Isabella, Princess of Taranto

Isabella of Clermont (c. 1424 – 30 March 1465), also known as Isabella of Taranto, was a Sovereign Princess of Taranto and first Queen consort of Ferdinand I of Naples.

She was the elder daughter of Tristan de Clermont, Count of Copertino, and Caterina Del Balzo Orsini. She was also the niece and heir of childless Giovanni Antonio del Balzo Orsini, Prince of Taranto. Her maternal grandmother Maria was queen consort of Naples from 1406 until 1414.

On 30 May 1444/1445, Isabella married Ferdinand of Aragon, then Duke of Calabria (1423–1494), natural son of Alfonso V of Aragon who had recently conquered the Neapolitan kingdom from French Angevins, and thus was the new liege lord of Isabella and her family.

Alfonso arranged this marriage in order to give a good future to his favorite bastard son, by giving himhis own principality by marriage. Also, Alfonso wanted his loyal people (such as his own son) to have feudal fiefs in his new kingdom, which would happen in the future as soon as Ferdinand and Isabella succeeded in Taranto. The marriage also strengthened the king's grip on the current lords of Taranto.

On 27 June 1458 her husband became, by the will of king Alfonso, King in his conquered territories and as such used the title King of Naples and Jerusalem, and Isabella became Queen consort. By that point, they had several children of their own, the eldest being the 10-year-old Alphonso.

They no longer wanted to make Taranto their principal holding, but it was still a strong possession, and in 1463 Isabella succeeded her uncle Giovanni Antonio in Taranto. Isabella also inherited the Brienne claim to the Kingdom of Jerusalem.

Isabella died on 30 March 1465, and was buried in San Pietro Martire. Her heir was her eldest son, Alphonso, then Duke of Calabria, the future king Alfonso II of Naples and Jerusalem.

Her widower King Ferdinand (born 1423, died 25 January 1494) secondly married his paternal first cousin Joanna of Aragon, daughter of his uncle John II of Aragon and Juana Enríquez.

She had six children with Ferdinand:

• Alfonso II of Naples (4 November 1448 – 18 December 1495).
• Eleanor of Naples (22 June 1450 – 11 October 1493). She was firstly consort of Massimiliano Sforza, Duke of Bari, and secondly consort of Ercole I d'Este, Duke of Ferrara and mother of Isabella d'Este and Beatrice d'Este. The latter daughter was consort of Ludovico Sforza.
• Frederick IV of Naples (19 April 1452 – 9 November 1504).
• John of Naples (25 June 1456 – 17 October 1485). Later Archbishop of Taranto (and/or "Strigonia", apparently Esztergom in Hungary) and then Cardinal.
• Beatrice of Naples (14 September/16 November 1457 – 23 September 1508).She was Queen consort of Matthias Corvinus of Hungary and Ladislaus II of Bohemia and Hungary.
• Francis of Naples, Duke of Sant Angelo (16 December 1461 – 26 October 1486).