Philippa of Catania
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Painted by Jean Fouquet (1458).
Philippa of Catania, also known as Philippa the Catanian or Filippa Catanese (died in 1345), was a Sicilian woman of low birth who became an influential figure in the royal court of the Kingdom of Naples.
Born in Catania, Philippa was a local fisherman's daughter.[1][2] Boccaccio, who met her when she was already an elderly woman, noticed that she was "attractive in manner and appearance".[2] She worked as a washerwoman when Robert, Duke of Calabria—son of Charles II, King of Naples—invaded Catania in 1328.[2] His wife, Violante of Aragon, accompanied him to the military campaign.[2] After discovering her pregnancy, Violante had to hire local staff and she chose Philippa as a wet nurse for her son, Charles.[2] Philippa was a diligent servant, and Violante brought her back to Naples after her husband had been forced to withdraw his troops from Sicily.[2]