The Hungarians, however, forcing one of the gates of Naples, marched triumphant to Castel Nuovo.  But as they were crossing the Piazza delle Correggie, the Neapolitans perceived that the horses were so weak and the men so reduced by all they had undergone during the siege of Aversa that a mere puff of wind would dispense this phantom-like army.  Changing from a state of panic to real daring, the people rushed upon their conquerors, and drove them outside the walls by which they had just entered.  The sudden violent reaction broke the pride of the King of Hungary, and made him more tractable when Clement vi decided that he ought at last to interfere.  A truce was concluded first from the month of February 1350 to the beginning of April 1351, and the next year this was converted into a real peace, Joan paying to the King of Hungary the sum of 300,000 florins for the expenses of the war.

After the Hungarians had gone, the pope sent a legate to crown Joan and Louis of Tarentum, and the 25th of May, the day of Pentecost, was chosen for the ceremony.  All contemporary historians speak enthusiastically of this magnificent fete.  Its details have been immortalised by Giotto in the frescoes of the church which from this day bore the name of L’Incoronata.  A general amnesty was declared for all who had taken part in the late wars on either side, and the king and queen were greeted with shouts of joy as they solemnly paraded beneath the canopy, with all the barons of the kingdom in their train.

But the day’s joy was impaired by an accident which to a superstitious people seemed of evil augury.  Louis of Tarentum, riding a richly caparisoned horse, had just passed the Porta Petruccia, when some ladies looking out from a high window threw such a quantity of flowers at the king that his frightened steed reared and broke his rein.  Louis could not hold him, so jumped lightly to the ground; but the crown fell at his feet and was broken into three pieces.  On that very day the only daughter of Joan and Louis died.

But the king not wishing to sadden the brilliant ceremony with show of mourning, kept up the jousts and tournaments for three days, and in memory of his coronation instituted the order of ‘Chevaliers du Noeud’.  But from that day begun with an omen so sad, his life was nothing but a series of disillusions.  After sustaining wars in Sicily and Apulia, and quelling the insurrection of Louis of Durazzo, who ended his days in the castle of Ovo, Louis of Tarentum, worn out by a life of pleasure, his health undermined by slow disease, overwhelmed with domestic trouble, succumbed to an acute fever on the 5th of June 1362, at the age of forty-two.  His body had not been laid in its royal tomb at Saint Domenico before several aspirants appeared to the hand of the queen.