Carlo Carafa
Encyclopedia
Carlo Carafa of a distinguished family of Naples
, vicious and talented was successively condottiero in the service of France and of Spain, vying for their protectorates in Italy until 1555, when he was made a cardinal, to 1559 the all-powerful favourite and Cardinal Nephew of Pope Paul IV
Carafa, whose policies he directed and whom he served as papal legate
in Paris, Venice and Brussels. According to the Jesuit father Pallavicino, writing the history of the Council of Trent
, his subtlety of spirit and grace of address, physical courage and instinct for glory were overridden by his insatiable thirst for power.
He was born at Naples
into one of the city's most ancient and distinguished families, a younger son of Giovanni Alfonso Carafa, count of Montorio, and his countess, Caterina Cantelma. One brother was Giovanni Carafa, Duke of Paliano
another, Antonio Carafa (1538—1591), was made a cardinal in the posthumous rehabilitation of Carlo's memory.
Without making a name for himself, he had a long and dubious career as a mercenary soldier in Italy
and Germany
. He entered the household of Cardinal Pompeo Colonna
at an early age, as a page and was enrolled in the Order of St John of Jerusalem later, that of Pierluigi Farnese, duke of Castro, the son of Paul III
. He then fought under the Alfonso d'Avalos, marchese del Vasto
, in Lombardy and Piedmont, and under Ottavio Farnese, Duke of Parma
, in Flanders and Germany, fighting Protestants in the name of the Emperor. Here an incident occurred that illuminates his greed, arrogance and violent nature: his possession of captive gentleman worth a considerable ransom was challenged by a Spaniard, whose right was upheld by his compatriot, the duke of Alba; and in the aftermath Carlo, pursuing his adversary to provoke a duel was incarcerated at Trent until he agreed not to pursue the vendetta. He was exiled from Naples in 1545 for murder and banditry and, having withdrawn to Benevento, was embroiled in another assassination. was alleged to have perpetrated the massacre of Spanish
soldiers as they recuperated in a hospital in Corsica
.
Two weeks after Giovanni Pietro Carafa was elected pope, as Paul IV
he raised Carlo to the cardinalate 7 June 1555. His tenure as Cardinal Nephew was not a great success as he and Paul IV brought the Papacy to a humiliating defeat against the Spanish that nearly resulted in another Sack of Rome
. Carlo's government was unpopular in Rome and he developed a reputation for avarice, cruelty and licentiousness, as well as for sodomy
. In January 1559, Paul IV finally accepted the accuracy of the accusations made and exiled both his nephews from Rome and replaced Carlo as Cardinal Nephew with Carlo's own nephew Alfonso Carafa
, cardinal archbishop of Naples.
In June 1560, Paul's successor, Pope Pius IV
arrested the leading members of the family, Carafa, his brother the duke and their nephew the cardinal archbishop of Naples, seizing their papers, on a range of charges relating to abuses of power during Paul's reign. Carlo was charged with a range of crimes, including not only sodomy but also murder and promotion of Protestantism
. After a nine month trial, the cardinal was condemned along with his brother Giovanni and was executed by strangulation at Castel Sant' Angelo on the night of 6 March 1561. His execution was considered at the time to have been motivated primarily by political factors as his pro-French, anti-Spanish policies.
On September 26, 1567, the sentence was declared unjust by Pope Pius V
. The memory of the victims was vindicated and their estates restored, the official prosecutor was incarcerated and Antonio Carafa was made a cardinal.
Naples
Naples is a city in Southern Italy, situated on the country's west coast by the Gulf of Naples. Lying between two notable volcanic regions, Mount Vesuvius and the Phlegraean Fields, it is the capital of the region of Campania and of the province of Naples...
, vicious and talented was successively condottiero in the service of France and of Spain, vying for their protectorates in Italy until 1555, when he was made a cardinal, to 1559 the all-powerful favourite and Cardinal Nephew of Pope Paul IV
Pope Paul IV
Pope Paul IV, C.R. , né Giovanni Pietro Carafa, was Pope from 23 May 1555 until his death.-Early life:Giovanni Pietro Carafa was born in Capriglia Irpina, near Avellino, into a prominent noble family of Naples...
Carafa, whose policies he directed and whom he served as papal legate
Papal legate
A papal legate – from the Latin, authentic Roman title Legatus – is a personal representative of the pope to foreign nations, or to some part of the Catholic Church. He is empowered on matters of Catholic Faith and for the settlement of ecclesiastical matters....
in Paris, Venice and Brussels. According to the Jesuit father Pallavicino, writing the history of the Council of Trent
Council of Trent
The Council of Trent was the 16th-century Ecumenical Council of the Roman Catholic Church. It is considered to be one of the Church's most important councils. It convened in Trent between December 13, 1545, and December 4, 1563 in twenty-five sessions for three periods...
, his subtlety of spirit and grace of address, physical courage and instinct for glory were overridden by his insatiable thirst for power.
He was born at Naples
Naples
Naples is a city in Southern Italy, situated on the country's west coast by the Gulf of Naples. Lying between two notable volcanic regions, Mount Vesuvius and the Phlegraean Fields, it is the capital of the region of Campania and of the province of Naples...
into one of the city's most ancient and distinguished families, a younger son of Giovanni Alfonso Carafa, count of Montorio, and his countess, Caterina Cantelma. One brother was Giovanni Carafa, Duke of Paliano
Giovanni Carafa, Duke of Paliano
Giovanni Carafa , Duke of Paliano, was a papal nephew and minor Italian prince.The son of Giovanni Alfonso Carafa, Count of Montorio, and Caterina Cantelma, Giovanni came to prominence along with his brothers Carlo and Antonio when their uncle, Cardinal Giovanni Pietro Carafa, was elected Pope Paul...
another, Antonio Carafa (1538—1591), was made a cardinal in the posthumous rehabilitation of Carlo's memory.
