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 Niccolo 
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 Niccolo, 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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