Alfonso V of Aragon
Part of The Encyclopedia of Southern Italy.
Alfonso V of Aragon (I of Naples, Sicily, and Sardinia) “the Magnanimous”: (b. 1394 or 1396, Medina Del Campo, Valladolid, Castile, Spain; d. June 26/27, 1458, Naples). King of Aragon (1416-1458), Sicily (1416-1458), Naples (1441-1458), and Sardinia (1420-1458); Count of Barcelona (1416-1458). He was the son of Ferdinand I the Just whom he succeeded as king of Aragon and Sicily in 1416. His mother was Eleanor of Alburquerque. In 1420, Queen Joanna II of Naples chose him as her heir, but revoked the decision in 1423 in favor of Louis III (and then his brother Rene) of Anjou/Lorraine. When Joanna died in 1435, Alfonso challenged Rene for the Neapolitan throne. Initially, Rene had a definite advantage, having the support of the Papacy and Genoa. The Genoese fleet intercepted that of Alfonso, defeating his fleet and taking him prisoner. Alfonso was transferred to the control of Duke Filippo Maria Visconti of Milan, another supporter of Rene. Alfonso was successful in not only convincing Philip to free him but won over the duke as his own ally. Alfonso continued his war against Rene for another 5 years but finally capturing Naples and being recognized by the Pope. In 1443, Pope Eugenius IV threw his support to Alfonso and, in the following year, he confirmed Ferrante (Ferdinand), Alfonso’s illegitimate son, as the rightful heir to the throne of Naples. In return for this, Alfonso agreed to support Eugenius against the Council of Basil.
Once Alfonso’s claims in Italy were secured he chose to devote his energies to them, naming his mother and brother, John (the future John II of Sicily), as regent’s over his Spanish domains. Alfonso now became one of the principal military and diplomatic leaders in Italy. In 1455, he was instrumental in the election of Alfonso Borja as Pope Calixtus III.
Alfonso was not content with his control over Naples and Sicily. He also pressed his claim to Milan as the supposed heir of his old benefactor Duke Filippo Maria Visconti. This claim, however, was based on documents widely believed to be forgeries and his claim was refused. A new war now broke out in which Alfonso found himself facing Pope Nicholas V. Nicholas knew that if Alfonso gained possession of Milan, he would become the de facto ruler of Italy. Ultimately, Alfonso’s claim to Milan was defeated by Francesco Sforza.
In 1457, Alfonso abdicated the throne of Naples in favor of his son Ferrante. He advised the new king to be content with Naples and not attempt to press any claims to the Spanish territories. He also advised Ferrante to avoid the mistakes that he had himself made, and to give preference to Italians over Spaniards in filling important positions. As a last piece of advice, he told his son to keep the peace with the Papacy.
After leaving the throne, Alfonso crossed over to Sicily and spent the remaining 10 months of his life at Messina, devoting himself to prayer and penance. Upon his death, his body was interred in the Cathedral of Messina. While Ferrante remained king in Naples, the rest of Alfonso’s empire, namely Aragon, Sardinia, and Sicily, came unfer the rule of John II.
During Alfonso’s reign, Naples became the sanctuary for many Byzantine scholars who had fled from Constantinople when that city fell to the Ottoman Turks in 1453. He was a great believer in justice and a patron of the humanities. His generosity and ability to show honor and respect to friend and foe alike, earned him the epithet “the Magnanimous.” During his reign he created a fund of 20,000 florins for the support of the artists and scholars who flocked to his court. He was personally a devoted to scholarship, traveling everywhere with a library of classical works.
Despite his troubled relationships with the Papacy, Alfonso was a devote Catholic. He regularly heard Mass three times each day and enjoyed listening to biblical passages.