Carafa

Carafa (alternate spelling: Caraffa) is the name of a noble Neapolitan family of Italian nobles, clergy, and men of arts.

• Cardinal Oliviero Carafa (1430 – 20 January 1511), uncle of Paul IV

• Giovanni Pietro Carafa (Born near Benevento, Italy 28 June, 1476 – Cardinal 22 December 1536 - Pope 23 May 1555, aged 79 - 18 August 1559), who became Pope Paul IV from 23 May 1555 until his death. He had been a most intransigent Head of the Roman Inquisition Tribunal, and a Legate in England under Pope Leo X, from the de' Medici family and in Spain as a nuncio, refusing to acknowledge the rule of Queen Elizabeth I of England on the grounds she was a bastard by birth.

• Prince Giovanni Carafa, Duke of Paliano, nephew of Pope Paul IV, beheaded at the Tor di Nona two days after his brother, Cardinal Carlo Caraffa was executed by estrangulation at the Castle of Sant'Angelo, March 1561.

• Cardinal Antonio Carafa (1538 – January 13, 1591), nephew of Paul IV.

• Cardinal Carlo Carafa, brother of Giovanni, who had been made Duke of Paliano after papal forces drove the pro-Spanish Colonna family from Paliano (town reconquered by the Spaniards in 1558). Nephew of Pope Paul IV (29 March 1517 – Cardinal 1555 until January 1559). Brought to trial on charges of sodomy and assassinations by Pope Pius IV (31 March 1499 – 9 December 1565, born Giovanni Angelo de' Medici, who was Pope from 1559 to 1565). Executed by estrangulation on 6 March 1561.

• Cardinal Alfonso Carafa (1540 - 1565, aged 25). His father was Antonio Carafa, Marquis of Montebello, whose uncle, Giovanni Pietro Carafa, ascended the papal throne in 1555 as Pope Paul IV.

• Fabrizio Carafa, Duke of Andria; famously murdered by noted composer Carlo Gesualdo, known as Gesualdo da Venosa (March 8, 1566 – September 8, 1613), Prince of Venosa and Count of Conza for having an illicit affair with his (Gesualdo's) wife.

• Vincenzo Carafa, Superior General of the Society of Jesus, (5 May 1585, Andria, Italy - Superior General of the Jesuits, 1645 - 6 June 1649, Rome, Italy

• Francesco Maria Carafa (died in prison, 1642) was an Italian nobleman, 5th Duke of Nocera, a Knight of the Order of the Golden Fleece and was Viceroy of Aragon and Viceroy of Navarre and a military commander who commanded troops loyal to King Philip IV of Spain.

• Gregorio Carafa, former Grand Master of the Order of St. John, from 1680 to 1690.

• Cardinal Pierluigi Carafa (1677 – Cardinal 1713 - 1755), former Dean of the College of Cardinals

• Cardinal Domenico Carafa della Spina di Traetto (1805 - 1879).

• Michele Carafa, 19th century Italian composer

Other People named Carafa

There are other people with the surname Carafa or Caraffa whose connection to the noble family of that name is undocumented. The surname was also misspelt or derogated to Caiafa and there are many families in Naples and the Campania region sharing that altered version of the surname.

• Janet Carafa, mime artist based in New York City

This article incorporates text from the public domain 1907 edition of The Nuttall Encyclopædia.