| Name | Kingdom of Naples |
| Period | Medieval to early 20th century |
| Capital | |
| Sovereigns | Bourbon dynasty |
| Notable facts | Powerful maritime state that dominated southern Italy and parts of the Mediterranean • Developed a unique cultural synthesis blending Italian, Greek, and Ottoman influences • Played a major role in European geopolitics and colonial ambitions until its decline in the early 20th century |
| Successor states | |
| Predecessor states | Medieval Italian kingdoms |
The Kingdom of Naples was a powerful Italian state that existed from the 13th to the 20th century, centered in the city of Naples on the southern Italian peninsula. Originating as a medieval kingdom, over the centuries it expanded to become one of the major powers of the Mediterranean, controlling territory across southern Italy, Sicily, Albania, and Greece.
The origins of the Kingdom of Naples trace back to the 13th century, when the region came under the rule of the Angevin dynasty. After a period of unrest and dynastic struggles, the kingdom was taken over by the Aragonese royal house in the 15th century. Under Aragonese and later Bourbon rule, Naples grew into a major political and economic force, becoming a hub of Italian culture, arts and architecture.
The Kingdom of Naples was able to expand its territorial control across the Italian peninsula, taking control of the central regions of Lazio and Marche as well as the islands of Sicily and Sardinia. Additionally, the kingdom also expanded eastward, seizing control of parts of the Balkans, including the coastal regions of Albania, Montenegro, and Greece. This made Naples a major Mediterranean naval and commercial power.
Throughout its history, the Kingdom of Naples was dominated by the Bourbon royal dynasty, who oversaw a unique synthesis of Italian, Greek, and Ottoman cultural influences. Neapolitan architecture, art, music, and cuisine all reflected this multicultural heritage, making the kingdom a center of the Mediterranean civilizations.
Politically, Naples maintained a highly centralized absolute monarchy, with the Bourbon kings ruling with few concessions to local autonomy or nobility. However, the kingdom also hosted a thriving intellectual and artistic community, producing influential figures in fields like philosophy, literature, and science.
The strategic location of Naples, situated along major Mediterranean trade routes, allowed the kingdom to develop a powerful navy and merchant fleet. Neapolitan ships were involved in extensive trade and commerce across the region, from the Levant to North Africa to Spain. The kingdom's naval forces also played a key role in various Mediterranean conflicts, including wars against the Ottomans and the Barbary States.
Through trade and colonial ventures, the Kingdom of Naples amassed great wealth, which the Bourbon monarchs invested in infrastructure, urbanization, and cultural institutions in the capital city. Naples became known as one of the most prosperous and cosmopolitan cities of 18th and 19th century Europe.
As one of the major powers of southern Europe, the Kingdom of Naples was often in competition and conflict with other rising states, especially the Kingdom of Piedmont-Sardinia in northern Italy. The Neapolitan monarchs resisted efforts at Italian unification, leading to intermittent wars between the two kingdoms.
The Kingdom of Naples also clashed with the maritime republics of Genoa and Venice, as well as the Austrian Empire, over control of trade routes and territories in the Mediterranean. As European colonial ambitions grew in the 19th century, Naples also vied with France, Spain, and Britain for influence in the region.
The power and prosperity of the Kingdom of Naples began to wane in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, as other European nations surpassed it economically and militarily. Internal political instability, peasant revolts, and the loss of its eastern territories contributed to the kingdom's downfall.
In 1920, the Kingdom of Naples was finally absorbed into the newly formed Kingdom of Italy, ending over 700 years of independent rule. However, the legacy of the Neapolitan kingdom lives on in the culture, architecture, and cuisine of southern Italy. Its influence as a major Mediterranean power is still felt in the geopolitics of the region today.
