Charles d’Anjou, à la tête de la flotte, devant Messine, 1282

This work by Lodovico Pogliaghi depicts Charles of Anjou at the head of his fleet before Messina in 1282, in the context of the War of the Sicilian Vespers. The scene emphasizes naval power, military atmosphere, and the tension of a confrontation tied to Angevin expansion in the Mediterranean. Brother of Saint Louis and king of Sicily, Charles of Anjou holds an important place in the political history of the thirteenth century, at the crossroads of French, Italian, and Mediterranean ambitions. Although it is a later artistic reconstruction, the image illustrates the interest of modern artists in major episodes of medieval history and in princely figures associated with the extension of Capetian influence beyond the kingdom of France.