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Alfonso II succeeds his father as King of Naples

Alfonso II (4 November 1448 – 18 December 1495) was Duke of Calabria and ruled as King of Naples from 25 January 1494 to 23 January 1495.

Alfonso II (4 November 1448 – 18 December 1495) was Duke of Calabria and ruled as King of Naples from 25 January 1494 to 23 January 1495. He was a soldier and a patron of Renaissance architecture and the arts.

Heir to his father Ferdinand I's Kingdom of Naples, Alfonso held the dukedom of Calabria for most of his life. In the 1480s, Alfonso commanded the Neapolitan forces in Tuscany in 1478–1479. He helped reverse the Ottoman invasion of Otranto in Apulia in 1480–1481, and against the Republic of Venice in 1484. In 1486, Alfonso's repressive conduct towards the Neapolitan nobility prompted a revolt; the violent excesses of suppressing this uprising further discredited Alfonso and King Ferdinand.

Historical Significance

Alfonso II (4 November 1448 – 18 December 1495) was Duke of Calabria and ruled as King of Naples from 25 January 1494 to 23 January 1495.

Events Before

  1. Christopher Columbus returns to Spain after his first voyage to the New World

    Christopher Columbus returns to Spain after his first voyage to the New World

  2. Spanish Pope Alexander VI decrees in the papal bull "Inter caetera" that all lands west of a line 100 leagues west of an

    Spanish Pope Alexander VI decrees in the papal bull "Inter caetera" that all lands west of a line 100 leagues west of any of the islands of the Azores or the Cape Verde Islands belong to Castile, ultimately dividing the Americas between Spain and Portugal

  3. Christopher Columbus embarks on his second expedition to the New World, setting sail with a fleet of 17 ships

    Christopher Columbus embarks on his second expedition to the New World, setting sail with a fleet of 17 ships

  4. Christopher Columbus returns to the colony of La Navidad, finding it destroyed by the first Native American uprising aga

    Christopher Columbus returns to the colony of La Navidad, finding it destroyed by the first Native American uprising against Spanish rule. Taíno Cacique Caonabo led his people to attack the settlement after the brutal treatment they received from the garrison who disobeyed Columbus's orders.

  5. Last day for all Jews to leave Sicily

    Jews, or the Jewish people, are an ethnoreligious group and nation, originating from the Israelites of ancient Israel and Judah. They traditionally adhere to Judaism.

Events After

  1. First written record of Scotch whisky appears in the Exchequer Rolls of Scotland, Friar John Cor is listed as the distil

    First written record of Scotch whisky appears in the Exchequer Rolls of Scotland, Friar John Cor is listed as the distiller

  2. King Ferdinand II returns to Naples

    King Ferdinand II returns to Naples

  3. French viceroy of Naples Montpensier surrenders

    French viceroy of Naples Montpensier surrenders

  4. Leonardo da Vinci unsuccessfully tests a flying machine

    Leonardo da Vinci unsuccessfully tests a flying machine

  5. Joanna of Aragon marries Philip of Flanders, future King Philip I of Castile

    Joanna of Aragon marries Philip of Flanders, future King Philip I of Castile

More from the 1490s

Muhammad XII, the last Emir of Granada, surrenders the city of Granada to Ferdinand II of Aragon and Isabella I of Casti

Muhammad XII, the last Emir of Granada, surrenders the city of Granada to Ferdinand II of Aragon and Isabella I of Castile, ending the Reconquista and centuries of Muslim rule on the Iberian Peninsula

Juw Dekama is elected Potestaat of Frisia

Potestaat was the title of a supposed governor of medieval Friesland. According to the legendary Karelsprivilege, a 14th-century forgery, Charlemagne had first granted the title of potestaat to…

Leonardo da Vinci unsuccessfully tests a flying machine

Leonardo da Vinci unsuccessfully tests a flying machine

Louis XII of France after papal divorce marries Anne, Duchess of Brittany to keep duchy for the crown

Louis XII of France after papal divorce marries Anne, Duchess of Brittany to keep duchy for the crown

Frequently Asked Questions

What happened on January 25, 1494?
Alfonso II (4 November 1448 – 18 December 1495) was Duke of Calabria and ruled as King of Naples from 25 January 1494 to 23 January 1495. He was a soldier and a patron of Renaissance architecture and the arts. Heir to his father Ferdinand I's Kingdom of Naples, Alfonso held the dukedom of Calabria for most of his life.
Why is Alfonso II succeeds his father as King of Naples significant?
Alfonso II (4 November 1448 – 18 December 1495) was Duke of Calabria and ruled as King of Naples from 25 January 1494 to 23 January 1495.

Explore More

January 25 in HistoryYear 1494