Lucrezia d'Alagno
Encyclopedia
Lucrezia d'Alagno was a woman of noble birth with whom King Alphonso V of Naples
had fallen in love in 1448. Lucrezia was daughter of Nicholas d'Alagno and Covella Toraldo. Her father, of Amalfitan
origin, was lord of Torre Annunziata
.
Alfonso gave Lucrezia and her family lands, titles, and wealth. In 1461, Lucrezia acquired, for example, the Castello del Caiazzo for fifteen thousand ducats through the intercession of Alfonso.http://www.comune.caiazzo.ce.it/iter/castello.htm In 1442 she received the island of Ischia
. Lucrezia in turn entrusted the island's governance to her brother-in-law, Giovanni Torella.
The king also asked for an annulment
to his marriage with Maria of Castile
, but Pope Callistus III refused it.
Lucrezia nevertheless served as de facto queen at the Neapolitan court as well as an inspiring muse
to the circle of scholars and poets who surrounded Alfonso, including Antonio Beccadelli
and Giovanni Pontano.
Hopes that Maria would die and make the marriage between Lucrezia and the king possible were dashed when Alfonso himself died in 1458.
She died poor and nearly forgotten in 1479.
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...
had fallen in love in 1448. Lucrezia was daughter of Nicholas d'Alagno and Covella Toraldo. Her father, of Amalfitan
Amalfi
Amalfi is a town and comune in the province of Salerno, in the region of Campania, Italy, on the Gulf of Salerno, c. 35 km southeast of Naples. It lies at the mouth of a deep ravine, at the foot of Monte Cerreto , surrounded by dramatic cliffs and coastal scenery...
origin, was lord of Torre Annunziata
Torre Annunziata
Torre Annunziata is a city and comune in the province of Naples, region of Campania in Italy. It is located at the Gulf of Naples at the foot of Mt. Vesuvius.-History:...
.
Alfonso gave Lucrezia and her family lands, titles, and wealth. In 1461, Lucrezia acquired, for example, the Castello del Caiazzo for fifteen thousand ducats through the intercession of Alfonso.http://www.comune.caiazzo.ce.it/iter/castello.htm In 1442 she received the island of Ischia
Ischia
Ischia is a volcanic island in the Tyrrhenian Sea. It lies at the northern end of the Gulf of Naples, about 30 km from the city of Naples. It is the largest of the Phlegrean Islands. Roughly trapezoidal in shape, it measures around 10 km east to west and 7 km north to south and has...
. Lucrezia in turn entrusted the island's governance to her brother-in-law, Giovanni Torella.
The king also asked for an annulment
Annulment
Annulment is a legal procedure for declaring a marriage null and void. Unlike divorce, it is usually retroactive, meaning that an annulled marriage is considered to be invalid from the beginning almost as if it had never taken place...
to his marriage with Maria of Castile
Maria of Castile
Maria of Castile was Queen consort of Aragon and Naples as the spouse of Alfonso V of Aragon. Maria acted as the regent of Aragon during the reign of her spouse, as he was absent during most of his reign; her regencies lasted between 1420 and 1423 and between 1432 and 1458...
, but Pope Callistus III refused it.
Lucrezia nevertheless served as de facto queen at the Neapolitan court as well as an inspiring muse
Muse
The Muses in Greek mythology, poetry, and literature, are the goddesses who inspire the creation of literature and the arts. They were considered the source of the knowledge, related orally for centuries in the ancient culture, that was contained in poetic lyrics and myths...
to the circle of scholars and poets who surrounded Alfonso, including Antonio Beccadelli
Antonio Beccadelli
Antonio Beccadelli , called Il Panormita , was an Italian poet, canon lawyer, scholar, diplomat, and chronicler. He generally wrote in Latin...
and Giovanni Pontano.
Hopes that Maria would die and make the marriage between Lucrezia and the king possible were dashed when Alfonso himself died in 1458.
She died poor and nearly forgotten in 1479.