Louis II of Anjou
A child king who spent his life fighting for a southern Italian throne he could never securely hold, his struggle defined a turbulent era of Angevin ambition.
1377–1417 (age 40)·King of Naples·Birthday: October 5
Biography
Born into the powerful French House of Valois-Anjou, Louis II inherited a claim to the Kingdom of Naples and the duchy of Anjou as a boy after his father’s death. His youth was dominated by his formidable mother, Marie of Blois, who managed his lands and tried to rally support for the Neapolitan venture. In 1390, with papal backing, he finally landed in Naples to press his claim against the incumbent, Ladislaus. For nearly a decade, Louis controlled parts of the kingdom, a period marked more by shifting alliances and mercenary armies than stable rule. By 1399, his support crumbled, and he returned to France, his dream of a southern crown effectively over, though he never formally relinquished the title. His life was a costly, decades-long shadow war that drained Angevin resources and underscored the perilous nature of inherited medieval claims in a fragmented Italy.
#1 When Louis Was Born
The biggest hits of 1377
Louis's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1377Born
1382Started school
1390Became a teenager
1393Could drive
1395Could vote
1398Turned 21
1407Turned 30
1417Turned 40
Key Achievements
- Successfully asserted control over parts of the Kingdom of Naples from 1390 to 1399, establishing a rival court to King Ladislaus.
- Maintained the Duchy of Anjou and County of Provence as stable domains despite the financial drain of his Italian campaigns.
- Secured crucial early support from Pope Clement VII, who recognized him as the rightful King of Naples in the Western Schism.
Did You Know?
He was married as a child to Yolande of Aragon, a politically astute union that would later make her a key power broker during the Hundred Years' War.
His father, Louis I, was the adopted heir of Queen Joanna I of Naples, creating the contested claim that defined his son's life.
The magnificent Tapestry of the Apocalypse, commissioned by his father, was completed during Louis II's reign and is now a French national treasure.
“A crown claimed is not a crown worn; it must be taken and held.”
