Gregorio Carafa

{{Infobox officeholder

| honorific-prefix =

| name = Gregorio Carafa

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| image = Gregorio Carafa.jpg

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| office = Grand Master of the Order of Saint John

| term_start = 2 May 1680

| term_end = 21 July 1690

| predecessor = Nicolas Cotoner

| successor = Adrien de Wignacourt

| birth_date = 17 March 1615

| birth_place = Castelvetere (modern Caulonia) Calabria

| death_date = {{death date and age|df=y|1690|7|21|1615|3|17}}

| death_place = Malta

| restingplace = St. John's Co-Cathedral

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| nationality = Italian

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| allegiance = {{flagicon|SMOM}} Order of Saint John

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| battles = Battle of the Dardanelles

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Fra Gregorio Carafa (17 March 1615 – 21 July 1690) was a nobleman from the House of Carafa and the 61st Grand Master of the Order of Saint John, from 1680 to his death in 1690.

Early life

Carafa was born on 17 March 1615 in Castelvetere (modern Caulonia){{cite web |url=http://www.telemia.it/news.php?news=9129 |title=ROCCELLA IONICA: 400' ANNIVERSARIO DI GREGORIO CARAFA, IL MAESTRO DI CASTELVETERE CHE PORTO' LA CALABRIA NEL MONDO - TELEMIA - Emittente Televisiva |access-date=2015-08-23 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150924114021/http://www.telemia.it/news.php?news=9129 |archive-date=2015-09-24 }}{{cite web | url=http://www.larivieraonline.com/roccella-celebra-i-400-anni-della-nascita-di-gregorio-carafa | archive-url=https://archive.today/20160304094104/http://www.larivieraonline.com/roccella-celebra-i-400-anni-della-nascita-di-gregorio-carafa | url-status=usurped | archive-date=March 4, 2016 | title=Roccella celebra i 400 anni della nascita di Gregorio Carafa | date=12 May 2015 }}{{Cite web|url=http://www.comune.roccella.rc.it/dettaglio.asp?id_a=7887|title=Comune Roccella Jonica - Sito Istituzionale del Comune - Presentato il programma delle manifestazioni in onore di Gregorio Carafa|access-date=2015-08-23|archive-date=2016-12-30|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161230004726/http://www.comune.roccella.rc.it/dettaglio.asp?id_a=7887|url-status=dead}}{{Cite web|url=http://www.ecodellalocride.it/news/roccella-j-rc-al-via-celebrazioni-in-onore-di-gregorio-carafa|title=Roccella J. (RC): Al via celebrazioni in onore di Gregorio Carafa}} in Calabria, Italy to Girolamo, Prince of Roccella and Diana Vittori, the niece of Pope Paul IV. His brother was the Cardinal Carlo Carafa della Spina.{{cite web|title=The Grand Masters of the XVIIth century|url=http://romeartlover.tripod.com/Malta16.html|website=A Rome Art Lover|access-date=12 October 2014}}

He was enlisted with the Order of Saint John when he was only three months, in June 1615. He studied in Naples where various dignitaries and knights of the Order contributed to his education. In 1635, he went to Catalonia with his uncle Francesco Carafa, the prior general of Roccella. Carafa was soon promoted to Knight Grand Cross of the Order, and was promoted to prior general of Rocella after his uncle died.

In 1647, he was involved in the Masaniello revolt where he tried to restore peace and order in Naples. After the defeat of the rebels, he was sent to Calabria to quell the uprising there. These accomplishments led to his promotion and command appointment of the Order's fleet.

In 1656, he became the commander for the 7 Maltese galleys at the Battle of the Dardanelles. In this battle, the joint Venetian-Maltese fleet was victorious, and as a reward, Malta received 11 captured Ottoman ships. This battle was considered the heaviest naval defeat for the Ottomans since the Battle of Lepanto.{{cite book|last1=Setton|first1=Kenneth Meyer|title=Venice, Austria, and the Turks in the Seventeenth Century|date=1991|publisher=DIANE Publishing|isbn=0871691922|pages=182–183}}

After the victorious battle, he was welcomed and recognized in Malta as a hero. Subsequently, he reclaimed the wetlands at Bormola and strengthened the Order's fleet.{{cite book|last1=Bertoni|first1=Luisa|title=Dizionario Biografico degli Italiani|date=1976|url=http://www.treccani.it/enciclopedia/gregorio-carafa_(Dizionario-Biografico)/|language=it}}

Magistracy

In 1682, he was elected Grand Master of the Order after the death of Nicolas Cotoner. In the same year that he became Grand Master, Carafa paid for the renovation of Auberge d'Italie. The facade was rebuilt in Baroque style, and a bronze bust of Carafa was placed in a prominent position over the front door of the Auberge. His personal coat of arms was also sculpted close to the bust.{{cite web|title=The Auberge d'Italie|url=http://www.mta.com.mt/page.aspx?id=56|website=Malta Tourism Authority|access-date=12 October 2014|archive-date=5 September 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150905193129/http://www.mta.com.mt/page.aspx?id=56|url-status=dead}}

From 1681 onwards, Fort Saint Angelo was strengthened and rebuilt by the architect Carlos de Grunenbergh, at Carafa's request. Carafa's name appears on the plaque above the fort's main gate.

During his reign, the Order's navy was at its peak, with galleys led by knights and manned by experienced crews. Fearing an Ottoman attack, in 1687 Carafa strengthened Fort Saint Elmo by building a series of fortifications known as the Carafa Enceinte on the foreshore surrounding the fortress.{{cite web|title=Fort St. Elmo|url=http://heritagemalta.org/wp-content/uploads/2012/03/FORT-ST-ELMO.pdf|website=Heritage Malta|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131206083119/http://heritagemalta.org/wp-content/uploads/2012/03/FORT-ST-ELMO.pdf|archive-date=6 December 2013}}

Playing Cards were introduced in Malta during his reign.{{cite journal|title=The Playing-card|url=http://www.i-p-c-s.org/journal/33-3.pdf|volume=32|issue=3|date=January 2005|journal=Journal of the International Playing-Card Society|issn=0305-2133|location=London|editor=Michael Cooper|last=Bonello|first=Giovanni|author-link=Giovanni Bonello|pages=191–197|archive-date=29 April 2005|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20050429042146/http://i-p-c-s.org/journal/33-3.pdf}}

Carafa died on 21 July 1690 and was succeeded by Adrien de Wignacourt. He is buried in the Chapel of the Langue of Italy of St. John's Co-Cathedral in Valletta, Malta.

Auberge d’Italie en 2018 03.jpg|Coat of arms of Carafa from a demolished building, now located at Auberge d'Italie

Relief. Valletta, Malta, Mediterranean Sea.jpg|Bronze bust of Carafa at Auberge d'Italie

Malta StAngelo three.jpg|Plaque at Fort Saint Angelo making a reference to Carafa

Malta 267.jpg|Carafa Enceinte at Fort Saint Elmo

StJohnsCoCathedralMalta2010DOB078.JPG|Tomb of Carafa at the St. John's Co-Cathedral

References

External links

[http://coinsofmalta.com/jag-collection-20-carafa/ Coins of Grandmaster Gregorio Carafa] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141105020358/http://coinsofmalta.com/jag-collection-20-carafa/ |date=2014-11-05 }}

{{succession box |

before=Nicolas Cotoner |

title=Grand Master of the Knights Hospitaller |

years=1680–1690 |

after=Adrien de Wignacourt |

}}

Category:1615 births

Category:1690 deaths

Gregorio

Category:Grand masters of the Knights Hospitaller

Category:Italian knights

Category:17th-century Italian nobility