Sex and Politics in Naples: The Regnant Queenship of Johanna I.

This article discusses the reputation of the regnant queen Johanna I of Naples (1343–1382). It tracks Johanna’s evolving public persona over the course of her reign, which spanned nearly four turbulent decades. Johanna and her opponents crafted her reputation to justify or delegitimate her reign. Their conflicting descriptions of Johanna as a woman and as a ruler ultimately acted as referenda on sovereign queenship itself. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]