Carafa family

Escutcheon of the House of Carafa.

The Carafa Chapel in Santa Maria sopra Minerva, Rome.

The House of Carafa is a noble Neapolitan family of Italian nobles, clergy, and men of arts, known from the 12th century. The family rose to prominence during the 14th century, under the Angevin rule in Naples and established itself as one of the leading noble families of southern Italy in the 15th century under the Aragonese dynasty. Across the time, the family split in many lines, the most important being the Princes of Roccella, the Dukes of Andria, the Princes of Stigliano, the Dukes of Maddaloni, the Dukes of Nocera and the Dukes of Noja. The family gave sixteen cardinals to the Church, including one pope, Paul IV.

Members included:

• Oliviero Carafa (1430 – 20 January 1511), cardinal
• Giovanni Pietro Carafa (1476–1559), became Pope Paul IV from May 1555 until his death
• Gianvincenzo Carafa (1477-1541), cardinal
• Diomede Carafa (1492-1560), cardinal
• Carlo Carafa (1517-1561), cardinal, a nephew of Pope Paul IV; Executed in Rome on 6 March 1561
• Prince Giovanni Carafa, Duke of Paliano (d. 1561), a nephew of Pope Paul IV; under the next pope Pius IV. He was tried and beheaded in 1561 at Tor di Nona, two days after the execution of his brother Cardinal Carlo Carafa
• Cardinal Antonio Carafa (1538–1591), also a nephew of Pope Paul IV
• Cardinal Alfonso Carafa (1540 – 1565, aged 25), son of Antonio Carafa Marquis of Montebello, and grandnephew of Pope Paul IV
• Fabrizio Carafa (bishop) (1588–1651), former Bishop of Bitonto
• Fabrizio Carafa (died 1590), Duke of Andria; famously murdered by noted composer Carlo Gesualdo, known as Gesualdo da Venosa (1566–1613), Prince of Venosa and Count of Conza, for having an affair with Gesualdo's wife
• Girolamo Caraffa (1564–1633), Marquis of Montenegro, a general in Spanish and Imperial service
• Decio Carafa (1556–1626), cardinal
• Pier Luigi Carafa (1581-1655), cardinal
• Porzia Carafa, mother of Pope Innocent XII (1615-1700)
• Don Giuseppe Carafa (d. 1647), Neapolitan aristocrat who was killed in July 1647 during the early stages of the Revolt of Masaniello against Spanish Habsburg rule
• Vincenzo Carafa (1585-1649), General Superior of Jesuit Order
• Francesco Maria Carafa (died in prison, 1642), 5th Duke of Nocera, a Knight of the Order of the Golden Fleece; Viceroy of Aragon and Viceroy of Navarre
• Gregorio Carafa (1615–1690), Grand Master of the Order of St. John from 1680–90
• Antonio Carafa (1646–1693); Imperial Field Marshal and Knight of the Order of the Golden Fleece
• Pierluigi Carafa (1677–1755), former Dean of the College of Cardinals
• Francesco Carafa di Trajetto (1722-1818), cardinal
• Ettore Carafa (1767-1799), late 18th-century Neapolitan Republican
• Michele Carafa (1787-1872), 19th-century Italian composer
• Domenico Carafa della Spina di Traetto (1805–1879), cardinal