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, it was registered in the Neapolitan Golden Book.
They owned numerous fiefdoms and were awarded a number of titles, including:

Prince of: Roccella, Holy Roman Empire.
Duke of: Bruzzano Vecchio, Forlì, Montenero, Rapolla, Traetto.
Marquess of: Brancaleone, Tortorella, Castelvetere with the annexed Grandee of Spain of the First Class.
Count of: Arpaia, Condojanni, Count Palatine, Cerro, Grotteria, Policastro, Roccella.
Baron of: Bianco, Carreri, Cerro, Forlì, Petrella, Rionegro, Ripalonga, Roccasicone, Rocchetta, San Nicola di Leporino, Torraca.
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 it was registered in the Neapolitan Golden Book.
They owned numerous fiefdoms and were awarded a number of titles, including:

Prince of: Anzi, Avella, Belvedere, Chiusano, Colobraro, Pietrelcina, Stigliano, San Lorenzo.
Duke of: Alvito, Andria, Ariano, Boiano, Campolieto, Campora, Cancellara, Castelnuovo, Castel del Monte, CerceMayre, Frosolone, Jelsi, Laurino, Maddaloni, Maierà, Mondragone, Nocera, Noja, Paliano, Sant'Eramo.
Marquess of: Anzi, Baranello, Bitetto, Corato, Montenero, Montesardo, San Lucido, Tortorella.
Count of: Airola, Cerreto, Fondi, Maddaloni, Marigliano, Montecalvo, Morcone, Nocera, Ruvo, Soriano Calabro, Sant'Angelo a Scala, Santa Severina, Terranova.
Baron of: Apricena, Binetto, Bonifati, Campolieto, Capriati, Civita Luparella, Colubrano, Girifalco, Rocca d'Aspro, Rutigliano, Sant'Angelo a Scala, San Mauro, Sessola, Tortorella, Torraca, Trivigno, Tufara, Vallelonga.
Notable members
Antonio Malizia Carafa, diplomat
Diomede Carafa, councillor and humanist
Oliviero Carafa, cardinal
Giovanni Pietro Carafa, became Pope Paul IV from May 1555 until his death
Gianvincenzo Carafa, cardinal
Diomede Carafa, cardinal
Carlo Carafa, cardinal, nephew of Pope Paul IV; executed under Pope Pius IV
Giovanni Carafa, Duke of Paliano, nephew of Pope Paul IV; executed under Pope Pius IV
Antonio Carafa, cardinal, nephew of Pope Paul IV
Alfonso Carafa, cardinal, grandnephew of Pope Paul IV
Fabrizio Carafa, Bishop of Bitonto
Fabrizio Carafa, Duke of Andria; murdered by composer Carlo Gesualdo, Prince of Venosa and Count of Conza, for having an affair with Gesualdo's wife
Girolamo Caraffa, Marquis of Montenegro, a general in Spanish and Imperial service
Decio Carafa, cardinal
Pier Luigi Carafa, cardinal
Porzia Carafa, mother of Pope Innocent XII
Giuseppe Carafa, Neapolitan aristocrat who was killed in July 1647 during the early stages of the Revolt of Masaniello against Spanish Habsburg rule
Vincenzo Carafa, Superior General of the Society of Jesus
Francesco Maria Carafa, 5th Duke of Nochera, a Knight of the Order of the Golden Fleece; Viceroy of Aragon and Viceroy of Navarre
Gregorio Carafa, Grand Master of the Order of St. John from 1680–90
Antonio Carafa ; Imperial Field Marshal and Knight of the Order of the Golden Fleece
Tiberio Carafa, man of letters
Pierluigi Carafa, Dean of the College of Cardinals
Francesco Carafa di Trajetto, cardinal
Ettore Carafa, late 18th-century Neapolitan Republican
Michele Carafa, 19th-century Italian composer
Domenico Carafa della Spina di Traetto, cardinal
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 and 11 archbishops. 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.