Charles d'Anjou
| Charles I | |
|---|---|
His statue at the Royal Palace (Naples).
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King of Sicily Contested by Peter I from 1282. |
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| Reign | 1266–1285 |
| Coronation | 5 January 1266 |
| Predecessor | Manfred |
| Successor |
Peter I (island of Sicily) Charles II (mainland territories) |
| Count of Anjou and Maine | |
| Reign | 1246–1285 |
| Successor | Charles II |
| Count of Provence | |
| Reign | 1246–1285 |
| Predecessor | Beatrice |
| Successor | Charles II |
| Count of Forcalquier | |
| Reign | 1246–1248 1256–1285 |
| Predecessor |
Beatrice I Beatrice II |
| Successor |
Beatrice II Charles II |
| Prince of Achaea | |
| Reign | 1278–1285 |
| Predecessor | William of Villehardouin |
| Successor | Charles II |
| Born | early 1227 |
| Died | 7 January 1285 (aged 57–58) Foggia, Kingdom of Naples |
| Burial | Naples Cathedral |
| Spouse |
Beatrice of Provence Margaret of Burgundy |
| Issue More |
Beatrice, Latin Empress Charles II, King of Naples Philip Elisabeth, Queen of Hungary |
| House | Anjou-Sicily |
| Father | Louis VIII, King of France |
| Mother | Blanche of Castile |
Charles I (early 1227 – 7 January 1285), commonly called Charles of Anjou, was a member of the royal Capetian dynasty and the founder of the second House of Anjou. He was Count of Provence (1246–85) and Forcalquier (1246–48, 1256–85) in the Holy Roman Empire, Count of Anjou and Maine (1246–85) in France; he was also King of Sicily (1266–85) and Prince of Achaea (1278–85). In 1272, he was proclaimed King of Albania; and in 1277 he purchased a claim to the Kingdom of Jerusalem.
Being the youngest son of Louis VIII of France and Blanche of Castile, he was destined for a Church career until the early 1240s. He seized Provence and Forcalquier through his marriage to their heiress, Beatrice. His attempts to secure comital rights brought him into conflict with his mother-in-law and the nobility. He received Anjou and Maine from his brother, Louis IX of France, in appanage. He accompanied Louis during the Seventh Crusade to Egypt. Shortly after he returned to Provence in 1250, Charles forced three wealthy free imperial cities—Marseilles, Arles and Avignon—to acknowledge his suzerainty.
He supported Margaret II, Countess of Flanders and Hainaut against her eldest son in exchange for Hainaut in 1253, but two years later Louis IX persuaded him to renounce the county for a compensation. Charles forced the rebellious Provençal nobles and towns into submission and expanded his suzerainty over a dozen towns and lordships in the Kingdom of Arles. In 1263, after years of negotiations, he accepted the offer of the Holy See to seize the Kingdom of Sicily (known as the Regno) from the Hohenstaufens. Pope Urban IV declared a crusade against Manfred of Sicily and assisted Charles to raise funds for the military campaign.
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