Maria Arpad of Hungary
Encyclopedia
Mary of Hungary of the Árpád dynasty
, was Queen consort
of the Kingdom of Naples
. She was a daughter of Stephen V of Hungary
and his wife Elizabeth the Cuman
.
Mary was the second of six children. Her sisters, Elizabeth
and Catherine
both became Queen of Serbia
. Another sister, Anna married Andronikos II Palaiologos
. Mary's only brother was Ladislaus IV of Hungary.
Her paternal grandparents were Béla IV of Hungary
and his wife Maria Laskarina
. Her maternal grandparents could have been Köten
, leader of a tribe of Cumans and unknown mother.
(1254–1309), the eldest son and heir of Charles I of Sicily
and his wife Beatrice of Provence
.
On the 10 July 1290, Mary's brother, Ladislaus IV of Hungary died childless. The question now was who would succeed him: he had four sisters, three of them outlived him, all four had married powerful rulers and all four had had their own children. On the 21 September 1290, Mary claimed the throne of Hungary. She was up against her two sisters, Catherine and Elisabeth, and their children, plus the children of her younger sister Anna. Mary was crowned queen by a Papal legate in Naples 1291, but transferred her rights to her eldest son, Charles Martel of Anjou
. The Pope confirmed her sole rights in Hungary on the 30 August 1295. However, Catherine's son, Stephen Vladislav II of Syrmia, was still a dangerous rival for Maria and Charles Martel. In the end, Charles Martel gave his cousin Slavonia
as a compromise.
Charles Martel was only titular King of Hungary, it was Mary's grandson who became King, Charles I of Hungary
. Ultimately the claims of the sisters Mary and Catherine were united in a common descendant when the pair's great-great-granddaughter, Mary of Hungary
, ascended to the Hungarian throne in 1382. When the line of Charles Martel and the Angevins in Hungary died out, it was Sigismund, a remote descendant of Bela IV, whose family succeeded.
During 1290, Mary's sister Elisabeth fled from Bohemia
with her son because her husband had lost favour and was executed, Mary allowed Elisabeth and her son to stay in Naples
with her, before she became a nun, but escaped and remarried to Stephen Uroš II Milutin of Serbia (brother of Catherine's husband) Elizabeth's stay in Naples is documented during July 1300.
Mary's husband died in August 1309, Maria was now a widow. She lived in Naples
for the rest of her life, where she died on 25 March 1323, she was buried in Naples at the Santa Maria Donna Regina.
Árpád dynasty
The Árpáds or Arpads was the ruling dynasty of the federation of the Hungarian tribes and of the Kingdom of Hungary . The dynasty was named after Grand Prince Árpád who was the head of the tribal federation when the Magyars occupied the Carpathian Basin, circa 895...
, was Queen consort
Queen consort
A queen consort is the wife of a reigning king. A queen consort usually shares her husband's rank and holds the feminine equivalent of the king's monarchical titles. Historically, queens consort do not share the king regnant's political and military powers. Most queens in history were queens consort...
of the Kingdom of Naples
Kingdom of Naples
The Kingdom of Naples, comprising the southern part of the Italian peninsula, was the remainder of the old Kingdom of Sicily after secession of the island of Sicily as a result of the Sicilian Vespers rebellion of 1282. Known to contemporaries as the Kingdom of Sicily, it is dubbed Kingdom of...
. She was a daughter of Stephen V of Hungary
Stephen V of Hungary
Stephen V , was King of Hungary from 1270 to 1272.-Early years:...
and his wife Elizabeth the Cuman
Elizabeth the Cuman
-Daughter of Kuthen:She was born in about 1239/40, a daughter of Kuthen/Kotyan/Kotony , khan of the Cumans , and his wife whose identity has not been established. The Cumans were the western tribes of the Cuman-Kipchak confederation. The Cumans were a confederation of Turkic speaking peoples who...
.
