NAPLES. The Italian provinces (formerly kingdom) of Naples and Sicily, or the Two Sicilies, occupy the south end of the Italian peninsula, and consist of the conti nental territory of Naples and the i»sula dependency of Sicily. The distinctive physical features of Naples and Sicily are noted under the names of the different provinces of Italy and in the article SICILY. They are favored by nature with a salubrious and almost tropical climate, unbounded fertility, and teeming population; and they present 'mural features of rare attractiveness. The rural population are an acute, frugal, and laborious race, and form a strong contrast to their idle, and debased brethren of thetowns. For statistics of products, exports, and population, see ITALY and SICILY. Napfes, in ancient times, was divided into numerous petty states independent of each other. and its inhabi tants were'of various races. Many of these states arose from Greek colonies, which had been founded in the country previous to the 7th c. B.C. The ancient historical importance of Naples is attested by the splendor of its cities, and the warlike renown of its population. On its conquest by the Holum's, the great Neapolitan cities severaillitisdopted the munici pal, federative, or colonist form of government, and gradually assimilated their laws and customs to those of their conquerors. After the downfall of the Western empire, Naples was seized by Odoacer, but soon afterward (490 A.D.) it was subjected by the Goths, and in the following century by the Lombards, who established in it various independent duchies, as Benevento, Spoleto, Salerno, Caput, etc. Most of these were overthrown by invading bands of Arabs, Saracens, and Byzantines, who were in turn expelled, and the whole country- subdued by the Normans iu the 11th century. The Normans subsequently erected Naples and Sicily into a kingdom, and established a new political, ecclesiastical, and military system. To the Norman dynasty succeeded that of the Hohenstaufen, whose rule was marked by an immense intellectual and social advancement of the peo ple; but the vindictive enmity with which the papal see regarded this dynasty, led to the invasion of Naples by Charles of Anjou, who, notwithstanding the heroic resistance of king Manfred (q.v.), by the battle of Benevento (1266) annihilated the power of the Hon henstaufen, The ascendency of Charles of Anjou was further effectually scented by the treacherous defeat and decapitation (1268) of Konradin (q.v.), the last male-heir to the throne. By the Sicilian Vespers (q.v.) the island of Sicily was, however, wrested in 1282 from his grasp, and became au appanage of the Spanish crown. The predominance of the Neapolitan Guelph or papal party during the glorious reign of Robert L, who was the patron of Dante and Boccaccio, the depraved libertinism of his heiress and grand daughter Joanna, the fearful ravages committed by predatory bands of German merce naries and by the plague, the futile attempts of the Anjou sovereigns to recover Sicily, and the envenomed feuds of rival claimants to the throne, are the leading features of the history of Naples during the rule of this dynasty, which expired with the profligate Joanna II. in 1435; and was followed by that of Aragon, which had ruled Sicily from the time of the Sicilian Vespers, During the tenure of the Aragon race, various unsuccessful attempts were made by the house of Anjou to recover their lost sovereignty; and the cormtry, the coast, was repeatedly ravaged by the Turks 0480). In fact, after the death of Alfonso, the first ruler of the Aragon dynasty, the country groaned under a load of misery. Wars, defensive and offensive, were incessant, the country was inpoverished, and a conspiracy of the nobles to remedy the condition of affairs was pro ductive of the most lamentable results, both to the conspirators themselves, and to the other influential Neapolitan families. In 1495, Charles VIII, invaded Naples, and
though he was compelled to withdraw in the same year, his successor, Louis XII., with the treacherous assistance of Ferdinand (the Catholic) of Spain, succeeded in conquering the country in 1501. Two years afterward, the Spaniards under Gonsalvo di Cordova (q.v.) drove out the French, and the country from this time became a province of Spain. Sicily had previously (1479) been annexed to the same kingdom. During the two cen turies of Spanish rule in Naples, the parliaments which existed from the time of the Normans fell into desuetude, the exercise of supreme authority devolved on viceroys, and to their ignoiance, rapacity, and oppressive' administration may be solely ascribed the unexampled misery and abasement of this period. In the words of Sismondi, " no tax was imposed save with the apparent object of crushing commerce or destroying agricul ture, and the viceregal palace and the tribunals of justice became public offices in which the highest dignities and most sacred interests of the state were openly bartered to the wealthiest bidder." During the Spanish rule, a formidable rebellion took place in 1647, headed first by Masaniello (q.v.), and afterward by Henry V. duke of Guise; the whole population of the province renounced their allegiance to their Spanish sovereigns, but the arrival of a new viceroy, who was equal to the occasion, resulted in the capture of the duke of Guise and the re-subjugation of the country. At length, during the war of the Spanish Succession. (q.v.), Naples was wrested from Spain by Austria in 1707, and Sicily in the following year; but while Naples was secured to Austria by the treaties of Utrecht (1713) and Rastaat (1714), Sicily was handed over to Savoy by the former treaty. In 1720. however, both Sicilies were reunited under the Austrian rule, and in 1735 were givee to Don Carlos, third son of Philip V. of Spain, who ascended the throne as Charles I., and founded the Bourbon dynasty. His reign was marked by equity and modera tion; great reforms were effected in the administration of public affairs, science and literature were encouraged, and splendid works of public utility were erected through out the kingdom. It was during his reign that Pompeii and Herculaneum were dis covered. His successor, Ferdinand IV., followed in the eourie of legislative reform; hut on the proclamation of the French republic (1789), his utates were invaded by a French army, and the kingdom of Naples was erected into the Parthenopean republic (1799). Ferdinand retired with his court to Sicily, and for a brief periOd enjoyed the restoration of his sovereign rights in Naples; but a second invasion by Napoleon (1806) ended in the proclamation of his brother, Joseph Bonaparte, as king of Naples; and on this latter assuming the Spanish crown in 1808, that of Naples was awarded to Joaehim Murat, brother-in-law of Napoleon. On the defeat and execution of Murat in 1815, the Bourbon monarch, Ferdinand IV., was restored. The liberal insurrectionary movements in Naples in 1821 and 1830 were the forerunners of the revolution of 1848; and in each case the party of progress was combated by the respective kings with ruthless severity, and perfidious concessions, to be canceled and avenged with sanguinary fury when the disarmed and credulous patriots were at the mercy of the sovereigns. See articlo GARu3ALDI for the ultimateoverthkow of the Bourbon dynasty ionAite'ikkngdom of Naples, and its subsequent annexation to the kingdom of Italy under king Victor Emmanuel; also articles FEUDINAND It. and ITALY. For the history of Sicily previous to its annex ation to and during its various separations from Naples, see Sims,