Girolamo Carafa facts for kids
Girolamo Carafa (born in Abruzzo, Italy, in 1564 – died in Genoa, Italy, in 1633) was an important general. He served the Spanish and Imperial armies during a time of many wars in Europe.
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Early Life and Military Career
Girolamo Carafa was born into the noble Carafa family in Naples, Italy. His parents were Rainaldo Carafa and Portia Carracciola.
When he was 14, Girolamo went to Rome to study science. His uncle, Cardinal Antonio Carafa, guided his studies. Girolamo married Hippolyta de Lannoy when he was young. She was the granddaughter of Charles de Lannoy, who was a Spanish leader in Naples.
In 1587, Girolamo decided to join the Spanish army. His family did not want him to, but he went anyway. He first served under Alexander Farnese during the Dutch Revolt. This was a war where the Dutch fought for their freedom from Spanish rule.
Girolamo also fought against King Henry IV of France. He took part in battles at Ligne in 1590 and Rouen in 1592. Later, he led an army unit in areas like Friesland, Brabant, and Flanders.
Key Battles and Leadership
During the Franco-Spanish War (1595-1598), Girolamo fought in several smaller battles. In 1597, he was part of the Siege of Amiens. This was a long battle where an army tries to take control of a city. When the Spanish general Porto-Carrero was killed, Girolamo took over as leader of the Spanish troops defending the city.
He defended Amiens bravely. Even King Henry IV of France honored him for his courage when Girolamo had to surrender the city on September 25.
After this, Girolamo returned to the Low Countries and fought in the Siege of Ostend. Once Ostend was captured, he was sent to Italy to fight against Savoy. After peace was made, he became the commander of the cavalry (soldiers on horseback) in Sicily.
Service in the Thirty Years' War
Later, Ferdinand II, Holy Roman Emperor asked Girolamo to join his service. Girolamo agreed, and this happened at the start of the Thirty Years' War. This was a very big war that involved many countries in Europe.
Girolamo played a key role in the important victory at the Battle of White Mountain. He stopped the troops of Gábor Bethlen from joining their allies, which helped the Emperor win. He also fought near Milan in 1621.
After a peace treaty was signed with Gábor Bethlen, Girolamo was given important titles. He became an Imperial Field Marshal and a Reichsfürst, which meant he was a prince of the Holy Roman Empire.
He then went back to Spain and became the Viceroy of Aragon. A viceroy is like a governor who rules a region for the king. Girolamo was sent to the Low Countries one more time, but he died on the way in 1633.
Girolamo Carafa was known for being a very religious Catholic and for being highly educated.
See also
In Spanish: Jerónimo Caraffa Carraciolo para niños
