FERDINAND (NAPLES) the Turks made a descent upon Italy and cap- | tared Otranto in 1480, but Ferdinand recov- ; ered this city from them in 1481. Five years later the nobles revolted, and Ferdinand, after yielding to their demands, refused to fulfil his promises, and put the leader of the revolt to death. He was excommunicated by Pope In- nocent VIII. in 1489, but regained his favor in 1492, and died while the formidable expe- dition of Charles VIII. of France was preparing to set out toward Italy. FERDINAND II., king of Naples, grandson of the preceding, and son of Alfonso II., born about 1468, died in 1496. His father, feeling himself universally detested, abdicated in his favor in 1495 ; but the people had conceived such a dislike for the house of Aragon, that Ferdinand's kindness toward them was treated only with derision. Many of his cities hav- ing sent ambassadors to the invading enemy, Charles VIII. of France, he renounced his throne, and took refuge in Ischia. But as soon as Charles left Naples the people recalled Ferdinand, who obtained money and soldiers from Venice in exchange for several Adriatic towns, and reconquered his kingdom. With the permission of Pope Alexander VI. he mar- ried his father's sister. FERDINAND III. See FEKDINAXD V. of Spain. FERDINAND IV., king of Naples (afterward king of the Two Sicilies as Ferdinand I.), born in Naples, Jan. 12, 1751, died there, Jan. 4, 1825. When in 1759 his father, King Charles, became king of Spain, he succeeded him upon the throne of Naples, in accordance with the recent treaties of Utrecht, Madrid, and Vienna, which prohibited the reunion of the two crowns in any one prince of the house of Bourbon. Ferdinand being only eight years old, Mar- quis Tanucci was appointed regent. In 1768 he married Carolina Maria, daughter of the em- press Maria Theresa, and left the affairs of government to his imperious wife and her favorite minister Acton. The cabinet of Ma- drid lost all influence over the court of Naples, which closely allied itself with the cabinets of Vienna and London, and joined the first coalition against France. Though forced in 1796 to make peace with France, Ferdinand renewed the war after the departure of Na- poleon to Egypt. Austria, Sardinia, Tuscany, and Naples formed a league, and Ferdinand hurried to occupy Rome (November, 1798) ; but not receiving much aid from his allies, he withdrew before the arms of the French, who in 1799 entered Naples soon after Ferdinand with his family had escaped in an English fleet to Palermo. The Parthenopean republic was established in Naples, but after a few months Ferdinand was restored to his capital by a Calabrian army under Cardinal Ruffo. A ter- rible inquisition now began against the repub- licans, the city was abandoned to the lazzaroni, and Ferdinand seemed to have returned only to shed the blood of his subjects. The success- es of the French in Germany and Italy obliged him in 1801 to sign a treaty surrendering a portion of his territory, and to support French troops in the remainder, thus putting Naples under the domination of France. War break- ing out in 1805 between France and Austria, Queen Caroline thought it a favorable oppor- tunity for throwing off the French yoke, and prompted Ferdinand to violate the treaty and to receive the support of an Anglo-Russian army. Hardly had he done this when Austria, conquered at Austerlitz, assented to the treaty of Presburg. Before its conclusion Napoleon sent an army against Naples, which obliged Ferdinand and his queen again to take refuge in Sicily, refused offers of negotiation, and on Dec. 25, 1805, declared that the house of Bourbon had ceased to reign over that king- dom, and gave the throne first to his brother Joseph, and in 1808 to his brother-in-law Mu- rat. Ferdinand, protected by England, was able to save Sicily from French conquest ; but the queen, as little willing to bear English as French supremacy, embroiled herself with the English ambassador, Lord William Bentinck, was obliged to leave the island in 1811, and died in Vienna in 1814. Ferdinand was in 1812 forced to proclaim a constitution, and finally to resign his government to his son Francis. After Murat was dethroned by Austria in 1815, Ferdinand was restored to his former throne, and on Dec. 12, 1816, united Sicily and Naples into a single state, under the title of the Two Sicilies. He abolished the constitution which he had granted while in Sicily, but was forced to proclaim the democratic Spanish constitu- tion of 1812 by a rising of the carbonari in 1820. He was soon after reestablished in ab- solute power by the Austrians. FERDINAND II., king of the Two Sicilies, grandson of the preceding, born in Palermo, Jan. 12, 1810, died in Naples, May 22, 1859. He succeeded his father Francis I. in 1830, and at once excited the most lively hopes by par- doning several political offenders and introdu- cing economical reforms and liberal measures. Having thus lulled the revolutionary party, he changed his policy, adopting the principles of absolutism ; and the history of the kingdom from that time is a history of conspiracies and rebellions, followed by trials, imprisonments, and executions. After many revolts and at- tempts at revolt in various parts, all Sicily rose in insurrection in January, 1848, and armed bands marched upon Naples to demand a lib- eral government. A constitution was granted them, modelled after the French charter of 1830 ; but the double dealing of the court and the impatience of the democrats led to a bloody collision at Naples, May 15, after which Fer- dinand dissolved the chambers, annihilated the constitution, and restored the ancient order of things. Toward the close of the year Pope Pius IX. took refuge at Gaeta under his pro- tection, and in 1849 received the assistance of Neapolitan troops against the Mazzini govern- ment at Rome ; for which service he bestowed
