Editing Ferdinand I of Naples (section)

=== The arduous Coronation ===
As established by his father, Ferrante succeeded him on the throne of Naples in 1458, at the age of 35. When he came to power, he had to face many problems: [[Charles, Prince of Viana]], incited the Neapolitans to acclaim him king, the barons pushed King [[John II of Aragon|John]] of the [[Crown of Aragon]] to conquer the kingdom, and after the latter's refusal, they resorted to [[John II, Duke of Lorraine|John of Anjou]], son of René, who claimed the kingdom of Naples. The Pope demanded, moreover, that the kingdom be devolved to his [[Holy See]]. Ferrante had to overcome all these powerful enemies to keep the kingdom strong.<ref name="Le vite de Re di Napoli">{{cite book|title=Le vite de Re di Napoli, Raccolte succintamente con ogni accuratezza|author=Bastian Biancardi|year= 1737|editor=F. Pitteri|location=Naples}}</ref><ref>{{harvnb|Biancardi|1737|pp= 325–326}}.</ref>

==== Charles of Viana the "claimant" ====
Charles, Prince of Viana, the son of King John II of Aragon, claimed that the illegitimate status of Ferrante precluded his ascension to king. While in Naples, through numerous Catalan and Sicilian barons, he conspired to gain the crown, but both the Neapolitan people and many barons, remembering the oath and promises made to Alfonso and to Ferrante, who had not only been legitimized by his father, but also declared legitimate successor by the Holy See, proclaimed: "Long live Re Ferrante our legitimate King" as Ferrante then rode through the city. When the Prince of Viana saw this display, he boarded a ship in Naples, abandoning his supporters, and fled to [[Sicily]], with the Catalan barons who had not had fiefs in the kingdom from Alfonso.<ref name="Le vite de Re di Napoli"/><ref name="Biancardi 1737">{{harvnb|Biancardi|1737|p= 326}}.</ref>

==== The Apparent Coronation ====
Although he had overcome this obstacle, Ferrante still did not feel safe, since he did not yet have [[Callixtus III]] on his side, even though he had been his teacher and friend of his father before becoming Pope. The following day he sent ambassadors to the Pope to confirm the investiture of the kingdom, through the following letter.<ref name="Le vite de Re di Napoli"/><ref name="Biancardi 1737"/>

{{blockquote|Holy Father. In these days in the greatest turbulence and strength of strong pain, I have written to Your Holiness, giving you news of the death of the glorious memory of the King my Father. Now turned a little in me, leaving aside the tears, I advise Your Holiness that the day before he passed from this life, my Father ordered me that before anything else I should prefer the grace and esteem of Your Holiness. and his Mother Church, claiming that those who opposed and opposed would always be harmed. I cannot forget that since my childhood Your Holiness has been given to me as if by Heaven to guide me and so by the provision and commandment of the Father, and by the will of God I was handed over to Your Holiness and I want to be his until death. Therefore, I very humbly pray to Your Holiness that, by corresponding to this love, you accept me for your son, indeed confirm me in your grace, so that from this moment your Beatitude desires neither more obedience nor more inclined devotion from me. From Naples on 1 July|[[Domenico Lalli|Bastian Biancardi]], "Le vite de Re di Napoli, Raccolte succintamente con ogni accuratezza"}}

After having sent the ambassadors to [[Rome]], Ferrante wanted to anticipate the investiture. After leaving Castel Nuovo he went to the [[Naples Cathedral|cathedral of the city]] on horseback, accompanied by the barons of the kingdom, where he was received with applause by Cardinal [[Rinaldo Piscicello]], [[List of bishops and archbishops of Naples|Archbishop]] of the city, who, accompanied by the [[clergy]], met with him in front of the church choir and immediately after they went to the stairs of the high altar, where kneeling, the [[Te Deum]] was sung. The cardinal blessed the new sovereign with a pontifical blessing and proclaimed him [[List of monarchs of Naples|King of Naples]]. After the coronation the trumpets began to sound, while the people shouted: "Long live the King Ferrante". He then rode, accompanied with great magnificence by the baronage and the people towards the seven offices of the Kingdom, then returned to Castel Nuovo. Finding it closed, according to the rite he then called the castellan Arnaldo Sanz, and said to him: "Open", and he replied: "Are you King Don Ferrante thirsty, son of the happy memory of King Don Alfonso?" The King replied: "I am that." The Castellano then asked the barons if the new king was Don Alfonso's son and they all said yes. The Castellano then, in front of all the people, handed the keys of the castle to Ferrante, who returned them to him and ordered to keep the fortress well. After this, the people continued to shout: "Long live the King Don Ferrando".<ref name="Le vite de Re di Napoli"/><ref>{{harvnb|Biancardi|1737|pp= 327–328}}.</ref>

