In 1360, he married Marie of Blois (d. 1404), Lady of Guise. They had the following children:

• Marie (1370–aft. 1383)
• Louis II of Anjou (1377–1417)
• Charles (1380–1404, Angers), Prince of Taranto, Count of Roucy, Étampes, and Gien

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-http://fmg.ac/Projects/MedLands/ANJOU,%20MAINE.htm#LouisAnjoudied1384B

LOUIS de France, son of JEAN II "le Bon" King of France & his first wife Bonne de Luxembourg (Château du Bois de Vincennes 23 Jul 1339-Biseglia Castle near Bari 20 Sep 1384, bur Angers Cathédrale Saint-Maurice). The Chronique Parisienne records the birth “le mardi aprez la feste saint-Jasques et saint Cristofle au moys de juillet au Boiz-de-Vincennes“ 1339 of “Loys le segond filz de mons. Jehan de France duc de Normendie”[421]. The Chronique des règnes de Jean II et de Charles V records that his father knighted “Loys son second filz” after his coronation in 1350[422]. Comte de Poitiers. Comte d'Anjou et du Maine 1351. Duc d'Anjou at Calais Oct 1360. He was imprisoned in England but escaped in Oct 1363. He was heir to the throne from the accession of his older brother King Charles V in 1364 until the birth in 1368 of the future King Charles VI. Appointed Lieutenant of the King in Languedoc in Jun 1364, he supervised the reconquest from England of most of south-west France. In 1367, he seized the county of Provence from the family of Anjou-Sicily. Duc de Touraine at Vincennes 16 May 1370, in exchange for the county of Maine. With his three brothers, he was regent during the minority of his nephew King Charles V, becoming president of the council of regency 30 Nov 1380. Jeanne I Queen of Sicily adopted him and declared him as her heir at the Château de l'Œuf, Naples 29 Jun 1380, conferring on him the title Duca di Calabria, ratified by Pope Clement VII at Avignon 21/22 Jul 1380, confirmed 1 Mar 1382. He left for Italy in 1382, using the title LOUIS I King of Sicily from 30 Aug 1383, but died before his plans could be fully implemented. Jacques des Baux, Principe di Tarento, titular Prince of Achaia, Despot of Romania, Lord of Albania and Corfu, and titular Emperor of Constantinople named Duke Louis as his successor under his testament[423].

Betrothed (Perpignan 8 Feb 1351, Sep 1352) to Infanta doña CONSTANZA de Aragón, daughter of PEDRO IV "el Ceremonioso" King of Aragon & his first wife Infanta doña María de Navarra (Poblet 1340-Catania Jul 1363). Zurita records negotiations in 1349 for the betrothal of “la Infanta doña Costança hija mayor del Rey de Aragon” and “el hijo mayor de Juan Duque de Normandia hijo primogenito del Rey Filippo de Francia” and in a later passage her betrothal in 1351 to “Luys Conde de Anjous...hijo segundo del Duque de Normandia”[424]. Père Anselme records marriage contracts dated 8 Feb 1351 and Sep 1352 between Louis and “Pierre IV roy d’Arragon...Constance d’Arragon, fille aînée de ce roy, et à son défaut...sa seconde fille Jeanne d’Arragon“[425].

m (9 Jul 1360, contract Château de Saumur Aug 1360) MARIE de Blois-Châtillon, daughter of CHARLES de Blois-Châtillon Duke of Brittany & his wife Jeanne de Penthièvre (1343-Angers 12 Nov 1404, bur Angers Cathédrale Saint-Maurice). The marriage contract between “Louis fils de Roy de France Comte d’Anjou et du Maine Seigneur de Montpellier” and “Charles Duc de Bretagne, Comte de Richemont Vicomte de Limoges et Sire d’Avaugour de Guise et de Maine et Jehanne Duchesse, Comtesse, Vicomtesse et Dame desdits lieux...Marie de Bretagne nostre...fille” is dated Aug 1360[426]. Comte Louis married without the consent of his father, thereby effectively terminating his betrothal contract. After the death of her husband, Marie continued the war in Naples. Pss di Tarento, by cession of her brother-in-law Jean Duc de Berry at Cavaillon 11 Sep 1385, in exchange for the counties of Etampes and Gien. She used the title Queen of Sicily.

Duke Louis & his wife had three children:

# MARIE d'Anjou (Oct 1370-before 26 Sep 1383). Père Anselme states that “[le] compte de Jean Luissier“ records her birth in Oct 1370, and suggests that she predeceased her father as she is not named in his testament[427].

1. LOUIS d'Anjou (Château d'Angers 5 Oct 1377-Château d'Angers 29 Apr 1417, bur Angers Cathédrale Saint-Maurice). Duca di Calabria 1383, when his father assumed the title king of Sicily. He succeeded his father in 1384 as Duc d'Anjou King of Sicily, under the Regency of his mother. - see below.
2. CHARLES d'Anjou (1380-Angers 17 May 1404). Père Anselme records that Charles received “[le] comté de Roucy, des terres de Guise, de Chilly, de plus des comtez d’Etampes et de Gien“ under the testament of his father[428]. Comte de Roussillon, du Maine, d'Etampes et de Gien. Adopted by Guillaume Roger Comte de Beaufort, who ceded his county to him. Principe di Tarento. Duca di Calabria. Betrothed (13 Jun 1397) to --- di San Severino, daughter of TOMASO di San Severino Duca di Venosa & his wife ---. Père Anselme records that his brother arranged Charles’s betrothal 13 Jun 1397 “avec la fille de Thomas de Saint Severin duc de Venouse“[429].

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