THE CERTOSA OF FLORENCE 



The death of King Robert in 1343, and the acces- 

 sion of his daughter Joanna and her weak husband, 

 Andrea of Hungary, plunged the kingdom of Naples 

 into a state of anarchy, deplored by Petrarch in his 

 letters. Two years afterwards Andrea was murdered, 

 whether with or without the Queen's connivance ; 

 and at the end of another two years Joanna married 

 Louis of Taranto, the second of the Empress Cather- 

 ine's sons. From the time of Robert's death Niccol6 

 had taken no part in public affairs, but he appears to 

 have been instrumental in bringing about this marriage, 

 in which he probably saw not only the advancement of 

 his pupil to the throne, but the best hope for the 

 peace of the realm. At first, however, the conse- 

 quences of the step proved disastrous to the parties 

 concerned. The barons rose in arms against the 

 Queen ; the King of Hungary, armed with Papal ex- 

 communications, invaded Naples as the avenger of 

 his brother's murder. Joanna took ship for Provence ; 

 and Louis of Taranto, deserted by all his followers 

 saving the faithful Niccol6, fled with him to Siena, 

 and found a refuge in Acciaiuoli's own villa at Monte 

 Gufoni. While the two wandered from city to city, 

 vainly endeavouring to obtain supplies of men and 

 money, the Hungarian king became master of Naples, 

 and all the fortresses in the country were surrendered 



into his hands, with the single exception of the citadel 



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