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Carafa family

Carafa or Caraffa is the name of an old and influential Neapolitan aristocratic family of Italian nobles, clergy, and men of arts, known from the 12th century.

Divided into numerous branches, the main and most important of which are the Carafa della Spina and the Carafa della Stadera, and decorated with the highest titles, it reached the height of its power with the 1555 election to the papal throne of Gian Pietro Carafa, with the name of Pope Paul IV.

History

The House of Carafa is a cadet branch of the noble House of Caracciolo, one of the most prominent families of the Neapolitan nobility. The family rose to prominence in the Kingdom of Naples during the 14th century and established itself as one of the leading noble families of southern Italy in the 15th century. Across the time, the family split in many lines, the most important being the Princes of Roccella, the Dukes of Andria and Counts of Ruvo, the Princes of Stigliano, the Dukes of Maddaloni, the Dukes of Nocera and the Dukes of Noja. The family gave sixteen cardinals to the Catholic Church, including one pope, Paul IV.

Carafa della Spina

The founder of the Carafa della Spina family was Andrea, relative of Queen Joanna I of Naples, who followed Charles III of Naples in the Hungarian war. The representatives of the family held the highest positions in the civil, military and ecclesiastical fields until reaching the papal throne. It was registered in the Neapolitan Patriciate of the Seat of Nile and, after the suppression of the seats (1800), it was registered in the Neapolitan Golden Book.

They owned numerous fiefdoms and were awarded a number of titles, including:

Carafa della Stadera

The founder of the Carafa della Stadera family was Tommaso, son of Bartolomeo. It was registered in the Neapolitan Patriciate of the Seat of Nile and, after the suppression of the seats (1800) it was registered in the Neapolitan Golden Book.

They owned numerous fiefdoms and were awarded a number of titles, including:

Notable members

Princes of the Carafa family

Princes of the Carafa della Spina family

Princes of Roccella

Princes of the Carafa della Stadera family

Princes of Anzi

Princes of Avella

Princes of Belvedere

Princes of Chiusano

Princes of Pietrelcina

Princes of Sepino

Princes of Stigliano

Cardinals and Archbishops

The Carafa family, as happened with many other noble families, gave the Catholic Church numerous prelates, including various cardinals and archbishops. Over the centuries the Carafa family produced 16 cardinals (of whom one, Gian Pietro Carafa, was elected pope) and 11 archbishops (of whom 6 were also cardinals). One of these cardinals, Marino Carafa di Belvedere, later renounced ecclesiastical life and became the 1st Mayor of Naples.

Palazzos and other buildings

The following is a partial list of the main building holdings and residences of the Carafa family. It includes buildings built on commission by the Carafa family, but also those that were inherited later by this family and built previously by others.

References

Notes
Sources

Bibliography

  • Gaetano Moroni, Dizionario di erudizione Storico - Ecclesiastica, Vol. IX , Venezia, Tipografia Emiliana, 1841
  • Benedetto Minichini, Del cognome e dello scudo dei Carafa, Nobili Napoletani , Napoli, Stabilimento tipografico del Cav. Gaetano Nobile, 1860
  • Berardo Candida-Gonzaga, Memorie delle famiglie nobili delle province meridionali d'Italia, G. de Angelis, 1883
  • Tullio Torriani, Una tragedia nel cinquecento romano: Paolo IV e i suoi nepoti , Roma, Fratelli Palombi, 1951
  • Donata Chiomenti Vassalli, Paolo IV e il processo Carafa: un caso d'ingiusta giustizia nel cinquecento, Milano, Mursia, 1993
  • Volker Reinhardt, Le grandi famiglie italiane, Vicenza, Neri Pozzi, 1996
  • Luigi Perego Salvioni, Collezione di carte pubbliche, proclami, editti, ragionamenti ed altre produzioni tendenti a consolidare la rigenerata Repubblica Romana, 1798
  • Album biografico di Roma, Roma, Pallotta, 1875
  • Angelo de Gubernatis, Dictionnaire International des écrivains du monde latin , Firenze, Società Tipografica Fiorentina, 1905
  • Felice Ottavio Caraffa, Alla Camera dei Deputati del Regno d'Italia e per essa all'Onorevolissimo Signor Comm. Giuseppe Biancheri Presidente - Petizione, Roma, Mugnoz, 1886
  • Vittorio Spreti, Enciclopedia storico-nobiliare italiana, Arnaldo Forni, 1981
  • Franco Muscolini, Così eravamo, Tolentino, La Linotype, 2006
  • Franco Muscolini, Così eravamo - seconda parte, Tolentino, La Linotype, 2008