Family
Mary's mother followed the Shamanist religion, like other Cumans. She was considered a Pagan by contemporary Christians of Europe and Elizabeth had to convert to Catholicism in order to marry Maria's father, Stephen. It's unknown at what age became Christian, but could be possible that she was already reaised in the Hungarian royal court since her childhood.Mary was the second of six children. Her sisters, Elizabeth
Elizabeth of Hungary, Queen of Serbia
Elizabeth of Hungary the widow was one of younger children of King Stephen V of Hungary and his wife Elizabeth the Cuman. She was a member of the House of Arpad and later became Queen consort of Serbia by her marriage to Stefan Uroš II Milutin of Serbia....
and Catherine
Catherine of Hungary, Queen of Serbia
Catherine of Hungary was the second daughter of Stephen V of Hungary and his wife Elizabeth, a member of the Cuman tribes. Catherine became Queen consort of Serbia by her marriage to Stephen Dragutin of Serbia.-Family:...
both became Queen of Serbia
Serbia
Serbia , officially the Republic of Serbia , is a landlocked country located at the crossroads of Central and Southeast Europe, covering the southern part of the Carpathian basin and the central part of the Balkans...
. Another sister, Anna married Andronikos II Palaiologos
Andronikos II Palaiologos
Andronikos II Palaiologos , Latinized as Andronicus II Palaeologus, was Byzantine emperor from 1282 to 1328. He was the eldest surviving son of Michael VIII Palaiologos and Theodora Doukaina Vatatzina, grandniece of John III Doukas Vatatzes...
. Mary's only brother was Ladislaus IV of Hungary.
Her paternal grandparents were Béla IV of Hungary
Béla IV of Hungary
Béla IV , King of Hungary and of Croatia , duke of Styria 1254–58. One of the most famous kings of Hungary, he distinguished himself through his policy of strengthening of the royal power following the example of his grandfather Bela III, and by the rebuilding Hungary after the catastrophe of the...
and his wife Maria Laskarina
Maria Laskarina
Maria Laskarina was a daughter of Theodore I Laskaris and his first wife Anna Angelina.-Life:She was a younger sister of Irene Lascarina, first Empress consort of John III Doukas Vatatzes. Theodore married his eldest daughter to his designated heir in 1212...
. Her maternal grandparents could have been Köten
Köten
Köten was a Cuman khan and member of the Terter clan. This Köten is the same Prince Kotjan Sutoevic of the Russian annals, who forged the Russian-Cuman alliance against the Tatars...
, leader of a tribe of Cumans and unknown mother.
Life
In 1270, when Mary was only twelve years of age, she married the future Charles II of NaplesCharles II of Naples
Charles II, known as "the Lame" was King of Naples, King of Albania, Prince of Salerno, Prince of Achaea and Count of Anjou.-Biography:...
(1254–1309), the eldest son and heir of Charles I of Sicily
Charles I of Sicily
Charles I , known also as Charles of Anjou, was the King of Sicily by conquest from 1266, though he had received it as a papal grant in 1262 and was expelled from the island in the aftermath of the Sicilian Vespers of 1282...
and his wife Beatrice of Provence
Beatrice of Provence
Beatrice of Provence , was a countess regnant of Provence. She was also a Queen consort of Sicily by marriage to King Charles I of Sicily....
.
On the 10 July 1290, Mary's brother, Ladislaus IV of Hungary died childless. The question now was who would succeed him: he had four sisters, three of them outlived him, all four had married powerful rulers and all four had had their own children. On the 21 September 1290, Mary claimed the throne of Hungary. She was up against her two sisters, Catherine and Elisabeth, and their children, plus the children of her younger sister Anna. Mary was crowned queen by a Papal legate in Naples 1291, but transferred her rights to her eldest son, Charles Martel of Anjou
Charles Martel of Anjou
Charles Martel of the Angevin dynasty, also known as Charles I Martel, was the eldest son of king Charles II of Naples and Maria of Hungary, the daughter of King Stephen V of Hungary....
. The Pope confirmed her sole rights in Hungary on the 30 August 1295. However, Catherine's son, Stephen Vladislav II of Syrmia, was still a dangerous rival for Maria and Charles Martel. In the end, Charles Martel gave his cousin Slavonia
Slavonia
Slavonia is a geographical and historical region in eastern Croatia...
as a compromise.
Charles Martel was only titular King of Hungary, it was Mary's grandson who became King, Charles I of Hungary
Charles I of Hungary
Charles I , also known as Charles Robert , was the first King of Hungary and Croatia of the House of Anjou. He was also descended from the old Hungarian Árpád dynasty. His claim to the throne of Hungary was contested by several pretenders...
. Ultimately the claims of the sisters Mary and Catherine were united in a common descendant when the pair's great-great-granddaughter, Mary of Hungary
Mary of Hungary
Mary of Anjou was queen regnant of Hungary from 1382 until her death in 1395.-Childhood:...
