Isabella of Clermont


Isabella of Clermont, also known as Isabella of Taranto, was queen of Naples as the first wife of King Ferdinand I of Naples and the most powerful feudatory in the kingdom as the holder of the Principality of Taranto.

Early life

Isabella was the elder daughter of Tristan de Clermont, Count of Copertino, and Caterina Del Balzo Orsini. She was also the niece and heir of childless Giovanni Antonio del Balzo Orsini, Prince of Taranto. Her maternal grandmother, Mary of Enghien, was queen consort of Naples from 1406 until 1414.
On 30 May 1444/1445, Isabella married Ferdinand of Aragon, then Duke of Calabria, natural son of Alfonso V of Aragon who had recently conquered the Neapolitan kingdom from French Angevins, and thus was the new liege lord of Isabella and her family. Alfonso arranged this marriage in order to give a good future to his favorite bastard son, by giving him his own principality by marriage. Also, Alfonso wanted his loyal people to have feudal fiefs in his new kingdom, which would happen in the future as soon as Ferdinand and Isabella succeeded in Taranto. The marriage also strengthened the king's grip on the current lords of Taranto.
On 27 June 1458 Isabella's husband became, by the will of his father, king of Naples. Isabella became queen. They no longer wanted to make Taranto their principal holding, but it was still a strong possession, and in 1463 Isabella succeeded her uncle Giovanni Antonio as princess of Taranto.
Queen Isabella died on 30 March 1465, and was buried in San Pietro Martire. Her heir was her eldest son, the future King Alfonso II of Naples.

Issue

Isabella had six children with Ferdinand: