Angevins

The article is addressed to study the Angevin visual culture in Albania through unpublished or not well known testimonies, instruments of the propaganda. The first “study case” is about a cycle of frescos in a Benedictine church, where a local workshop educated to a Byzantine pictorial language, under the direction of the abbot concepteur of the cycle, put on scene the celebration of the Roman Church and the new French ruler. The frescos are dated on 1272, that was the same year in which the sources mention Charles of Anjou as Rex Albanie for the first time. After that, the focus of this research moves on the Angevin legacy in the 14th century. Images and symbols of the Angevin visual culture and propaganda were part of the Albanian cultural heritage, those have been reused by certain feudal families to show their own social status and ambitions. This phenomenon, jointly to the spread of the Catholicism, marked the approach of Albania to Western Europe until the Turkish conquest.

"The knight's iconography into Neapolitan illumination during the Angevin age" was the main subject of my postgraduate degree dissertation in 2010. The degree thesis was focused on the evolution of the knight's iconography during the first Angevin domination (1266 - 1343), with some reference to the Chivalric culture and Feudal society that spread over Europe between 11th and 14th century b. C.

Considering the extensive loss of medieval decoration in the Neapolitan church of S. Chiara, the surviving 14th century high altar deserves special attention. One third of its structure and most of its sculptural embellishment are lost, but the altar can still be examined for a clear understanding of its components (architecture, reliefs, sculptures). This paper presents an overall view of this monument in order to re-consider issues concerning its commission, chronology and authorship. Closer examination, attempted here for the first time, suggests that the Florentine sculptor Pacio Bertini played a more important role than argued before, and contextualizes the high altar of S. Chiara within Neapolitan sculpture in the 1330s. These acknowledgments allow to confirm that the work was entirely or mostly completed by the year 1340, when the church was solemnly consecrated.

This essay takes into account the fragments of a mid-fourteenth-century fresco cycle in the church of San Domenico in Penne, representing biblical stories, the legend of Saint John the Evangelist and, probably, the visions of Apocalypse. These frescoes reveal stylistic parallels with contemporary Neapolitan miniature and painting, and seem to attest the mobility of artists and the transfer of form between Naples, with its giottesque masterpieces in the church of Santa Chiara and in the Palatine Chapel in Castel Nuovo, and the Adriatic side of the angevin Kingdom.

In October 1392, King Ladislaus of Naples (1386–1414) sent letters and an embassy to the court of the Ottoman Sultan Bayezid (1389–1402) offering to establish a pact against their common enemy, King Sigismund of Luxembourg (1387–1437). According to the “indecent proposal,” this “unholy alliance” was supposed to be sealed and strengthened by a marriage between King Ladislaus and an unnamed daughter of the sultan. Though the wedding never took place, messengers were exchanged and a tactical pact did materialize. It was manifested through military cooperation between Ladislaus’ Balkan supporters and the Ottoman marcher lords, who undertook joint attacks against the subjects of King Sigismund and their territories. Although mentioned briefly in passing, this incredible episode and the resulting alliance have never before been analyzed in depth by historians. Attempting to shed some light on the topic in general, this article proposes to examine the available narrative and diplomatic sources, assess the marriage policy of the Ottoman sultans as a diplomatic tool in the achievement of their strategic goals, and the perceived outrage that news of the potential marriage caused among the adversaries of King Ladislaus. In addition to studying the language of the letters, which extended beyond subtle courtesy, the essay will also explore the practical effects and consequences of the collusion between Ladislaus and the Turks for the overall political situation in the Balkans during the last decade of the fourteenth century and first decade of the fifteenth.
Keywords: King Ladislaus of Naples, King Sigismund of Luxembourg, Sultan Bayezid, Stephen Lackfi, John Horváti, Hrvoje Vukčić, Kingdom of Hungary, Kingdom of Naples, Ottoman Empire, Kingdom of Bosnia

This essay aims to investigate around the lost Uomini Illustri cycles in Napoli,
Milano and Padova, traditionally linked to Giotto, Petrarch and to the “Proto-Humanistic”
culture. The author proposes some research ideas and hypotheses about
the iconography of the lost frescoes and their cultural contexts, considering the most
recent critical literature, with particular attention to Petrarchan studies, the circulation
of ideas, books and images, the surviving and transformations of classical artistic
and literary models in Europe during the Middle Ages.

The cult of the past is a very common topos not only in the humanistic Quattrocento but also in the Middle
Ages, and it represents a strong propaganda tool in profane art associated with astronomical and moralistic
allegories, frequent in the fourteenth and fifteenth centuries. This essay investigates some profane
themes - linked with contemporary literature - in court art between the late Middle Ages and early Renaissance.
In particular, it deals with secular cycles of Illustrious Men and Triumphs, following continuity and
transformations from older evidence (often lost) to their presence in proto-humanistic contexts in Italy before
the Quattrocento, when these typical themes are documented everywhere. Furthermore, it discusses
the relationships between images, words and memory; and the propagation of Illustrious Genealogies in
the late Trecento.