, ascended to the Hungarian throne in 1382. When the line of Charles Martel and the Angevins in Hungary died out, it was Sigismund, a remote descendant of Bela IV, whose family succeeded.
During 1290, Mary's sister Elisabeth fled from Bohemia
Bohemia
Bohemia is a historical region in central Europe, occupying the western two-thirds of the traditional Czech Lands. It is located in the contemporary Czech Republic with its capital in Prague...
with her son because her husband had lost favour and was executed, Mary allowed Elisabeth and her son to stay in Naples
Naples
Naples is a city in Southern Italy, situated on the country's west coast by the Gulf of Naples. Lying between two notable volcanic regions, Mount Vesuvius and the Phlegraean Fields, it is the capital of the region of Campania and of the province of Naples...
with her, before she became a nun, but escaped and remarried to Stephen Uroš II Milutin of Serbia (brother of Catherine's husband) Elizabeth's stay in Naples is documented during July 1300.
Mary's husband died in August 1309, Maria was now a widow. She lived in Naples
Naples
Naples is a city in Southern Italy, situated on the country's west coast by the Gulf of Naples. Lying between two notable volcanic regions, Mount Vesuvius and the Phlegraean Fields, it is the capital of the region of Campania and of the province of Naples...
for the rest of her life, where she died on 25 March 1323, she was buried in Naples at the Santa Maria Donna Regina.
Children
Mary and her husband, Charles had fourteen children:- Charles Martel of AnjouCharles Martel of AnjouCharles Martel of the Angevin dynasty, also known as Charles I Martel, was the eldest son of king Charles II of Naples and Maria of Hungary, the daughter of King Stephen V of Hungary....
(1271–1295), titular King of HungaryKing of HungaryThe King of Hungary was the head of state of the Kingdom of Hungary from 1000 to 1918.The style of title "Apostolic King" was confirmed by Pope Clement XIII in 1758 and used afterwards by all the Kings of Hungary, so after this date the kings are referred to as "Apostolic King of... - Saint Louis of Toulouse (February 9, 1275, NoceraNocera InferioreNocera Inferiore, formerly Nocera dei Pagani, is a town and comune in Campania, Italy, in the province of Salerno, at the foot of Monte Albino, 20 km east-south-east of Naples by rail.-History:...
– August 19, 1298, Chateau de BrignolesBrignolesBrignoles is a commune in the Var department in the Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur region in southern France. It is a sub-prefecture of the department.It was the summer residence of the counts of Provence...
), Bishop of Toulouse - Robert I of Naples, (1277–1343)King of Naples
- Philip I of TarantoPhilip I of TarantoPhilip I of Taranto : of the Angevin house, was titular Emperor of Constantinople , despot of Epirus, King of Albania, Prince of Achaea and Taranto, and Lord of Durazzo....
, (1278–1331)Prince of AchaeaPrincipality of AchaeaThe Principality of Achaea or of the Morea was one of the three vassal states of the Latin Empire which replaced the Byzantine Empire after the capture of Constantinople during the Fourth Crusade. It became a vassal of the Kingdom of Thessalonica, along with the Duchy of Athens, until Thessalonica...
and TarantoPrincipality of TarantoThe 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....
, Despot of Romania, Lord of DurazzoDurrësDurrës is the second largest city of Albania located on the central Albanian coast, about west of the capital Tirana. It is one of the most ancient and economically important cities of Albania. Durres is situated at one of the narrower points of the Adriatic Sea, opposite the Italian ports of Bari...
, titular Emperor of Constantinople - Raymond BerengarRaymond Berengar of AndriaRaymond Berengar was the count of Andria and possibly Count of Provence and Prince of Piedmont.Raymond Berengar was the fifth son of Charles II of Naples and Maria of Hungary. He was born in Provence during a brief return of his father to take command of a fleet there...
(1281–1307), Count of Provence, Prince of PiedmontPiedmontPiedmont is one of the 20 regions of Italy. It has an area of 25,402 square kilometres and a population of about 4.4 million. The capital of Piedmont is Turin. The main local language is Piedmontese. Occitan is also spoken by a minority in the Occitan Valleys situated in the Provinces of...
and AndriaAndria-Places:Italy*Andria, a city in the Province of Barletta-Andria-Trani*Roman Catholic Diocese of Andria, a Roman Catholic diocese... - John (1283 – aft. March 16, 1308), a priest
- Tristan (1284–bef. 1288)
- PeterPeter TempestaPeter , called Tempesta , was the Count of Eboli from 1306. He was the eighth son of Charles II of Naples and Mary of Hungary . His sobriquet came from his stormy temperament.In 1309, he received Nocera and Isernia and exchanged Montescaglioso for Sorrento and Castellammare di Stabia...
