View source for Principality of Taranto

{{Short description|Vassal state in southern Italy (1088–1465)}}
{{Infobox country
| native_name            = {{native name|la|Principatum Tarentinum}}
| conventional_long_name = Principality of Taranto
| common_name            = Taranto|
| era                    = 
| status                 = Principality within the: <br> [[Kingdom of Sicily]] <br>(1130-1282) <br> [[Kingdom of Naples]] <br> (1282-1465)
| status_text            = 
| year_start             = 1088
| year_end               = 1465|
| event_end              = Death of [[Isabella of Clermont]]
| date_end               = 30 March|
| p1                     = County of Apulia and Calabria
| flag_p1                = Coat of Arms of Robert Guiscard.svg
| border_p1              = no
| s1                     = Kingdom of Naples
| flag_s1                = Arms of Ferdinand I of Naples.svg|
| image_flag             = 
| flag                   = <!--- Link target under flag image. Default: Flag of {{{common_name}}} --->
| flag_type              = <!--- Displayed text for link under flag. Default "Flag" --->|
| image_coat             = Arms of Philippe de Tarente.svg
| symbol                 = <!--- Link target under symbol image. Default: Coat of arms of {{{common_name}}} --->
| symbol_type            = Coat of arms of [[Philip I, Prince of Taranto|Philippe of Anjou, prince of Tarente]], before 1313|
| image_map              = Principato di Taranto nel Regno di Sicilia, 1154.svg
| image_map_caption      = Approximate area of the Principality of Taranto within the Kingdom of Sicily, {{circa}} 1154
| capital                = [[Taranto]]
| common_languages       = [[Medieval Latin]]
| religion               = [[Roman Catholicism]]
| currency               = |
| leader1                = [[Bohemond I of Antioch|Bohemond I]] (first)
| leader2                = [[Isabella of Clermont|Isabella]] (last)
| leader3                = 
| leader4                = 
| year_leader1           = 1088–1111
| year_leader2           = 1463–1465
| year_leader3           = 
| year_leader4           = 
| title_leader           = Prince|
| footnotes              = <!--- Accepts wikilinks --->
}}

The '''Principality of Taranto''' ({{Langx|la|Principatum Tarentinum}}) was a  state in southern Italy created in 1088 for [[Bohemond I of Antioch|Bohemond I]], eldest son of [[Robert Guiscard]], as part of the peace between him and his younger brother [[Roger Borsa]] after a dispute over the succession to the [[Duchy of Apulia]].

[[Taranto]] became the capital of the principality, which covered almost all of the heel of Apulia. During its subsequent 377 years of history, it was sometimes a powerful and almost independent feudal fief of the [[Kingdom of Sicily]] (and later of [[Kingdom of Naples|Naples]]), sometimes only a title, often given to the heir to the crown or to the husband of a reigning queen. When the [[Capetian House of Anjou|House of Anjou]] was divided, Taranto fell to the house of Durazzo (1394&ndash;1463).

[[Ferdinand I of Naples]] united the Principality of Taranto, to the Kingdom of Naples, at the death of his wife, [[Isabella of Clermont]]. The principality came to an end, but the kings of Naples continued giving the title of Prince of Taranto to their sons, firstly to the future [[Alfonso II of Naples]], eldest son of Isabella.

==Counts==
*[[Geoffrey of Taranto|Geoffrey]] (1063 – bef. 1072)
*[[Richard of Andria|Richard]] (bef. 1072–1080)
**[[Peter II of Trani|Peter]], as regent
*[[Robert Guiscard]] (1080–1085)
*[[Bohemond I of Antioch|Bohemond]] (1085–1088)

