Editing Charles II of Naples (section)

==Reign==

===Start of his reign===

Pope Nicholas IV crowned Charles king in [[Rieti]] on [[Whit Sunday]] 1289.{{sfn|Runciman|1958|p=266}} To persuade Charles to continue the war for Sicily, the pope granted the tenth of Church revenues from Southern Italy to him.{{sfn|Runciman|1958|p=266}} The pope also absolved Charles from the promises that he had made to secure his release.{{sfn|Bárány|2010|p=73}} Edward I of England protested against the pope's decision and continued to mediate between Charles and Alfonso III of Aragon.{{sfn|Bárány|2010|p=73}} At Edward's request, Alfonso III released Charles Martel in exchange for Charles's fifth son, [[Raymond Berengar of Andria|Raymond Berengar]].{{sfn|Bárány|2010|p=73}}

Influenced by Bartolomeo da Capua and his other advisors, Charles adopted a concept about the establishment of a purely Christian kingdom.{{sfn|Abulafia|1999|p=517}} He ordered the expulsion of the Jews and Lombards from Anjou and Maine, accusing them of [[usury]],{{sfn|Abulafia|1999|p=517}} and the Jews of "dwelling randomly" with the Christian population and cohabiting with Christian women. He linked the expulsion of the Jews to general taxation of the population as "recompense" for lost income.{{sfn|Huscroft|2006|pp=146–149}} Applying the [[blood libel]] against the Jews of Southern Italy, he forced many of them to convert to Christianity.{{sfn|Abulafia|1999|p=517}} He also introduced the [[Inquisition]] in the Regno.{{sfn|Abulafia|1999|p=517}}

Alfonso III invaded Charles's realm and laid siege to [[Gaeta]], because he thought that the burghers were ready to rise up against Charles, but the town resisted.{{sfn|Runciman|1958|p=266}} Charles Martel and Robert of Artois led troops to the town and surrounded the besiegers.{{sfn|Runciman|1958|p=266}} Edward I of England sent envoys to Charles, urging him to respect the treaty of Canfranc.{{sfn|Bárány|2010|p=74}} The pope dispatched two cardinals to prevent the reconciliation, but Charles and Alfonse signed a two-year truce.{{sfn|Runciman|1958|p=266}} To secure stability in Achaea, Charles decided to restore a line of local rulers in the principality.{{sfn|Lock|1995|p=95}} He arranged a marriage for [[Isabella of Villehardouin]]{{mdash}}the daughter of the last native prince, [[William of Villehardouin|William II]]{{mdash}}with a successful military commander, [[Florent of Hainaut]].{{sfn|Lock|1995|p=95}} In September, he granted Achaea to them, but he kept his right to suzerainty over the principality and also stipulated that if Florent predeceased her, Isabella could not remarry without his consent.{{sfn|Lock|1995|p=95}}

===Negotiations===

Charles left Southern Italy to start new negotiations with Philip IV.{{sfn|Runciman|1958|p=267}} Before visiting Paris, he went to the Aragonese frontier to offer himself for imprisonment on 1 November in accordance with the treaty of Canfranc, but nobody came to arrest him.{{sfn|Bárány|2010|p=74}} Charles and Philip IV signed a treaty at Senlis on 19 May 1290.{{sfn|Runciman|1958|p=267}} Charles gave his daughter, [[Margaret, Countess of Anjou|Margaret]], in marriage to Charles of Valois, giving Anjou and Maine to him as her dowry in return for his promise to abandon his claim to Aragon with the pope's consent.{{sfn|Runciman|1958|p=267}}{{sfn|Bárány|2010|p=75}} Philip IV also promised that he would make peace with Aragon as soon as Alfonso III and the Holy See were reconciled.{{sfn|Runciman|1958|p=267}}{{sfn|Bárány|2010|p=75}}

The envoys of all parties, but James of Sicily, started negotiations with the mediation of English delegates at [[Perpignan]], and continued them in [[Tarascon]] in late 1290 and early 1291.{{sfn|Runciman|1958|p=267}}{{sfn|Bárány|2010|p=75}} They reached a compromise which was included in a treaty in Brignoles on 19 February 1291.{{sfn|Runciman|1958|p=267}}{{sfn|Bárány|2010|p=75}} The document confirmed most terms of the treaty of Senlis and restored the peace between Alfonso III, Philip IV and Charles.{{sfn|Runciman|1958|p=267}} Charles received the districts of [[Avignon]] held by the French monarch.{{sfn|Runciman|1958|p=267}} The Holy See also accepted the terms of the treaty because Alfonso of Aragon promised that he would lead a crusade against the [[Mamluks of Egypt]].{{sfn|Housley|1982|pp=78, 92–93}}

