Queen Giovanna I of Naples, Reputed Serial Killer – 1382

The follow sketchy accounts need to be augmented. For the moment is can be said that Giovanna I is thought to have murdered one husband and several lovers.

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From Napoli.com, describing Giovanna's villa : There is much confusing popular lore about this dreary building, located on Via Posillipo as you start up that road from the Mergellina boat harbor. It is called “Villa Donn’Anna” and if you ask residents of the area, everyone is quick to tell you some variation of the theme that this is where Queen Giovanna had sex orgies and murdered her lovers.

No one seems to be certain whether the Queen in question is Giovanna I (1326-1382), daughter of Charles, Duke of Calabria, or Giovanna II (1373-1435), sister of King Ladislao. The first one may have had her husband murdered and was accused of other foul deeds, as well. On the hand, she knew Petrarch and Boccaccio. The second one had more lovers. The first one looks like a good candidate to be the evil queen, at least in the opinion of Italy’s greatest historian/philosopher of the 20th century, Benedetto Croce. Some hold out for number two.

[Jeff Matthews, “Donn’Anna, Villa,” napoli.com, 2004]

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In the lore of the city of Naples, the villa is said to have been the site of various murders, sex orgies, and other sordid episodes, at least some of which involved queen Joan [Giovanna] I of Naples (1326–1382), daughter of Charles, Duke of Calabria, and/or Joan II (1373–1435). [Wikipedia]

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Giovanna I di Napoli o Giovanna I d’Angiò (Napoli, 1327 circa – Muro Lucano, 1 maggio 1382) fu regina di Napoli, regina titolare di Gerusalemme e Sicilia (1343–1381), principessa d’Acaia (1373/75–1381), contessa di Provenza e Forcalquier. [Wikipedia]

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More cases: Women in Power: Aristocratic Female Serial Killers

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