Ferdinand II | |
---|---|
King of Naples | |
Reign | 23 January 1495 – 7 September 1496 |
Predecessor | Alfonso II |
Successor | Frederick |
Born | 26 June 1467 Naples, Kingdom of Naples |
Died | 7 September 1496 Somma Vesuviana, Kingdom of Naples | (aged 29)
Burial | |
Spouse | Joanna of Naples |
House | House of Trastámara |
Father | Alfonso II of Naples |
Mother | Ippolita Maria Sforza |
Ferdinand II (Italian: Ferdinando II, known also as Ferrante II and Ferrandino; 26 June 1467 – 7 September 1496) was King of Naples from 1495 to 1496. He was the son of Alfonso II of Naples and the grandson of Ferrante I of Naples.
At the start of the Italian Wars in 1495, Alfonso abdicated in favor of his son, Ferdinand, when a French army led by Charles VIII threatened Naples. Unable to effectively defend the city, Ferdinand fled with a small retinue to the island of Ischia. Charles quickly occupied the city, then split his army, leaving half of it to garrison Naples, and taking the other half to return home.
By May 1495, with fresh troops and the support of Aragon allies, Ferdinand returned to the peninsula and with the assistance of the Spanish general Gonzalo Fernández de Córdoba, expelled French soldiers from the entire kingdom. He died soon thereafter on 7 September 1496 and was succeeded by his uncle, Frederick.