"Coins minted in Santiago with the bust of St. James Apostle on the obverse give witness to
the influential nature of coinage as a form of artistic expression as well as a reflection of
current artistic styles even in seemingly independent forms such as sculpture. In this case we
can detect that influence of Master Mateo and his workshop, contributing a style and level of
artistry superior to that found on other coins of the same period. This coin bears the imprint
of the stylistic advances reflected in the Pórtico de la Gloria of the catedral in Compostela.
The frame of references and influences embraces Compostela and the Anglo-Normand sphere
of the twelfth century with Limoges as a possible point of convergence and the practice of
pilgrimage as the lively channel that facilitated the traffic in coinage and metals between the
Islamic world and northern Europe as the economic backdrop of these relationships."

The paper tries to uncover the Angevin – Hungarian relations during a chaotic period in the Hungarian history. The main goal of the study is to examine the personal network built by the Sicilian King Charles II in order to ensure the succession of his descendants on the Hungarian throne. The Hungarian nobles and prelates put the son of the Bohemian King up against them. Both parties used all means that were at their disposal to ensure the loyalty of the barons: donation of land and title was the most common way to do so. However the Bohemian Prince fled the country and it seems that the House Anjou could utilize its personal relations better. The paper tries to answer the forthcoming question: could the personal acquaintances of Angevins have a role in this?

This PhD thesis is based on the specificity of the history of the second House of Anjou (1360-1481) characterized in each generation by moments of discontinuity in which women find themselves in state governing positions as regents, lieutenants or vice-regents. This princely French dynasty offers a unique opportunity to observe and analyze a phenomenon that was in the developing stages both judicially and practically at the end of the Middles Ages, namely the exercise of political power by sovereigns who were not supposed to govern. Due to the increasing variety of existing sources, this study will also assess the administrative progress or institutional developments in the principalities where the Duchesses were involved in governing. The Duchesses have also been instrumental in the territorial expansions of their states, enabling the articulation of a common history for areas traditionally studied independently: Anjou, Provence, Barrois, Lorena, and Naples. The study, spanning over a century, draws on the dialectic of individual existence and collective destiny in order to offer a new interpretation to issues concerning women’s identity and political actions. These issues are analyzed using multiple approaches (political, anthropologic, legal, judicial, and quantitative) and various themes (finances, entourages, governing of constitutional bodies, war, diplomatic affairs). As a result, the analysis sheds light on the mechanisms and dynamics by which, on one hand, these princesses exert their authority as men’s equal, as women « with a man’s heart », while on the other hand, forced by their gender’s moral, intellectual and judicial imposed constraints, they adopt a governing style specifically feminine, exalt particular virtues or even change the rules of ordinary politics.

This article deals with the comparison of the role of the high clergy of Croatia, Dalmatia and Slavonia in the two succession crises that shook the Kingdom of Hungary-Croatia. The first crisis (1290-1310) saw the rise to the throne by Charles Robert of the Angevin dynasty from Naples, while in the second (1382-1420) various powers vied for the control of the entire kingdom of parts of it following the death of King Louis the Great.

The aim of this essay is to demonstrate Saint Katherine’s role as a royal patron. Katherine’s royal ancestry was emphasised in her legend which appeared in her cult. The members of royal circles easily identified themselves with Katherine because of her noble status. Moreover, Katherine with the other virgin martyrs became a role model for pious women in accordance with the flourishing of female religious movements in the twelfth and thirteenth centuries. The legend writers who described the saint princesses of the Árpádian dynasty regarded Katherine as one of the princesses’ figurative and even literal models. According to the Legend of Cunegond of Poland (the daughter of Béla IV), the princess descended from the lineage of Saint Katherine. Saint Margaret, who was another saint daughter of Béla IV, longed for martyrdom. She wanted to live in the age of Christian persecution and to suffer like the virgin martyrs. The image of Katherine depicted the perfect Christian woman. Robert the Wise, in his sermons, compared Saint Elizabeth of Hungary to Saint Katherine; she was called to altera filiis regia. Katherine’s royal or noble status became a significant element of her legend from the twelfth century.
Katherine was also a role model for men because of the erudition which she had demonstrated while she ruled. According to the Hungarian thirteenth-century collection of sermons, the Sermones compilati “Katherine governed her kingdom as a man.” The amount of historical sources in Hungary increased from the fourteenth century (the era of the Angevin dynasty, 1308–1382), and one can track more dedications to Saint Katherine – churches, chapels and altars. However, many of these dedications might have had Árpádian antecedents. The two Angevin kings, Charles I and Louis the Great, played an important role in the promotion of the virgin martyrs – as they might have had personal connections to Katherine. The saint’s legend was represented in the Hungarian Angevin Legendary. In the initial picture found in the Chronicon Pictum, Louis and his wife pray to Katherine, and Louis’s royal funerary chapel was dedicated to her.
Of course, medieval rulers were more likely promote the cult of dynastic saints than those of late antique martyrs whose primary relics were rare in medieval Europe. Nevertheless the cult of Saint Katherine had spread widely from the High Middle Ages. She was believed to be exceptional even among other saints because of her efficacious intercessory power. The nobles and royals easily identified themselves with her because of Katherine’s royal background and her wisdom.

