At the age of 14, he was sent to Rome to study science under guidance of his uncle Cardinal Antonio Carafa.
House of Carafa | Carafa | Gregorio Carafa | Diomede Carafa | Antonio Carafa |
Antonio Carafa was born in Naples to Rinaldo I Carafello Carafa, a local patrician, and Giovanna of the signori of Montefalcone.
Together, they had ten children: Joseph Thomas d'Alvarez, Charlotte (Countess de Rancy), Louis Thomas who married Livia Carafa, Duchess of Bojano and took the name of Thomas de Bojano, Frasquita (Mrs Soultzner d'Enschwyl) and Henriette (Countess de Dalmas).
His first important work was the sepulchre of Mario Carafa, a relative of Cardinal Carafa.
He was the son of Palatine Prince and Count Francesco Carafa della Spina, 3rd duke of Traetto, and Paola Orsini, of the princes of Solofra and the dukes of Gravina.
In the 13th century the Angevine rules of Naples chose the city a capital of a county, ruled by the di Castro, Del Balzo, Orsini, Campofregoso, Castriota and Sanseverino, Carafa and Gallarati-Scotti families, until feudalism was abrogated in 1806.