==== Clash with Callisto ====
Pope Callixtus III however, was ill-disposed towards Ferrante; in a papal bull of 12 July, he declared the throne of Naples vacant, not recognizing the succession of Ferrante, because he  was the son of a Moorish servant and therefore neither the legitimate nor natural son of Alfonso V of Aragon. In fact, Calixtus aimed to usurp the crown from Ferrante, and grant it to his own nephew, [[Pedro Luis de Borja]], newly installed as [[Duke of Spoleto]]. Calixtus had notices posted in various places in the kingdom, where it was reported that upon Alfonso's death, the Kingdom of Naples had devolved to the Papal state. Calixtus offered amnesty to all those who had sworn loyalty to Ferrante, but he ordered all the clergy, barons, cities and peoples of the kingdom, under pain of [[excommunication]], not to obey Ferrante or continue to swear loyalty to him.<ref name="Le vite de Re di Napoli"/><ref>{{harvnb|Biancardi|1737|p= 328}}.</ref>

Ferrante then called the barons and the people to the General [[Parliament]], who swore loyalty to him, without any rancor. To oppose Pope's plan, in the presence of the [[nuncio]], he wrote a response to the papal bull, stating that he was legitimate king by the grace of [[God]], for the benefit of his father King Alfonso, by acclamation of the barons and cities of the Kingdom and thanks to the concessions of the two previous Popes: Eugene IV and Nicholas V. Ferrante, in this war against Callixtus was able to count on an alliance with the Duke of Milan, not only due the kinship between the two dynasties, but also a bond that existed between them. The pope, always implacable and obstinate, refused any intercession from other rulers; so much so that Ferrante decided to send ambassadors to the Pope in the name of the kingdom. The latter found the pope sick and therefore were never admitted to his audience.<ref name="Le vite de Re di Napoli"/><ref>{{harvnb|Biancardi|1737|p= 329}}.</ref>
[[File:Coronation of Ferdinand II of Aragon.jpg|thumb|Sculpture depicting the coronation of Ferrante as king of Naples by [[Latino Orsini]]. [[Benedetto da Maiano]], [[Bargello|Bargello Museum]], [[Florence]]]]

The advanced age, the many sorrows suffered and moreover the melancholy for having understood that King John II of Aragon would not have conquered the kingdom of Naples led the pope to his death in August 1458, without having achieved his goal.<ref name="Le vite de Re di Napoli"/><ref>{{harvnb|Biancardi|1737|p= 330}}.</ref>

Ferrante, relieved of the Pope's death, immediately sent [[Francesco II Del Balzo]], [[Duke of Andría|Duke of Andria]], and Antonio d'Alessandro, famous [[Jurist|Jurisconsult]], to ask for the investiture of the new Pope and to render him obedience. Accepted the audience, [[Pope Pius II]] did not want to neglect the interests of the Church: the investiture was granted him, but with many conditions: Ferrante had to pay the unpaid taxes, perpetually help the Pope with every request, return Benevento to the Church and [[Terracina]], and other conditions agreed in the name of the Pope by [[Berardo Eroli|Bernardo]], [[Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Spoleto-Norcia|Bishop of Spoleto]] and in the name of the King by Antonio d'Alessandro. All this was confirmed by the bull of Pius II, on November 2, 1458. After the Bull of Investiture, two more were sent: in the first the Pontiff advised Ferrante to send him a Cardinal Legate for the coronation and in the second he revoked the Bull Callixtus III had made against the King.<ref name="Le vite de Re di Napoli"/><ref>{{harvnb|Biancardi|1737|pp= 330–331}}.</ref>

Ferrante was solemnly crowned on February 4, 1459, in the [[Barletta Cathedral|Cathedral of Barletta]] and to thank the Pope, in 1461, he wanted Maria, his natural daughter, to marry Antonio Piccolomini nephew of Pius, giving her as a dowry the [[Duchy of Amalfi]], the county of [[Celano]] and the office of Great executioner for her husband.<ref name="Le vite de Re di Napoli" /><ref>{{harvnb|Biancardi|1737|p= 331}}.</ref> The problems, however, were not over yet, in fact Ferrante's rival, John of Anjou, aspired to regain the throne of Naples, lost by his father in the war against Alfonso.