Louis gained the crown of Naples by marrying his half-first cousin/ first cousin-once-removed, Queen Joanna I, whose prior husband, Andrew, had died as a result of a conspiracy that may have involved both of them.

During their joint reign, Louis dealt with numerous uprisings, attacks, and unsuccessful military operations; he is generally considered an inefficient monarch.

A member of the Capetian House of Anjou, Louis was born in Naples as the second son of Philip I, Prince of Taranto, and Catherine II, Latin Empress.

[3] The brothers' mother died the same month, leaving her claim to the Latin Empire to Robert, who in turn ceded the Principality of Taranto to Louis.

[5] The couple fled to Provence, which Joanna ruled as countess, after King Louis I of Hungary invaded Naples to avenge the murder of his brother Andrew.

[4] Louis' attempt in 1360 to dethrone Frederick the Simple and regain Sicily ended in a failure, though he did manage to occupy much of the island (including Palermo, the capital) before its barons rebelled.

At home, he faced opposition from his and his wife's cousins, the House of Anjou-Durazzo, who strongly resented his dominance, with Louis of Gravina stirring revolts in Apulia.

[9] Though a chronicler wrote that the "death of Louis of Taranto caused great corruption in all the kingdom",[6] his contemporaries unanimously thought him to be lacking in both ability and character.

[7] Louis I's greatest achievement was appointing Niccolò Acciaioli as grand seneschal, which provided Naples with a capable administrator and military leader.