Giovanni Antonio Orsini del Balzo | |
|---|---|
| Grand Constable of the Kingdom of Naples | |
 Portrait | |
| Other titles | Prince of Taranto, Duke ofBari,Count of Lecce,Acerra,Soleto andConversano, as well as Count ofMatera (1433–63) and ofUgento (1453–63) |
| Born | 1386 or 1393 |
| Died | 15 November 1463 |
| Noble family | Orsini |
| Spouse | Anna Colonna |
| Father | Raimondo Orsini del Balzo, Prince of Taranto |
| Mother | Mary of Enghien, an heiress of theBrienne main branch |
Giovanni Antonio (Giannantonio) Orsini del Balzo (9 September 1401 – 15 November 1463) was a southern Italian nobleman and military leader; he wasPrince of Taranto, Duke ofBari,Count of Lecce,Acerra,Soleto andConversano, as well as Count ofMatera (1433–63) and ofUgento (1453–63).
Born in Lecce, he was the son ofRaimondo Orsini del Balzo, Prince of Taranto, andMary of Enghien, an heiress of theBrienne main branch. When his father died, he was one year old, and his mother married with KingLadislaus of Naples, who acquired all the family's possessions (1407).
In 1417 Giannantonio marriedPope Martin V's niece Anna Colonna, daughter of the Prince of Amalfi. AfterJames II' renounce, he received thePrincipality of Taranto from queenJoanna II of Naples on 4 May 1421. This act made him the most powerful baronial lord of theKingdom of Naples, with lands including 7 archbishoprics, 30 bishoprics, 300 castles and extending fromSalerno toTaranto.
Giannantonio was also an influent member of the Neapolitan court, and remained engulfed in the struggle between Joanna andAlfonso V of Aragon, whom he supported in the civil war againstJohn II of Anjou. When Alfonso became king of Naples, Giannantonio further increased his power with the titles of Grand Constable and of Duke ofBari.
However, when Alfonso died, he retreated to Taranto to head a group of barons against the former's son,Ferdinand I, in favour of John II. After several feats of war, Giannantonio and his side were defeated, but in the end, he managed to become reconciled with the Aragonese king. He died inAltamura Castle in 1463,[1] strangled by a certain Paolo Tricarico, perhaps a royal killer. King Ferdinand confiscated most of his lands. His niece Isabella, the legitimate heiress of Giannantonio's lands, died soon afterwards in 1465. Her heir was her eldest son, the futureAlfonso II of Naples.
| Preceded by | Prince of Taranto 1420–1463 | Succeeded by |
| Preceded by | Count of Lecce 1446–1463 | Annexed to Kingdom of Naples |
