Editing Ferdinand I of Naples (section)

==== War of Otranto (1480-1481) ====
Meanwhile, Lorenzo and Ferrante were negotiating in Naples, still in 1480, when [[Mehmed II]], followed by a powerful fleet, began to threaten the Kingdom of Naples. Mehmed II appeared in the [[Otranto]] canal, where only a thousand fighters were protecting Otranto, while another 400 arrived from Naples led by [[Francesco Zurolo]] The citizens made a valiant defense more than the soldiers, but against the powerful and numerous Ottoman army, their constancy was useless against [[Gedik Ahmed Pasha|Gedik]], commander of the expedition against Naples, which in the end managed to occupy Otranto in less than two months. This is when most of the population was massacred. [[Martyrs of Otranto|Eight hundred citizens of Otranto]] were exhorted by the Ottomans to abandon the [[Catholic Church|Catholic religion]] to convert to [[Islam]]. However, they chose martyrdom over conversion.<ref name="Ornata de Loro Rispettivi Ritratti"/><ref>{{harvnb|Morelli|1825|p= 225}}.</ref>

Having taken the city, Mehmed II called Gedik to him, who left his Lieutenant Ariadeno Baglivo of Negroponte with 7000 Turks and 500 horses in the city, and he with 12 Galleys, loaded the resources of the sack of that city and sent them to newly conquered [[Konstantiniyye]]. Ariadeno therefore, wishing to continue the conquests, thought of occupying [[Brindisi]] and laying siege to other cities. Ferrante, seeing his kingdom in danger, asked for help from all the princes of Europe and immediately sent a messenger to call Alfonso, his son in Tuscany, to leave the [[Pazzi conspiracy|war against Florence]] and come to help the kingdom.

The Turkish danger was, explicitly, the basis of the royal decision to adequately fortify Brindisi. While the Turks were still barricaded in Otranto, in February 1481, Ferrante d'Aragona ordered the start of work for the construction of a fortress to guard the [[port of Brindisi]]: the Ferrante tower. Subsequently, in 1485, Alfonso, son of King Ferrante and then Duke of Calabria, transformed the keep of Ferrante into a castle. Thus was born the superb Aragonese castle of Brindisi.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.senzacolonnenews.it/il-blog-di-gianfranco-perri/item/nei-costruttori-del-nostro-castello-aragonese-le-radici-storiche-dellindipendentismo-catalano.html|title = Nei costruttori del nostro Castello aragonese le radici storiche dell'indipendentismo Catalano|date = 25 September 2017}}</ref>

The Duke of Calabria abandoned the war in Tuscany and having arrived in Naples on 10 September 1480, gathered an army of 80 Galere with some vessels and gave the command to Galeazzo Caracciolo, who arrived with the army in the [[Strait of Otranto]], greatly frightened the enemy army. Shortly after, the Duke of Calabria himself joined him, accompanied by a large number of Neapolitan barons. The King of Hungary, brother-in-law of the Duke, sent 1700 soldiers and 300 Hungarian horses, and the Pope sent a cardinal with 22 Genoese galleys. The Pope, to thwart the danger from which he had threatened Italy, tried to unite the Italian governments in his will to make them act against the invasion of the Turks and absolved the Florentines from excommunication, forgiving them for all the injuries done to the Church. Ferrante, in exchange for 10,000 ducats, returned to them all the lands he had conquered during the conflict against Florence ([[Colle di Val d'Elsa|Colle Val d'Elsa]], [[Poggibonsi]], [[Monte San Savino]], Poggio Imperiale, and other fortified places in the [[Chianti (region)|Chianti]] and [[Valdelsa]]).<ref name="Vincenzo Buonsignori-1856"/>

The [[Ottoman Empire|Turks]], after many battles, were finally forced to retreat into Otranto, where they defended themselves for a long time. The death of Mohammed II and the discord that arose between two of his sons, [[Cem Sultan]] and [[Bayezid II|Bayezid]], each of whom demanded the empire, prompted Ariaden to understand that the help he was waiting for would come very late, so he decided to surrender to [[Alfonso II of Naples|Alfonso]] and, after having after concluding the peace negotiations, he embarked with the troops and set out for Constantinople.

The young Alfonso, enthusiastic about the success of the enterprise, after having fired the Hungarian soldiers finally returned to Naples, where he was acclaimed by the people and where he found the help that had come from Portugal and Spain, which he sent back. Many famous men of arms died in the war such as: Matteo di Capua, Count of [[Palena, Abruzzo|Palena]], [[Giulio Antonio Acquaviva|Giulio Acquaviva]], Count of [[Conversano]], Don Diego Cavaniglia, and Marino Caracciolo. The bones of the heroic Martyrs of Otranto were then buried by Alfonso with all honors, some of which in the Church of Santa Maria Maddalena in Otranto, later transferred to the [[Santa Caterina a Formiello|Church of Santa Caterina in Formiello]], where they are venerated as relics of martyrs.<ref name="Le vite de Re di Napoli" /><ref>{{harvnb|Biancardi|1737|pp= 346–347}}.</ref>

The praise for the victorious king was equal to the insane terror that had shocked Europe at the news of the Muslim landing in Apulia and Ferrante was hailed as the savior of Italy and Europe.<ref name="treccani1"/>

When Mehmed II died, a discord began between Bayezid and Zizim over who was to ascend the throne and the latter, through a safe conduct, gave himself into the hands of the [[Pierre d'Aubusson|Grand Master of Rhodes]]. Bayezid, eager to have it in his hands, petitioned the Grand Master and the knights to give it to him in exchange for one hundred thousand scudi, but the quibbles sent him first to France and then to Rome to the papal court first to [[Pope Innocent VIII|Pope Sixtus IV]] and then to Pope Innocent VIII. Bayezid was very indignant for this and recruited a mighty army against the knights, which in 1483 passed over [[Rhodes]]. Ferrante, having learned that Rhodes was besieged and doubting that the island would not capitulate due to such a great obstacle, recruited a small army of ships and other woods to help it. The army sailed to Rhodes and not only rescued it but saved it valiantly from the impulses of enemies. This increased so much praise to the King, so much so that he was appointed curator of the [[Knights Hospitaller]].