Without making a name for himself, he had a long and dubious career as a mercenary soldier in Italy
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
and Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
. He entered the household of Cardinal Pompeo Colonna
Pompeo Colonna
Pompeo Colonna was an Italian Cardinal, politician and condottiero.Born in Rome, he fought very early against the traditional family enemies, the Orsini....
at an early age, as a page and was enrolled in the Order of St John of Jerusalem later, that of Pierluigi Farnese, duke of Castro, the son of Paul III
Pope Paul III
Pope Paul III , born Alessandro Farnese, was Pope of the Roman Catholic Church from 1534 to his death in 1549. He came to the papal throne in an era following the sack of Rome in 1527 and rife with uncertainties in the Catholic Church following the Protestant Reformation...
. He then fought under the Alfonso d'Avalos, marchese del Vasto
Alfonso d'Avalos
Alfonso d'Avalos d'Aquino, 4th Marchese di Pescara e del Vasto was a condottiero of Spanish-Italian origin.He was born in Ischia, the nephew of Francesco Ferdinando I d´Ávalos, inheriting his uncle titles after 1525, fighting the French and the Venetians by his side...
, in Lombardy and Piedmont, and under Ottavio Farnese, Duke of Parma
Ottavio Farnese, Duke of Parma
Ottavio Farnese reigned as Duke of Parma and Piacenza from 1547 and Duke of Castro from 1545 until his death.-Biography:...
, in Flanders and Germany, fighting Protestants in the name of the Emperor. Here an incident occurred that illuminates his greed, arrogance and violent nature: his possession of captive gentleman worth a considerable ransom was challenged by a Spaniard, whose right was upheld by his compatriot, the duke of Alba; and in the aftermath Carlo, pursuing his adversary to provoke a duel was incarcerated at Trent until he agreed not to pursue the vendetta. He was exiled from Naples in 1545 for murder and banditry and, having withdrawn to Benevento, was embroiled in another assassination. was alleged to have perpetrated the massacre of Spanish
Spain
Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...
soldiers as they recuperated in a hospital in Corsica
Corsica
Corsica is an island in the Mediterranean Sea. It is located west of Italy, southeast of the French mainland, and north of the island of Sardinia....
.
Two weeks after Giovanni Pietro Carafa was elected pope, as Paul IV
Pope Paul IV
Pope Paul IV, C.R. , né Giovanni Pietro Carafa, was Pope from 23 May 1555 until his death.-Early life:Giovanni Pietro Carafa was born in Capriglia Irpina, near Avellino, into a prominent noble family of Naples...
he raised Carlo to the cardinalate 7 June 1555. His tenure as Cardinal Nephew was not a great success as he and Paul IV brought the Papacy to a humiliating defeat against the Spanish that nearly resulted in another Sack of Rome
Sack of Rome (1527)
The Sack of Rome on 6 May 1527 was a military event carried out by the mutinous troops of Charles V, Holy Roman Emperor in Rome, then part of the Papal States...
. Carlo's government was unpopular in Rome and he developed a reputation for avarice, cruelty and licentiousness, as well as for sodomy
Sodomy
Sodomy is an anal or other copulation-like act, especially between male persons or between a man and animal, and one who practices sodomy is a "sodomite"...
. In January 1559, Paul IV finally accepted the accuracy of the accusations made and exiled both his nephews from Rome and replaced Carlo as Cardinal Nephew with Carlo's own nephew Alfonso Carafa
Alfonso Carafa
Alfonso Carafa was a member of one of the oldest noble families of Naples and a cardinal of the Roman Catholic Church. His father was Antonio, Marquis of Montebello, whose uncle, Gian Pietro Carafa, ascended the papal throne in 1555 as Pope Paul IV....
, cardinal archbishop of Naples.
In June 1560, Paul's successor, Pope Pius IV
Pope Pius IV
Pope Pius IV , born Giovanni Angelo Medici, was Pope from 1559 to 1565. He is notable for presiding over the culmination of the Council of Trent.-Biography:...
arrested the leading members of the family, Carafa, his brother the duke and their nephew the cardinal archbishop of Naples, seizing their papers, on a range of charges relating to abuses of power during Paul's reign. Carlo was charged with a range of crimes, including not only sodomy but also murder and promotion of Protestantism
Protestantism
Protestantism is one of the three major groupings within Christianity. It is a movement that began in Germany in the early 16th century as a reaction against medieval Roman Catholic doctrines and practices, especially in regards to salvation, justification, and ecclesiology.The doctrines of the...
. After a nine month trial, the cardinal was condemned along with his brother Giovanni and was executed by strangulation at Castel Sant' Angelo on the night of 6 March 1561. His execution was considered at the time to have been motivated primarily by political factors as his pro-French, anti-Spanish policies.
On September 26, 1567, the sentence was declared unjust by Pope Pius V
Pope Pius V
Pope Saint Pius V , born Antonio Ghislieri , was Pope from 1566 to 1572 and is a saint of the Catholic Church. He is chiefly notable for his role in the Council of Trent, the Counter-Reformation, and the standardization of the Roman liturgy within the Latin Church...
. The memory of the victims was vindicated and their estates restored, the official prosecutor was incarcerated and Antonio Carafa was made a cardinal.