Ferrante di Sanseverino was the last, splendid, prince of Salerno, lover of the arts, general of Charles V and then to him rebel, fled to the French court and in France died. The beautiful wife Isabella failed to restore the principality.
1507
1568
Last Prince of Salerno
The last moment of splendor of Salerno before a long decline, was at the beginning of the sixteenth century, when Prince of the city became thelast of the Sanseverino, family that had its fief.Ferrantehe inherited the title from his father in 1508, still a child and held it until 1552, when he rebelled against Charles V and was forced to flee, losing all right. Since then Salerno lost the title of Principality and its autonomy and its lands were dismantled and sold.
But before the dramatic rebellion,Ferrante had exercised his rights by dividing himself between the Neapolitan palace and the Salerno Castle which had luxuriously furnished and set up. He was surrounded by famous scholars such as Agostino Nifo and had as secretary Bernardo Tasso, the father of Torquato. He also hadreduced force toMedical Schoolinspired by the Lombard and Norman principles.
He was general of Charles Vand participated in the conquest of Tunis, andHe hosted the Emperor in Salerno in Palazzo Ruggi in via Tasso. But, opposing the introduction of the Spanish Inquisition into Italian territories, he entered into conflict with Spain and was deposed by the principality and fled exiles to France where he found death in 1568.
His wife was the beautiful Isabella Villamarino, very noble, true consort of a Prince, as well aswoman of culture and artistic sensibility. He fascinated Carlo V in his visit to Salerno, so as to interweave with him an intellectual correspondence that is still available. And so he had an epistolary relationship with the Archbishop of Salerno Seripando, one of the protagonists of the Council of Trent. After her husband’s exile she sought forgiveness for him several times and her painful figure remained impressed in the popular culture that dedicated her stories and songs:
«Nun m’s name is Donna Sabella
call me Sabella ‘a misfortune
aggio lost thirty-six castella
To Chiana and Puglia and Basilicata
aggio perdut ‘ in Salierno bella
who was ‘o spass r’ disgraced
‘in the evening m’imbarcaj int’ ‘a varchetella,
and ‘in the morning m’ truvai ‘negated. »
