Caracciolo (noble family)

Caracciolo coat of arms

Caracciolo is the name of an Italian noble family from the former Kingdom of Naples that still exists today and belongs to the high nobility .

history

The first named bearer of the name is a Teodoro Caraziolus , who was buried together with his wife Urania in the church of Santa Maria Assunta dei Caracciolo in Naples; his daughter made a donation to Monastero di san Sergio e Bacco , notarized on March 20, 976.

At the time of the Duchy of Naples the family was already one of the most important noble houses and received privileges from Duke Sergius VII (1120 / 23–1137). The family was then divided into numerous lines (the older lines Caracciolo Canella, Caracciolo Ugot, Caracciolo Viola, Caracciolo Ciccola) and then the younger lines (Bianchi, Rossi, Pisquizi with the sub-branch Del sole), with numerous subsidiary lines.

The founder of the Caracciolo Rossi branch was Riccardo Caracciolo († after 1140), and the Caracciolo Pisquizi branch was founded by his brother Filippo.

Caracciolo Rossi

Riccardo "Rosso" († after 1140) married Marotta, daughter and heiress of Count Landolfo di Montemarano . His older grandson Landolfo continued the line of the Counts of Montemarano, his younger brother Gregorio founded the Carafa family .

After the Counts of Avellino from the house of Les Baux died out in 1426, the Neapolitan Prime Minister Giovanni Caracciolo , who was also the lover of Queen Joan II of Naples, took over the county, which was held by his descendants until the 20th century. In 1576 Marino Caracciolo, the 2nd Duke of Atripaldi, was raised to the rank of (Neapolitan) Prince of Avellino ; one of his descendants, the 5th Prince of Avellino, also received the imperial prince status in 1715 . The line ended with Francesco Caracciolo (1860-1932), 13th Prince of Avellino, 9th Imperial Prince, Roman Prince, 14th Duke of Atripalda .

Caracciolo Pisquizi

Coat of arms of the Caracciolo Pisquizi

Coat of arms of the Caracciolo del Sole

Nicola († before 1492) was the chief tax collector of Apulia and in 1478 captain of Foggia . His sons Giambattista and Bartolomeo became lords of Pietralcina, Pescolamazza and Casalbore, the latter also acquired the dominion of Valle Siciliana from the Orsini . His grandson Bartolomeo, Marchese di Volturara († 1592) founded a line that became Marchesi di Sant'Eramo and later also Marchesi di Mottola and di Cervinara through marriage; the current head of this line , which was prince in the 19th century, is Don Giovanni Francesco, 3rd Prince Caracciolo-Carafa, 9th Duca di Traetto, 15th Marchese di Sant'Eramo, 12th Marchese di Cervinara, 12th Marchese di Mottola (* Naples 1938 ).

The younger brother of Bartolomeo Caracciolo di Volturara, Gian Vincenzo († 1563), founded the line of the Marchesi di Casalbore , who also became Prince of Torrenova through marriage in 1642 (in 1753 the title went to the Sanseverino via a daughter ).

A younger branch of the Caracciolo Pisquizi is the "Bartolomeo line": Marchesi di Bucchianico, Baroni di Monteferrante etc., in a branch that went out in 1764 also dukes of Celenza , in a branch that went out in 1778 Principi di Marsicovetere , in another branch since 1659 dukes from Montesardo , in another from 1704 by marriage to a Spinelli prince of Marano ; The latter line is represented today by Don Vincenzo Caracciolo, 10th Principe di Marano, 11th Principe di Torre dell'Isola, 13th Duca di Montesardo, 13th Marchese di Barisciano, 7th Duca di Resigliano e Pomigliano d'Atella (* Rome 1938). The other branch of the Dukes of Castelluccio died out in the male line in 1966.

The Bartolomeo line also included the Dukes di Martina , created in 1507 and extinct in 1849 , the Principi di Cursi, Duchi di Grottaglie, Duchi di Sammarzano , created by marriage in 1744 (and extinguished in 1853) and the Dukes of Sicignano , created in 1581 and extinct in 1652 , as well as the Principi di Pettoranello, Marchesi di Sant'Agapito , the Dukes of Atella, Orta and Girifalco created in 1624, and from 1687 to 1859 the Dukes of Soreto and until 1864 the Dukes of Roccaromana , were created in 1731 and became extinct in the 20th century .

Don Nicola Caracciolo (1669–1744) of the Caracciolo Pisquizi was elevated to Prince of Melissano in 1724 ; via his wife Donna Cornelia d'Afflitto the titles of her great-uncle Don Girolamo d'Afflitto (1617–1662), 3rd Duca di Barrea and from 1646 Principe di Scanno, 1777 to the Caracciolo. The current head of this line is Don Landolfo Ambrogio Caracciolo, 13th Principe di Scanno, 14th Duca di Barrea, 10th Principe di Melissano (* Naples 1959).

Don Francesco Saverio (1695–1743), patrician of Naples from the Montanara branch of the lords of Ponte Albaneto, Castel Airola and Caleno, married Giuseppa D'Amato, heiress of Filippo D'Amato, Signore di Castagneto, in 1714 and became Signore di Castagneto in 1724 raised to prince of Castagneto . The line also received the title Duke of Melito in 1876 . The last head was the documentary filmmaker Don Nicola Caracciolo (1931-2020), 10th Prince of Castagneto, 5th Duke of Melito . His sister Marella was married to Giovanni Agnelli .

The Caracciolo del Sole go back to Francesco "del Sole" († after 1298), also a descendant of Filippo Caracciolo Pisquizio. Among them were the Dukes of San Teodoro and the Dukes of Miranda. The former went out with Don Luigi Caracciolo, 5th Duca di San Teodoro, 7th Duca di Sant'Arpino, 5th Duca di Casal di Principe, Duca di Parete (1826-1889) . Francesco Leonardo Caracciolo (1613–1695), son of Francesco Caracciolo del Sole, was elevated to the rank of Neapolitan Duke of Miranda in 1664 ; this line ended with Gaetana Caracciolo (1767-1820), 5th Duchess of Miranda.

Known family members

Grave figure of St. Francis of Carácciolo (1563–1608)

Riccardo Caracciolo († 1395), counter-grandmaster of the Order of St. John
Tristano Caracciolo (1437-1522), Neapolitan scholar
Galeazzo Caracciolo (1517–1586), Italian Protestant
Franz von Carácciolo (1563–1608), Italian saint
Tommaso Caracciolo (1572–1631), Neapolitan field marshal and general
Francesco Caracciolo (1752–1799), Neapolitan admiral
Diego Innico Caracciolo (1759-1820), Italian Roman Catholic cardinal
Carlo Caracciolo di Castagneto (1925–2008), Italian media entrepreneur
Marella Agnelli , b. Caracciolo di Castagneto, (1927–2019), Italian art collector, photographer and textile designer
Nicola Caracciolo di Castagneto (1931-2020), Italian documentary filmmaker