“But it happened that some merchants from Gaeta, who had gone to Sicily to buy grain, spoke in front of the Queen about the riches of Manfredi Chiaramonte, and about the beauty of a daughter of his. Whence the Queen's wandering mind stopped to think to ask for the girl's hand on behalf of her son, the King Ladislao, who was already fourteen [sic] years old.”
in Angelo Di Costanzo, Historia del Regno di Napoli dell'Ill. Signor Angelo di Costanzo, Gentil’huomo e Cavaliere Napolitano, p. 237 [my translation]
Costanza was born around 1377 (probably in Palermo) from the noble and ancient family of Chiaramonte. She was the daughter of Manfredi III Chiramonte, IX Earl of Modica and Duke of Malta, and his wife, Eufemia Ventimiglia. Costanza's father was a powerful man, who, during his lifetime, would hold high profile roles, such as Admiral, Grand Seneschal, Master Justiciar and Regent of the Kingdom for young Queen Maria of Sicily. From her mother side, she was the granddaughter of another former Regent, Francesco II Ventimiglia, Earl of Geraci.
In 1389 Margherita of Durazzo, Regent of the Kingdom of Naples, asked fellow Regent Manfredi Chiaramonte for Costanza's hand on behalf of her son, the twelve years old Ladislao of Anjou-Durazzo. Three years prior, after his father Carlo III had been murdered, Ladislao failed to be recognized by Urban VI as legitimate King of Naples. The Pope had assigned the throne to Louis II of Anjou, whose father had previously (in 1380) been adopted as son and heir by the childless Queen Giovanna I of Anjou-Naples in an attempt to block the rival Anjou-Durazzo's claims to the Neapolitan throne. In 1387 Louis II's troops invaded the Kingdom of Naples, so young Ladislao, alongside his mother, the rest of the family and court, was forced to seek refuge in Gaeta.
If the Chiaramontes' social status benefited from the newly acquired (although wobbly) royal connections, the Anjou-Durazzo made good use of the bride's rich dowry to replenish their worn-out coffers. Their economic situation was so dire, the University of Gaeta had to act as a guarantor and advance the sum of 15 thousand gold florins on behalf of the royal family, which would have been handed to the bride's family in case of non-consummation of the marriage and consequent dissolution of the union. In summer 1389 Costanza then arrived in Gaeta by sea escorted by galleys. These same vessels managed successfully to break the chains which locked Naples' harbour and bring relief to the Durazzo forces besieged in Castelnuovo.
In October of the same year, one of Ladislao' enemies, Urban VI died. Unlike his predecessor, Boniface IX favoured the Durazzos since the Anjou supported the Antipope Clement VII. As also the Chiaramonte backed the newly elected Pontiff, the union between Ladislao and Costanza received Clement's blessing. The marriage between the now recognized King of Naples and the Sicilian noblewoman (they were both 13 years old) finally took place on August 15th 1390 (the marriage settlement probably dated back to September of the previous year). The religious ceremony was immediately followed by a joint crowning ceremony.
This union would prove to be short-lived as Chiaramontes' fortunes were about to change. Costanza's father, Manfredi died in 1391 and was succeeded by his kinsman, Andrea Chiaramonte, X Earl of Modica. That same year, Queen Maria married her second cousin Martino the Younger of Aragon. In the eyes of the majority of the Sicilian nobles, Martino was a stranger (despite being, like his wife, a descendant of Pietro II of Sicily) and his marriage to the Queen could (and would) have led to Sicily fall under a more direct control of the House of Aragon, with the consequent loss of influence of the Sicilian nobility. In the end, Andrea Chiaramonte was abandoned by his allies and found himself alone in trying to contrast the new King consort and his father, the powerful Infante Martino, Duke of Montblanc (and later King of Aragon and Sicily). The Earl of Modica was arrested, charged with treason and beheaded in Palermo, June 1st 1392.
With the decline of her family, the young Queen of Naples' fortunes too deteriorated. The King had now no reason to be still married with the representative of a disgraced household. In May of the same year, Ladislao had travelled to Rome to obtain from the Pope the annulment of the marriage. The official motivation was the minority of the bride and groom. To make things worse, the Queen's mother, Eufemia Ventimiglia, was accused of debauchery and to have become Infante Martino's mistress.
In July 1392, the Pope conceded Ladislao the desired annulment, and the bill of divorce was read publically by the Bishop of Gaeta while the King and Queen were attending mass. The Bishop pulled the wedding ring from Costanza's hand and handed it back to Ladislao.
Three years later, the King married his former wife to one of his vassals, Andrea di Capua, IV Earl of Altavilla (1374-1399). Costanza's modest dowry amounted to 3 thousand ducats. According to tradition, she publically and disdainfully addressed her new husband telling him he could now brag he could call as his concubine his King's wife. Costanza bore Andrea di Capua at least one son, Luigi (1400-1443), who will inherit his father's titles and possessions. Costanza died in 1423 and is currently buried in the Church of the Madonna delle Grazie, in Riccia (n the region of Molise), together with her husband, son and the rest of the di Capua's members.
As for Ladislao, in 1403 he would marry Maria of Lusignan, Princess of Cyprus and Jerusalem, but the new Queen would die the following year. In 1406 he would marry a third and last time, with Maria of Enghien, widow of Raimondo Orsini del Balzo, Prince of Taranto. The King of Naples would die 8 years later without legitimate children and the crown would be inherited by his sister Giovanna II.
Sources
- Salvatore Fodale, COSTANZA Chiaramonte, regina di Napoli in Dizionario Biografico degli Italiani
- Angelo Di Costanzo, Historia del Regno di Napoli dell'Ill. Signor Angelo di Costanzo, Gentil’huomo e Cavaliere Napolitano
- Famiglia di Capua
