Caracciolo family
Reputedly of Byzantine origin and certainly one of the more ancient of Neapolitan noble families. Of its many branches the most important was that of Avellino. The Caracciolo of Avellino became counts of Gallerate (1539) and Torella (1560), Dukes of Atripalda (1572) and Avellino (1589), and were hereditary Grand Chancellors of Naples after 1609. Another branch of the family, that of Melfi, was distinguished by Giovanni Caracciolo (1480-1539), the general who fought for the Last Florentine Republic and subsequently became Governor of Marseilles and Piedmont for Francis I.