==Princes==
===[[Hauteville family|Hauteville (''Altavilla'') dynasty]]===
* 1088 - [[Bohemond of Taranto|Bohemond I]] (1054–1111), later Bohemond I prince of the [[crusader state]] of [[Antioch]];
* 1111 - [[Bohemond II of Antioch|Bohemond II]] (1108–1130), son of Bohemond I, also prince of Antioch;
* 1128 - King [[Roger II of Sicily|Roger II]] (1093–1154), cousin of Bohemond II, [[duke of Apulia]], king of Sicily, unifier of Southern Italy;
* 1132 - [[Tancred, Prince of Bari|Tancred]], son of Roger II, prince of [[Bari]], received the principality from his father;
* 1138 - [[William I of Sicily|William I]], later king of Sicily, son of Roger II, became prince of Taranto at the death of his brother Tancred;
* 1144 - [[Simon, Prince of Taranto|Simon]], son of Roger II, became prince of Taranto when his brother William became prince of [[Capua]] and Duke of Apulia;
* 1157 - [[William II of Sicily|William II]], later king of Sicily;
* 1189 - King [[Tancred of Sicily]], Count of Lecce;
* 1194 - [[William III of Sicily|William III]], king of Sicily (deposed), Count of Lecce;

===[[Hohenstaufen|Hohenstaufen (''Svevia'') dynasty]]===
*1194 - King [[Henry VI, Holy Roman Emperor|Henry]], husband of [[Constance I of Sicily|Constance of Sicily]];
**1198 - Robert;
**1200 - Guy [[Walter III of Brienne]], husband of (Albinia, Elvira) [[Mary of Lecce]] of Altavilla, daughter of King [[Tancred of Sicily]] (Tancred of Hauteville, Count of Lecce). Title confiscated at the death of Walter;
* 1205 - King [[Frederick II, Holy Roman Emperor|Frederick]];
* 1250 - [[Manfred of Sicily]], son of Frederick II, later also king;

===[[Capetian House of Anjou|Angevin (''Angiò'') dynasty]]===
* 1266 - King [[Charles I of Sicily|Charles I]] (1227–1285), defeated Manfred and was created King of Sicily by the pope;
* 1285 - King [[Charles II of Naples|Charles II]] (1248–1309), son of Charles I, king of Naples;
* 1294 - [[Philip I of Taranto|Philip I]] (1278–1331), son of Charles II, and titular Latin Emperor;
* 1331 - [[Robert of Taranto]] (1299–1364), son of Philip I;
* 1346 - [[Louis of Taranto]] (1308–1362), son of Philip I, simultaneously king of Naples;
* 1364 - [[Philip II of Taranto|Philip II]] (1329–1374), son of Philip I, and titular Latin Emperor;
** 1356 - Philip III, son of Philip II, died in his youth, the title returned to his father;

===[[Lords of Baux|Baux (''Del Balzo'') dynasty]]===
* 1374 - [[James of Baux]], nephew of Philip II, and titular Latin Emperor;

===[[House of Welf|Welf or Brunswick (''Este del Guelfo'') dynasty]]===
* 1383 - [[Otto, Prince of Taranto|Otto]] (1320–1398), widower of [[Joan I of Naples]];

===[[Orsini family|Orsini dynasty]]===
* 1399 - [[Raimondo del Balzo Orsini]], also known as ''Raimondello'', husband of the Countess of Lecce [[Mary of Enghien]], the Brienne heiress;
* 1406 - [[Ladislaus of Naples|Ladislaus of Durazzo]], king of Naples, second husband of [[Mary of Enghien]];
* 1414 - [[James II, Count of La Marche|James II of Bourbon-La Marche]], husband of [[Joan II of Naples]] and briefly king-consort
* 1420 - [[Giovanni Antonio del Balzo Orsini]], son of Mary of Enghien and Raimondello;
* 1463 - [[Isabella of Clermont]], niece of Giovanni Antonio

==Princesses==
{{Main|Princess of Taranto}}

==See also==
*[[History of Taranto]]
{{Former monarchies Italian peninsula}}
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Taranto, Principality of}}
[[Category:Princes of Taranto| ]]
[[Category:Lists of Italian nobility]]
[[Category:Medieval history of Italy]]
[[Category:Italian states]]
[[Category:Lists of princes]]
[[Category:States and territories established in 1088]]
[[Category:Former principalities]]