Carlo Carafa (Cardinal)

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Carlo Carafa (also Caraffa ; born March 29, 1517 in Naples , † March 4, 1561 in Castel Sant'Angelo in Rome ) was a nephew and cardinal depository of Pope Paul IV. Initially a soldier, his uncle made him a cardinal and gave him considerable powers. He strengthened the Pope in his anti-Spanish attitude and contributed to the outbreak of the war against Philip II . After the Pope learned of his nephew's misconduct, Carafa lost his influence and was banished. After the beginning of the pontificate of Pius IV , Carafa was sentenced to death and executed .

Carlo Carafa as cardinal
Santa Maria sopra Minerva in Rome. Grave of Cardinal Carlo Carafa and his uncle Paul IV.

family

He came from the Italian noble family Carafa and was the son of Giovanni Alfonso Carafa, Count of Montorio, and Caterina Cantelma. One of his brothers was Captain Antonio Carafa (1520 to 1588), another Giovanni Carafa , who later became Duke of Paliano . His uncle was Gian Pietro Carafa, who later became Pope Paul IV.

Early years

At a young age he belonged to the household of Cardinal Pompeo Colonna and later that of Pierluigi Farnese , Duke of Castro. He turned to military service out of inclination. Paul III appointed him knight of the Order of Malta at the age of fifteen and promised him the priory in Naples. The refusal of this post by Charles V was one reason for his later anti-Spanish attitude.

He fought under Alfonso d'Avalos in Lombardy and Piedmont and under the Duke of Parma Ottavio Farnese in Flanders and Germany . Out of disappointment, he resigned from the Imperial Spanish services; then he fought under Piero Strozzi on the French side.

Carafa was considered a typical condottiere . He was unspiritual, ambitious and unscrupulous, and was keen to achieve his own goals and the interests of his house. During his time as a soldier he had committed various legal violations and crimes. He was expelled from Naples in 1545 for robbery and murder, and he was accused of murdering wounded Spanish soldiers in a hospital.

cardinal

After his uncle had become Pope, he made Carafa cardinal in 1555 ( cardinal deacon of Santi Vito, Modesto e Crescenzia). The Pope knew of his past life and expressly gave him absolution with regard to his crimes at the cardinal's uprising. Were called this robbery , sacrilege , theft and murder . As a result, he held numerous functions in the administration of the Papal States. He was governor of various cities, legate and head of the papal chancellery. The appointment as cardinal in 1555 was connected with the transfer of great powers. He supported his uncle's anti-Spanish ideas and made a major contribution to driving papal politics in a pro-French direction. At the same time it was about the acquisition of power for his family.

The Pope sent him twice to France to negotiate with Henry II . Carafa tried to bring about an alliance between the Duchy of Ferrara , France and the Papal States. In a preliminary contract, the Carafa family was given the prospect of possession of Siena . France should get the Kingdom of Naples and the Papal States the Duchy of Milan . In 1556 war broke out against Spain and its allies. Carafa's policy had contributed significantly to its outbreak. Although reinforced with French troops, the papal army was no match for the Spanish imperial troops. The papal state was partially occupied. A year later the cardinal was sent to the court of Philip II to make peace. He had already prepared a change of alliances in advance.

Although the mission was not entirely satisfactory, the Pope did not withdraw his trust in him, but gave him even more powers, so that Carafa subsequently held almost all of the political power in his hands. Unlike his ascetic uncle, he spent the time hunting, gambling and all kinds of amusement. This way of life gave his opponents a boost, and they brought up the scandalous behavior of him and his brother Giovanni, who had killed his own wife out of jealousy Pope. The Pope ended their rule and sent Carlo Carafa into exile in 1559.

After the death of the Pope, Carafa regained the rights of a cardinal. He took part in the conclave of 1559 , in which he played an important role as the leading head of a party. After the election of Pius IV , Carafa's actions and hated rule were not forgotten in the time of his uncle. In 1560 he was arrested and imprisoned with his brother and other members of his home. At the instigation of the Pope, he was charged on numerous points ranging from murder , homosexuality to heresy . Some of these charges reached back to his time as a soldier. This applies, for example, to the incident during a procession during which he is said to have made heretical speeches. He was sentenced to death and strangled by the executioner . A short time later the case was reopened and Carafa was rehabilitated .

Like his uncle, he was buried in the Carafa Chapel in the Church of Santa Maria sopra Minerva in Rome.

literature

Web links

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ Maria Gabriella Cruciani Troncanelli:  CARAFA, Antonio. In: Dizionario Biografico degli Italiani (DBI). Volume 19. Rome 1976.
  2. ^ Paul IV. In: Theologische Realenzyklopädie. Part II, Vol. 26. Berlin, New York, 2000, pp. 123f.
  3. ^ Pius IV. In: Theologische Realenzyklopädie. Part II, Vol. 26. Berlin, New York, 2000, pp. 652f.
personal data
SURNAME Carafa, Carlo
BRIEF DESCRIPTION Soldier and cardinal
DATE OF BIRTH March 29, 1517
PLACE OF BIRTH Naples
DATE OF DEATH March 4, 1561
Place of death Rome