Giovanni Antonio Del Balzo Orsini (1386 or 1393 – November 15, 1463) was Prince of Taranto

Principality of Taranto

The Principality of Taranto was a state in southern Italy created in 1088 for Bohemond I, eldest son of Robert Guiscard, as part of the peace between him and his younger brother Roger Borsa after a dispute over the succession to the Duchy of Apulia....

, Duke of Bari

Bari

Bari is the capital city of the province of Bari and of the Apulia region, on the Adriatic Sea, in Italy. It is the second most important economic centre of mainland Southern Italy after Naples, and is well known as a port and university city, as well as the city of Saint Nicholas...

, Count of Lecce, Acerra

Acerra

Acerra is a town and comune of Campania, southern Italy, in the Province of Naples, about 20 km northeast of the provincial capital in Naples. It is part of the Agro Acerrano plain.-History:...

, Soleto

Soleto

Soleto is a small Griko-speaking city located in the province of Lecce in Apulia, Italy. The town has a total population of 5,537 and is one of the nine towns of Grecìa Salentina.-History:...

 and Conversano

Conversano

Conversano is an ancient town and comune in the province of Bari, Apulia, southern Italy. It is located 30 km south-east of Bari, 7 km from the Adriatic coast, at 219 m above sea-level....

, as well as Count of Matera (1433-63) and of Ugento

Ugento

Ugento is a town and comune in Italy. It has a small harbour, and is situated in the province of Lecce, in Apulia, on the Gulf of Taranto . It includes the frazioni of Gemini and Torre San Giovanni.-History:...

 (1453-63).

He was the son of Raimondo Del Balzo Orsini

Raimondo del Balzo Orsini

Raimondo Del Balzo Orsini , also known as Raimondello was a nobleman of the Kingdom of Naples. He was Count of Soleto , Duke of Benevento , Prince of Taranto , Count of Lecce , Duke of Bari, Grand Constable of the Kingdom of Naples, Gonfalonier of the Holy Roman Church Raimondo Del Balzo Orsini...

, Prince of Taranto, and Mary of Enghien

Mary of Enghien

Mary of Enghien, also Maria d'Enghien, was Countess of Lecce from 1384 to 1446, and, by her second marriage, Queen of Naples and titular Queen of Sicily, Jerusalem, and Hungary .- Family :...

, an heiress of the Brienne main branch.

Prince Gianantonio acted as the Grand Constable of the Kingdom of Naples.

Succession of niece and death

In 1419, Giannantonio married Anna Colonna, daughter of lord Lorenzo Onofrio Colonna. Quite early, it was evident that he would be succeeded by the issue of his siblings. Giannantonio's niece, Isabella of Clermont

Isabella of Taranto

Isabella of Taranto , born Isabella of Clermont, was a Princess of Taranto in her own right and first Queen consort of Ferdinand I of Naples.-Family:...

, was the heiress presumptive of large feudal possessions in Southern Italy. By royal intervention, she was married in 1444 to Ferdinand I of Naples

Ferdinand I of Naples

Ferdinand I , also called Don Ferrante, was the King of Naples from 1458 to 1494. He was the natural son of Alfonso V of Aragon by Giraldona Carlino.-Biography:...

, the illegitimate son of King Alfonso V of Aragon

Alfonso V of Aragon

Alfonso the Magnanimous KG was the King of Aragon , Valencia , Majorca, Sardinia and Corsica , and Sicily and Count of Barcelona from 1416 and King of Naples from 1442 until his death...

, who had seized Southern Italy from its Angevin

House of Valois-Anjou

The Valois House of Anjou, or the Younger House of Anjou, was a noble French family, deriving from the royal family, the House of Valois. They were monarchs of Naples, as well as various other territories....

 kings in the 1430s and 1440s. In 1458, by the will of King Alfonso, Isabella's husband became king of his conquered territories (making Isabella queen consort). As such, Ferdinand used the title King of Naples and Jerusalem.

Giovanni Antonio died a rebel in 1463 without legitimate issue; he was strangled in Altamura and King Ferdinand confiscated most of his lands. Isabella died soon afterwards in 1465. Her heir was her eldest son, the future Alfonso II of Naples

Alfonso II of Naples

Alfonso II of Naples , also called Alfonso II d'Aragon, was King of Naples from 25 January 1494 to 22 February 1495 with the title King of Naples and Jerusalem...

, who, like his father, used the title King of Naples and Jerusalem during his reign (1494-95).

He died at Altamura

Altamura

Altamura is a town and comune of Apulia, southern Italy. It is located on the Murge plateau in the province of Bari, 45 km South-West of Bari, close to the border with Basilicata. As of 2011 its population was of 69,728.-Overview:...

.

Illegitimate children

1. Caterina, Countess of Conversano, Signora di Casamassima e Turi. Married Giuliantonio Acquaviva d’Aragona, 7th Duke of Atri, 1456.
2. Maria Conquesta (died after 1487), Countess of Ugento, Signora di Nardò e Castro from 1463. Married Angilberto Del Balzo, Count of Tricase and 1st Duke of Nardo circa 1463.
3. Margherita, married Antonio Centelles, Count of Catanzaro and Justiciar of Calabria.
4. Francesca, married Jacopo Sanseverino, Count of Saponara.
5. Bertoldo (died after 1488), Baron of Salice. Some issue. Count of Lecce 1463-64.
6. Another illegitimate daughter (name unknown), married Giacomo di Sanseverino, Count of Mileto. Apparently that marriage did not produce any surviving children.