Queen Joan I (1327 - May 5, 1381) was born Joanna of Anjou. She became the Countess of Provence, Queen of Naples and titular queen of Jerusalem (1343 - 1381).

She was the daughter of Charles, Duke of Calabria and Marie de Valois (a sister of King Philip VI of France) was the successor of Robert of Naples, her grandfather. She was married in 1334 to the 6-year old Prince Andre of the Hungarian branch of the House of Anjou, a son of Charles I of Hungary. He was the younger brother to Louis I, King of Hungary (but named King Lajos I) and Poland.

In 1343 Pope Clement VI sent his Cardinal to take temporary control of the Kingdom of Naples who then, in a very unpopular move, crowned Joanna as Queen of Naples at Santa Chiara in Rome in August 1343, following the death of Robert I. After the assassination of her first husband (probably under her own orders), Joanna married three more times: 2) Louis of Taranto (1320-1362); 3) James III, titular King of Maiorca (1336-1375) and 4) Otto, Duke of Brunswick-Grubenhagen (1320-1398). She had no children of her own.

Joanna's reign was marked by her support to the French Popes during the Western Schism, namely Antipope Clement VII. With no successors, Joanna adopted Louis, Duke of Anjou and son of King John II of France, as her heir. This was interesting for France (who supported Clement VII), since Naples would give them a foothold in Italy useful if for the idea of resolving the schism by force. However, Charles of Durazzo was not willing to let go his rights to Naples and defeated Louis d'Anjou in battle before he was crowned by Joanna. Charles took Naples, imprisoned Joanna and eventually strangled her.

Alexandre Dumas, Pere wrote a romance, Joan of Naples, part of his eight-volume series Celebrated Crimes (1839 - 40).

External link

• A. Dumas, Joan of Naples: e-text