/ Charles I of Anjou, count of Provence, crowned king of Sicily by Pope Clement IV. Fresco in the Tour Ferrande, Pernes-les-Fontaines.Charles of Anjou, Louis IX's brother, became count of Provence through his marriage to Beatrice of Provence in 1246. She was the sister of Margaret, the king's wife. The Angevin dynasty strengthened comital power, curtailing the autonomy of some towns and lords while reorganising administration.
Angevin ambitions extended beyond Provence. They claimed and conquered possessions in southern Italy, where their interests clashed with those of Aragonese rulers and other powers. These conflicts involved some of the Provençal nobility and strained the county's finances.
Despite these struggles, Mediterranean trade sustained the region's economy. Marseille benefited particularly from commercial links with Italy and the Angevin dynasty's networks.
Sources and further reading: Presses universitaires de Provence: a possession of the kings of France.