(1291 – August 29, 1315, Battle of MontecatiniBattle of MontecatiniThe Battle of Montecatini was fought in the Val di Nievole on August 29, 1315 between the city of Pisa, and the forces of both Naples and Florence. The army of Pisa, commanded by Uguccione della Faggiuola, won a decisive victory despite being outnumbered. The Neapolitan forces, made up of nearly...
), Count of Gravina - John of Gravina (1294 – April 5, 1336, Naples), Duke of Durazzo, Prince of Achaea, and Count of Gravina, married March 1318 (divorced 1321) Matilda of Hainaut (November 29, 1293–1336), and married secondly November 14, 1321 Agnes of Périgord (d. 1345)
- Marguerite of Anjou and MaineMarguerite of Anjou and MaineMargaret of Naples was Countess of Anjou and Maine in her own right. Margaret's father was the King Charles II of Naples, her husband was Charles of Valois, and her older brother was Saint Louis of Toulouse, and her nephew was the King Charles I of Hungary.-Biography:Margaret was a daughter of...
(1273 – December 31, 1299), Countess of Anjou and Maine, married at CorbeilCorbeil- Places :* Corbeil, Ontario, Canada* Corbeil-Essonnes, Essonne, France, a commune in the southern suburbs of Paris* The Corbeil Cathedral* Corbeil, Marne, France, a commune in north-eastern France...
August 16, 1290 Charles of ValoisCharles of ValoisCharles of Valois was the fourth son of Philip III of France and Isabella of Aragon. His mother was a daughter of James I of Aragon and Yolande of Hungary. He was a member of the House of Capet and founded the House of Valois...
, brother of king of France, and became ancestress of the Valois dynastyValois DynastyThe House of Valois was a cadet branch of the Capetian dynasty, succeeding the House of Capet as kings of France from 1328 to 1589... - Blanche of AnjouBlanche of AnjouBlanche of Anjou was the second Queen consort of James II of Aragon. She was a member of the Capetian House of Anjou, she is also known as Blanche of Naples-Family:...
(1280 – October 14, 1310, BarcelonaBarcelonaBarcelona is the second largest city in Spain after Madrid, and the capital of Catalonia, with a population of 1,621,537 within its administrative limits on a land area of...
), married at Villebertran November 1, 1295 James II of AragonJames II of AragonJames II , called the Just was the King of Sicily from 1285 to 1296 and King of Aragon and Valencia and Count of Barcelona from 1291 to 1327. In 1297 he was granted the Kingdom of Sardinia and Corsica... - Eleanor of AnjouEleanor of AnjouEleanor of Naples was the Queen consort of Frederick III of Sicily. She was a member of the Capetian House of Anjou by birth.-Family:She was the third daughter of Charles II of Naples and Mary of Hungary....
, (August 1289 – August 9, 1341, Monastery of St. Nicholas, Arene, Elis), married at Messina May 17, 1302 Frederick III of SicilyFrederick III of SicilyFrederick II was the regent and subsequently King of Sicily from 1295 until his death. He was the third son of Peter III of Aragon and served in the War of the Sicilian Vespers on behalf of his father and brothers, Alfonso and James... - Maria of NaplesMaria of NaplesMaria of Naples was a daughter of Charles II of Naples and his wife Maria of Hungary. She was the wife of Sancho I of Majorca and Jaime de Ejerica.-Family:...
(1290 – c. 1346), married at Palma de Majorca September 20, 1304 Sancho I of MajorcaSancho I of MajorcaSancho , called the Pacific or the Peaceful , was King of Majorca, Count of Roussillon and Cerdanya, and Lord of Montpellier from 1311 to his death. He was the second son of James II and Escalaramunda de Foix, daughter of Roger IV, count of Foix...
, married 1326 Jaime de Ejerica (1298 – April 1335) - Beatrice (1295 – c. 1321), married April 1305 Azzo VIII, Margrave d'Este (d. 1308), married 1309 Bertrand III of Baux, Count of Andria (d. 1351)