Editing Ferdinand I of Naples (section)

==== 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.