THE WESTERN l\IEDITERRA:\EAN KINCDOl\IS 1 :200-1 'lOOThis appalling reputation has its origins in the violent con-
troversies that raged over the legitimacy of Ferrante's claim
to the throne, and in the constant attempts of French princes
to assert their own right to the kingdom of Naples, culminat-
ing in the descent into Italy by Charles VIII of France in
- The French chronicler Philippe de Commynes, who
served Charles VIII as an ambassador in Italy, established
for all time Ferrante's evil reputation, writing of Ferrante's
son Alfonso, duke of Calabria, 'never was any prince more
bloody, inhuman, lascivious or gluttonous, but his father was
more dangerous still, since no one knew when he was angry
or pleased'. Such images of the Neapolitan royal family served
their purpose in justifying the French invasions of Italy.
Ferrante was born in Valencia around 1425, but raised
in southern Italy and recognised as duke of Calabria, that is,
roval / heir, bv / the south Italian barons.' But the crown of
Naples was not really in their gift, and Alfonso turned to the
papacy for approval of Ferrante's claim to the throne. It has
been seen that Pope Calixtus III ignored two of his pre-
decessors' acceptance of Ferrante as heir to the throne and
obstinately refused to accept him as king of Naples;^1 it was
only with the unexpected death of Calixtus late in 145H
and the election as pope of the great scholar Aeneas Sylvius
Piccolomini as Pope Pius II that Ferrante received the rec-
ognition he craved, largely because Pius was anxious to
maintain the peace of Italy while planning a great crusade
against the Turks.'' It has been seen too that Rene of Anjou
The ;\leapolitan historian Ernesto Pontieri produced several editions
of a volume of studies Per Ia storia di FnTaniP I1P di NajJOfi (Naples, 194 7
etc.), hut this is no more than a collection of ,·aluahle articles on spe-
cific aspects of the reign, and the projected vita was never written. A
good introduction to the period isJern· H. Bentlev. Polilirs and Culturr
in RenaissrmrP NajJ!es (Princeton, 19R7). There are studies of several kev
cultural figures hy Carol Kidwell, notably her l'ontano. Port and Prime
lWinistrr (London, 1991); see also her Mamllus. So/din jloPt of the Rnwis-
sancr (London, 19R9); and Samwwro and .4.rmdia (London. 1993).- E. Pontieri, 'La giovinezza eli Ferrante I d'Aragona', Studi in onorr di
Rirmrdo Filrmgirri, 2 vols (Naples, 1959), pp. 531-601; see also Antonius
Panhormita, !.ibn rrmm gr'stamm Fndirumdi rrgis, ed. G. Resta (Palermo,
1968), which in fact only deals with his career before his accession. - M. Mallett, Thr Bmgia.1. The ri1r rmdfa/1 of a Rnwissanrr dvnasty, 2nd edn
(London, 1971), pp. 60-7R. - C.M. Ady, Pius II (London, 1913) and RJ Mitchell, "fhr laurPis and thr
tiara (London, 1962) have rather little to say about the pope's relations