Famous castles and palaces of Italy . o, which was retaken by the Neapolitansin September 1348 after a long and arduous siege. With the return of Giovanna and Ludovico ofTaranto, the days of good King Robert seemed todawn once more. Again the gardens were troddenin the dance, again the halls resounded to the notesof the lute and the lyre. Beneath these fair surfacessavage passions only slumbered. In the midst of it all,the queens widowed sister profited by her absence oneday from the castle to murder the man to whom shehad been affianced, and to throw his head into themoat. Then she took refug
Famous castles and palaces of Italy . o, which was retaken by the Neapolitansin September 1348 after a long and arduous siege. With the return of Giovanna and Ludovico ofTaranto, the days of good King Robert seemed todawn once more. Again the gardens were troddenin the dance, again the halls resounded to the notesof the lute and the lyre. Beneath these fair surfacessavage passions only slumbered. In the midst of it all,the queens widowed sister profited by her absence oneday from the castle to murder the man to whom shehad been affianced, and to throw his head into themoat. Then she took refuge with Ludovicos brother,Filippo, and a few days later announced that she hadbecome his wife.^ They were brave men who wooedthe daughters of King Robert. Giovannas secondhusband died in the castle on 26th May 1362, to besucceeded in her fatal affections by James, King ofMallorca, who left her after three months of weddedlife. But these domestic afflictions in no way weakened1 Colonna, Notizie storiche di Castelnuovo. -(?•iii:iiii. o >o w Q ?JHHt/i -<:o « THE CASTLES OF NAPLES 81 the queens capacity for enjoyment. She had no wishto follow her grandmother to a nunnery, but as wife,widow and grass-widow led the ball and swept thelute-strings with as much zest as the lightest-heartedlazzarone. There were saints on the earth in those days, andsome even wore crowns. St Bridget, Queen of Sweden,was on her travels, and came to visit her fellow-sovereign. She brought her sons, and one of theseyoung gentlemen was so overcome by the Neapolitanqueens beauty that he at once embraced her beforeall the courtiers and kissed her on the lips. HerMajesty consented to forgive this tribute to hercharms, and a promising courtship began, to terminate,as might have been expected, with the gallant Swedespremature death by fever. Not to be discouraged, thequeen married her fourth husband. Otto of came sieges of the Castelnuovo by her rebelliouscousins of Durazzo, and the beginnin
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Keywords: ., bookcentury1900, bookdecade1910, booksubjectpalaces, bookyear1912