A city came into being. It had its ups and downs; there were times when prosperity flourished, yet clouds on the horizon  could also be spotted. Now, it is time to get to know the history of London made by various civilizations, not based on speculations. Therefore, let us return to the old days of war, conquer and splendour. In this essay a history of London will be presented; the contribution of nations such as the Romans, the Anglo-Saxons, the Vikings, the Normans, the Tudors and the Stuarts will be described as well as the main events in the eighteenth-nineteenth- and twentieth- century will be shown.

This essay gives a brief overview of the drawings representing Neapolitan medieval paintings from the collection of art historian Jean-Baptiste Seroux d’Agincourt housed in the Vatican Apostolic Library. In particular, it deals with a hitherto unpublished copy of the missing central panel of S. Maria Incoronata altarpiece described by Bernardo De Dominici.

The Order of Saint George: the Current State of Research.

The incessant Hungarian interest surrounding the order founded by our king, Charles Robert, is the result of its being the first order in Europe to be established by a monarch, secularly, meaning that it was not church-related. This leading role is no longer contested by the international publications either. However, the researchers of the topic still face the question whether the order was functioning, and if yes, in which territory. Today, we possess two artefacts unquestionably related to the order: the so called founding charter and the seal of the order. Furthermore, we know about some minor findings that can be linked to the order, for example, Saint George’s Chapel of Visegrád or the dragons holding a shield on certain seals. A ceremonial sword with a dragon-shaped crossguard in the Kunsthistorisches Museum of Vienna may be an artefact related to the Order of Saint George as well. The strictly religious nature of the order is likely to have been the result of its early founding date. Among the regulations of all European orders, the Hungarian was exceptionally restrictive concerning the interaction between its members, the circumstances of their meetings and their obligations. Ágnes Kurucz, Boulton D’Arcy Jonathan and especially Maurice Keen emphasize the role of the confraternities in the formation of the secular orders. Boulton also stresses that the majority of the orders in the 14th –16th centuries were extremely short-lived. Lately, Enikő Csukovits has been listing the order among the innovations introduced by the Anjous. The founding of a secular order was the token of the exquisite tactical and political sense of Charles Robert and his advisors, and it is certain that it was their political realism that would put an end to it not much later.

The author is analyzing the circumstances surrounding the planning, launching and carrying out the expedition intended to transfer Charles Robert from Southern Italy to Eastern Adriatic so that he could realize his inherited right to Crown of St. Stephen and the throne of the Kingdom of Hungary-Croatia. Contrary to the conventional wisdom in historiography, the author advocates a thesis that the expedition was organized not to enable Charles to realize his claim, but to remove him from Naples where he, being the heir to the local throne, was a potential source of political disputes and conflicts. Analyzing the details of the expedition and the contemporaries’ views on it (as found in the preserved sources), the author finds arguments for such a viewpoint. He also analyzes the developments that, in the early 14th century, generated a whole new political situation that in turn created an opportunity for Charles Robert to actually realize his potential claim to the throne.

Lo studio ricostruisce a grandi linee i rapporti tra mercanti toscani e ragusei che operavano nel Regno di Napoli e documenta l’ingente coniazione di gigliati postumi nella zecca di Napoli durante il regno di Giovanna II d’Angio`-Durazzo. In base a diversi elementi e confronti preliminari, viene proposto un tipo di robertino quale modello per questo periodo.

The study reconstructs the relationships between Tuscan and Ragusan merchants, who traded in the Kingdom of Naples, and it documents the massive minting of posthumous gigliati in the mint of Naples, during the reign of Giovanna II of Anjou-Durazzo. Based on several elements and preliminary comparisons, a type of robertino is proposed as a model for this period.

L’étude reconstruit grosso modo les relations entre les marchands de la Toscane et de Dubrovnik (Raguse), qui opéraient dans le royaume de Naples, et il documente aussi le considérable monnayage de gillats posthumes, frappe´s dans l’atelier de Naples, pendant le régne de Jeanne II d’Anjou-Durazzo. Suivant plusieurs éléments et comparaisons préliminaires, on propose enfin un type de robertino comme modéle pour cette période.

The town of Leonessa was born in 1278 in the northern frontier region of the Kingdom of Sicily, and it is one of the most documented cases among the new towns promoted by the Angevin dynasty. By studying its birth and development, we can obtain precious data regarding these new towns, all built between the second half of 13th and the first half of 14
th century and marked by many common factors: they were all synoecisms, they all involved both the lower population and the nobility, their urban structure was carefully planned, they were all erected to control relevant routes accessing the Kingdom and to guarantee the kings against rebellions. The comparison between Leonessa and the other new towns, however, allows us to ascertain the reasons behind its peculiar development: Leonessa indeed stands out for its geographical position, extremely close to the border, and for its slow but steady growth, which progressed despite the many problems the new town had to face.

The article has been published in the journal “Eurostudium”, July-September 2018, pp. 59-80: see link http://www.eurostudium.eu/Eurostudium48/casalboni%20(2).pdf