The treaty of Brignoles deprived Alfonso's brother, James of Sicily, of Aragonese support, but Alfonso unexpectedly died on 18 June.{{sfn|Runciman|1958|p=268}}{{sfn|Housley|1982|p=93}} James succeeded Alfonso in Aragon, but he did not want to cede the island of Sicily and Calabria to Charles and made his younger brother, [[Frederick III of Sicily|Frederick]], his lieutenant.{{sfn|Runciman|1958|p=268}} The Mamluks occupied the last strongholds in the Kingdom of Jerusalem in the summer of 1291.{{sfn|Lock|2006|p=122}} Pope Nicholas IV called for a new crusade and urged the Christian "kings, princes and prelates" to send their [[Recovery of the Holy Land|proposals about the recovery of the Holy Land]].{{sfn|Lock|2006|p=122}}{{sfn|Housley|1984|p=530}} Charles was the only monarch to answer the pope.{{sfn|Housley|1984|p=530}} He suggested that the sole grand master of the united military orders, who should be appointed from about the royal princes, was to rule the reconquered Kingdom of Jerusalem.{{sfn|Housley|1984|p=530}}

After realising that his new subjects would not support a war for Sicily, James sent envoys to Rome to start negotiations about his submission shortly before Pope Nicholas died on 4 April 1292.{{sfn|Runciman|1958|p=268}} Charles was also willing to reach a compromise, because he wanted to secure Hungary for his family.{{sfn|Runciman|1958|p=269}} Charles's brother-in-law, Ladislaus IV of Hungary, had been murdered on 10 July 1290.{{sfn|Runciman|1958|p=269}}{{sfn|Engel|2001|p=109}} The Hungarian noblemen elected Ladislaus' cousin, [[Andrew III of Hungary|Andrew III]], king, although Andrew's legitimacy was doubtful.{{sfn|Engel|2001|p=110}} Charles's wife regarded herself Ladislaus' lawful heir.{{sfn|Engel|2001|p=110}} Claiming that Hungary was the fief of the Holy See, Pope Nicholas IV granted Hungary to her son, Charles Martel, in 1292.{{sfn|Fine|1994|p=207}} The most powerful noblemen in [[Croatia in union with Hungary|Croatia]] and [[Slavonia]]{{mdash}}two realms ruled by the kings of Hungary{{mdash}}accepted the pope's decision.{{sfn|Fine|1994|p=207}} Charles made donations to them to secure their support, but Charles Martel could never assert his claim.{{sfn|Fine|1994|p=208}}

The death of Pope Nicholas IV gave rise to a prolonged interregnum.{{sfn|Runciman|1958|p=269}} Charles continued the negotiations with James with the mediation of [[Sancho IV of Castile]].{{sfn|Runciman|1958|p=269}} An agreement was completed in Figueras in late 1293.{{sfn|Runciman|1958|p=269}} James agreed to give up Sicily in return for a compensation.{{sfn|Runciman|1958|p=269}} To put an end to the interregnum in Rome, Charles persuaded the cardinals to elect [[Peter of Morrone]]{{mdash}}a hermit who had been known for his apocalyptic visions{{mdash}}pope.{{sfn|Runciman|1958|p=269}} Being grateful to Charles, Pope Celestine V granted him Church revenues from France, the Holy Roman Empire and England to finance a new military campaign against Sicily.{{sfn|Housley|1982|p=176}} After Celestine abdicated in December 1294, the cardinals elected [[Pope Boniface VIII|Benedetto Caetani]] pope.{{sfn|Runciman|1958|p=270}} Pope Boniface VIII was determined to put an end to the war, because he wanted to declare a new crusade for the reconquest of the Holy Land.{{sfn|Housley|1982|p=93}}

===Peace===

Pope Boniface VIII confirmed the compromise between James and Charles in Anagni on 12 June 1295.{{sfn|Runciman|1958|p=270}} However, the Sicilians refused the [[Treaty of Anagni]] and James of Aragon's brother, Frederick, was crowned king of Sicily on 12 December 1295.{{sfn|Runciman|1958|pp=270–271}} Frederick soon made a raid against [[Basilicata]].{{sfn|Runciman|1958|p=271}}

An attempt was made to bribe Frederick into consenting to this arrangement, but being backed up by his people he refused, and was afterwards crowned King of Sicily. The ensuing war was fought on land and sea, but Charles, though aided by the Pope, his cousin Charles of Valois and James, was unable to conquer the island, and his son the [[Philip I of Taranto|prince of Taranto]] was taken prisoner at the [[Battle of La Falconara]] in 1299. Peace was at last made in 1302 at [[Peace of Caltabellotta|Caltabellotta]]. Charles gave up all rights to Sicily and agreed to the marriage of his daughter Eleanor and King Frederick; the treaty was ratified by the Pope in 1303. Charles spent his last years quietly in Naples, which city he improved and embellished.

He died in Naples in May 1309, and was succeeded by his son [[Robert of Naples|Robert the Wise]], with his eldest grandson [[Charles I of Hungary]] excluded from Neapolitan succession.