The Neapolitan Republic was a

republic A republic () is a " state in which power rests with the people or their representatives; specifically a state without a monarchy" and also a "government, or system of government, of such a state." Previously, especially in the 17th and 18th ...

created in the

Kingdom of Naples The Kingdom of Naples ( la, Regnum Neapolitanum; it, Regno di Napoli; nap, Regno 'e Napule), also known as the Kingdom of Sicily, was a state that ruled the part of the Italian Peninsula south of the Papal States between 1282 and 1816. It was ...

, which lasted from October 22, 1647, to April 5, 1648. It began after the successful revolt led by

Masaniello Masaniello (, ; an abbreviation of Tommaso Aniello; 29 June 1620 – 16 July 1647) was an Italian fisherman who became leader of the 1647 revolt against the rule of Habsburg Spain in the Kingdom of Naples. Name and place of birth Until recen ...

and

Giulio Genoino Giulio Genoino (born c. 1565 in Cava de' Tirreni), the 'mind of Masaniello', was a key figure in the 7 July 1647 popular insurrection against Habsburg authority in the Kingdom of Naples. Biography A priest, lawyer, and academic, Genoino had fo ...

against King Philip III and his viceroys. The leader of the Republic was Henry II of

Lorraine Lorraine , also , , ; Lorrain: ''Louréne''; Lorraine Franconian: ''Lottringe''; german: Lothringen ; lb, Loutrengen; nl, Lotharingen is a cultural and historical region in Northeastern France, now located in the administrative region of Gra ...

duke of Guise Count of Guise and Duke of Guise (pronounced �ɥiz were titles in the French nobility. Originally a seigneurie, in 1417 Guise was erected into a county for René, a younger son of Louis II of Anjou. While disputed by the House of Luxembourg ...

, descendant of the former king of Naples Rene I of

Anjou Anjou may refer to: Geography and titles France *County of Anjou, a historical county in France and predecessor of the Duchy of Anjou **Count of Anjou, title of nobility *Duchy of Anjou, a historical duchy and later a province of France **Duke ...

. The Republic had the following official names: ("Most Serene Republic of this Kingdom of Naples"), ("Royal Republic"), and ("Most Serene Republican Monarchy of Naples"). All indicated the double nature of the Republic, both republican and

monarchical A monarchy is a form of government in which a person, the monarch, is head of state for life or until abdication. The political legitimacy and authority of the monarch may vary from restricted and largely symbolic (constitutional monarchy) ...

, and "" was a purposeful comparison with the famous Italian

maritime republic The maritime republics ( it, repubbliche marinare), also called merchant republics ( it, repubbliche mercantili), were thalassocratic city-states of the Mediterranean Basin during the Middle Ages. Being a significant presence in Italy in the Mid ...

with the same title,

Venice Venice ( ; it, Venezia ; vec, Venesia or ) is a city in northeastern Italy and the capital of the Veneto Regions of Italy, region. It is built on a group of 118 small islands that are separated by canals and linked by over 400 ...

. The

coat of arms A coat of arms is a heraldic visual design on an escutcheon (i.e., shield), surcoat, or tabard (the latter two being outer garments). The coat of arms on an escutcheon forms the central element of the full heraldic achievement, which in its ...

was a red shield with the motto S.P.Q.N. ( la, Senatus Populusque Neapolitanus), in imitation of the

Roman Roman or Romans most often refers to: * Rome, the capital city of Italy * Ancient Rome, Roman civilization from 8th century BC to 5th century AD *Roman people, the people of ancient Rome *''Epistle to the Romans'', shortened to ''Romans'', a lett ...

motto

S.P.Q.R. SPQR, an abbreviation for (; en, "The Roman Senate and People"; or more freely "The Senate and People of Rome"), is an emblematic abbreviated phrase referring to the government of the ancient Roman Republic. It appears on Roman currency, at t ...

(, "The Senate and the People of Rome"); thus, the Neapolitan phrase meant "The Senate and People of Naples". The coat of arms contained the crest of the duke of Guise.

History

Carlo Coppola - Resa di Napoli a Don Giovanni d'Austria nel 1648

The

had been in

personal union A personal union is the combination of two or more states that have the same monarch while their boundaries, laws, and interests remain distinct. A real union, by contrast, would involve the constituent states being to some extent interli ...

with the crown of

Spain , image_flag = Bandera de España.svg , image_coat = Escudo de España (mazonado).svg , national_motto = '' Plus ultra'' (Latin)(English: "Further Beyond") , national_anthem = (English: "Royal March") , ...

since 1504. In the first half of the 17th century Naples was in the midst of a harsh economic crisis, one which was affecting all of Europe. In Naples it was worsened by a

viceregal A viceroy () is an official who reigns over a polity in the name of and as the representative of the monarch of the territory. The term derives from the Latin prefix ''vice-'', meaning "in the place of" and the French word ''roy'', meaning "k ...

government with few local concerns, interested only in helping to finance the series of continent wide wars in which

had become entangled. Though repressed by the forces of viceroy Don

Rodrigo Ponce de León Rodrigo Ponce de León may refer to: * Rodrigo Ponce de León, Duke of Cádiz (1443-1492) * Rodrigo Ponce de León, 4th Duke of Arcos Rodrigo Ponce de León, 4th Duke of Arcos, (2 January 1602 – 1658) was a Grandee of Spain and a Knight of the ...

