Isabella del Balzo

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Isabella of Balzo (d. 1533) was the second wife and only Queen consort of Frederick IV of Naples.

[edit] Family

She was a daughter of Pietro del Balzo, Duke of Andria and Maria Donata Orsini. Pietro had served as Grand Constable of the Kingdom of Naples but had been strangled to death in 1487.

Her paternal grandparents were Francis of Baux, Duke of Andria (1410 - 1482) and Sancia of Chiaramonte, Countess of Copertino. Francis had served as Grand Constable of the Kingdom of Naples.

Francis was a son of William of Baux, Duke of Andria and Maria Brunforta.

William was a son Francis of Baux, Duke of Andria and his third wife Sueva Orsini. William was a younger, paternal half-brother of James of Baux and Antonia of Balzo.

Sueva was a daughter of Nicolo Orsini, 3rd Count of Nola and Jeanne of Sabran. She was also a paternal half-sister of Raimondo del Balzo Orsini.

[edit] Marriage

On 28 November 1486, Isabella maried Prince Frederick of Naples. He was the second son of Ferdinand I of Naples and his first wife Isabella of Taranto.

Frederick had only one daughter, Carlotta of Naples, from his previous marriage with Anna of Savoy.

They had five children:

Fernando of Aragon, Duke of Calabria (15 December 1488 - 1550). Married first Germaine of Foix (her third marriage) and secondly Mencia of Mendoza, Marchiones Cenete.
Giulia of Naples (c. 1492 - 10 March 1542). Married John George of Montferrat.
Isabel of Naples (d. 1550).
Alfonso of Naples. Considered to have died youn.
Cesare of Naples. Considered to have died young.

On 7 September 1496, Frederick succeeded his childless nephew Ferdinand II of Naples. Isabella became his Queen consort but only for five years. A combination of King Louis XII of France and King Ferdinand II of Aragon had continued the claim of Louis' predecessor, King Charles VIII of France, to Naples and Sicily. In 1501 their alliance deposed Frederick; Naples initially went to Louis.

Frederick and Isabella spend the following years in exile. Frederick died in Tours on 9 November 1504. Isabella survived him by twenty-nine years but had no further marriages.