Marino Caracciolo

Portrait of Marino Caracciolo from his grave. Duomo of Milan. Marino Caracciolo (1468 – 28 January 1538) was a Neapolitan cardinal and diplomat in the service of Emperor Charles V.

Biography Born in Naples into one of the most important families in the Kingdom of Naples; his father, Domizio, was governor of Calabria. Marino spent his youth and was educated under the tutelage of Cardinal Ascanio Sforza at the court of Milan. In 1505, Caracciolo was created by Pope Julius II, commendatory abbot of S. Maria di Teneto, in Reggio Emilia.

Ambassador of Duke Massimiliano Sforza to the Papal court in 1513, he was created an Apostolic Protonotary in 1515; in the same year he took part as orator of the Duke of Milan to the V Lateran Council.

In 1518, he was appointed Papal nuncio to Spain and in 1519 nuncio before the Diet of Augsburg. After the election of Emperor Charles V, he was appointed nuncio to the new emperor, and traveled to Ghent in August 1520. At the Diet of Worms in 1520, he worked with Cardinal Girolamo Aleandro in opposition to the supporters of Martin Luther.

In 1536, he was appointed by Charles V Governor of Milan but he only held power on civil and economic matters, the military power being given to Alfonso d'Avalos.

Death He died in Milan on 27 January 1538 and is buried in the Duomo of Milan; his funeral monument is attributed to Agostino Busti, known as Bambaia.