, which had been able to restore order in almost all of the city,

's revolt had left in the streets a strong discontent. When a fleet led by

John of Austria the Younger John Joseph of Austria or John of Austria (the Younger) ( es, Don Juan José de Austria; 7 April 1629 – 17 September 1679) was a Spanish general and political figure. He was the only illegitimate son of Philip IV of Spain to be acknowledged b ...

, King Philip's son, came "to soothe the last insurgents" by cannonading the city, a new revolt broke out. This time the revolt was not one of (poor Neapolitan people) simply rebelling against the class that held power; it was led by the gunsmith Gennaro Annese and was clearly against Philip. The viceroy's army was expelled and a Republic declared. Neapolitans sought French support and called

Henry of Guise Henry I, Prince of Joinville, Duke of Guise, Count of Eu (31 December 1550 – 23 December 1588), sometimes called ('Scarface'), was the eldest son of Francis, Duke of Guise, and Anna d'Este. His maternal grandparents were Ercole II d'Este, Du ...

to be entrusted with the leadership of the new state. The duke of Guise was in

Rome , established_title = Founded , established_date = 753 BC , founder = King Romulus ( legendary) , image_map = Map of comune of Rome (metropolitan city of Capital Rome, region Lazio, Italy).svg , map_caption ...

at that moment and accepted the offer, being eager to have a crown and to reinstate French influence in southern Italy after two centuries. On November 15, 1647, he landed in Naples and took the reins of the Republic. The Neapolitan Republic had, in fact, no hopes from the very beginning. The viceroy's forces controlled the line of castles around the city and the nobility controlled the provinces from their base in

Aversa Aversa () is a city and '' comune'' in the Province of Caserta in Campania, southern Italy, about 24 km north of Naples. It is the centre of an agricultural district, the ''Agro Aversano'', producing wine and cheese (famous for the typical ...

, thus controlling supply lines into Naples. In 1648 the duke of Guise managed to take Aversa, but the situation did not change much. The king's army, again under the command of John of Austria, chose a prudent strategy and filled Naples with spies, agitators and other agents to win over the remaining nobles. On April 5, 1648, Henry, deceitfully pressed by some of his counsellors who were in Philip's pay, tried a

sally Sally may refer to: People *Sally (name), a list of notable people with the name Military * Sally (military), an attack by the defenders of a town or fortress under siege against a besieging force; see sally port *Sally, the Allied reporting na ...

, and Naples was reconquered by its former masters without resistance. On June 4 a French fleet of 40 ships tried to reconquer the city, but this time the people, tired by more than a year of continuing "revolution", did not rise. The French attempted to land on the neighbouring island of

Procida Procida (; nap, Proceta ) is one of the Flegrean Islands off the coast of Naples in southern Italy. The island is between Cape Miseno and the island of Ischia. With its tiny satellite island of Vivara, it is a ''comune'' of the Metropolitan Ci ...

, but they were beaten by Spanish forces and had to flee. Another and even more powerful French fleet appeared in the

Gulf of Naples The Gulf of Naples (), also called the Bay of Naples, is a roughly 15-kilometer-wide (9.3 mi) gulf located along the south-western coast of Italy ( province of Naples, Campania region). It opens to the west into the Mediterranean Sea. I ...

on August 4 of the same year, led by Thomas of Savoy. This time they managed to conquer Procida but, after being repulsed by Spanish naval forces near

Ischia Ischia ( , , ) is a volcanic island in the Tyrrhenian Sea. It lies at the northern end of the Gulf of Naples, about from Naples. It is the largest of the Phlegrean Islands. Roughly trapezoidal in shape, it measures approximately east to ...

, Pozzuoli and

Salerno Salerno (, , ; nap, label= Salernitano, Saliernë, ) is an ancient city and ''comune'' in Campania (southwestern Italy) and is the capital of the namesake province, being the second largest city in the region by number of inhabitants, after ...

, they abandoned any hope of taking Naples. Soon after, Gennaro Annese was beheaded in Piazza del Mercato in Naples. The following year, on June 3, there were new riots in Naples, but they were soon suppressed, as the people had simply grown weary of fighting.

History

See also