It appears women’s lives in the middle ages were miserable. I found the scheming for power both by the royal families and by the Pope intriguing. Goldstone wrote an unbiased biography of Joanna I. After reading the book, I thought the use of the word notorious in the title was inappropriate. In the audiobook version the footnotes were inserted in the appropriate place. The book is written in an academic style.

She even stood trial before the Pope having been accused of murdering her husband Prince Andrew (1327-1345) of Hungary. Joanna I (1326-1382) ruled Southern Italy for over thirty years despite invaders, plague, four husbands, jealous-in-laws and the death of her children. I have not read about Italian monarchs before. PLEASE NOTE: When you purchase this title, the accompanying PDF will be available in your Audible Library along with the audio. The Lady Queen is a captivating portrait of medieval royalty in all its incandescent complexity. With skill, passion, and impeccable research and detail, Nancy Goldstone brings to life one of history's most remarkable women. But she never quite escaped the stain of her husband's death, and the turmoil of the times surrounded her - war, plague, and treachery would ultimately be her undoing. A procession of the most important artists and writers of the time frequented her glittering court. She was widely admired: dedicated to the welfare of her subjects, she reduced crime, built hospitals and churches, and encouraged the licensing of female physicians. Victorious, she returned to Naples and ruled over one of Europe's most prestigious courts for the next three decades - until she herself was killed.Ĭourageous and determined, Joanna was the only female monarch in her time to rule in her own name.

Determined to defend herself, Joanna won her acquittal against overwhelming odds. On March 15, 1348, 22-year-old Joanna I, queen of Naples, stood trial for the murder of her husband before the pope and his court in Avignon. The riveting history of a beautiful queen, a shocking murder, a papal trial - and a reign as triumphant as any in the Middle Ages.

The lady queen by nancy goldstone