Francesco Caracciolo

Prince Francesco Caracciolo (18 January 1752 – 30 June 1799) was a Neapolitan admiral and revolutionist.

Caracciolo was born in Naples to a noble family. It is likely that he was named after St. Francis Caracciolo, a saint of the Catholic Church and Francesco's many times great uncle. He entered the navy and learned his seamanship under Rodney. He fought with distinction in the British service in the American War of Independence, against the Barbary pirates, and against the French at Genoa under Lord Hotham. The Bourbons placed the greatest confidence in his skill.

When on the approach of the French to Naples, King Ferdinand IV and Queen Mary Caroline fled to Sicily on board Horatio Nelson's ship, HMS Vanguard (December 1798), Caracciolo escorted them on the frigate Sannita. He was the only prominent Neapolitan trusted by the king, but the admiral's loyalty was shaken by Ferdinand's flight. On reaching Palermo, Caracciolo asked permission to return to Naples to look after his own private affairs (January 1799). This was granted, but when he arrived at Naples he found all the aristocracy and educated middle classes infatuated with the French revolutionary ideas, and he himself was received with great enthusiasm.

He seems at first to have intended to live a retired life; but, finding that he must either join the Republican party or escape to Procida, then in the hands of the English, in which case even his intimates would regard him as a traitor and his property would have been confiscated, he was induced to adhere to the new order of things and took command of the republic's naval forces. Once at sea, he fought actively against the British and Neapolitan squadrons and prevented the landing of some Royalist bands. A few days later, all the French troops in Naples, except 500 men, were recalled to the north of Italy.

...
Wikipedia