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Marcantonio Maffei (29 November 1521 – 22 August 1583) was an Italian Roman Catholic bishop and cardinal.

Marcantonio Maffei was born in Bergamo on 29 November 1521, the son of nobles Girolamo Maffei and Antonia Mattei.^[1] His older brother Bernardino Maffei was also a cardinal, and his nephews Orazio Maffei and Marcello Lante.^[1]

He was educated at the University of Ferrara, becoming a doctor of both laws in September 1547.^[1] He then moved to Rome and in 1549, became a consistorial lawyer.^[1] He also became a canon of the Archbasilica of St. John Lateran.^[1] In 1552, he was vice-governor of Viterbo.^[1]

He was elected Archbishop of Chieti on 14 July 1553; he succeeded his brother Barnardino Maffei as archbishop.^[1] Around 1554, he became a Referendary of the Apostolic Signatura.^[1] He was the Governor of Viterbo from 27 September 1555 until 1557.^[1] From 1560 until January 1566, he was the vicegerent of the Vicar General of Rome; he later served as Vicar General of Rome.^[1] Pope Pius V made him his nuncio before the Kingdom of Poland.^[1] In 1566, he was appointed Datary of His Holiness, maintaining that position until 1570.^[1] Sometime before 14 January 1568 he resigned the administration of his archbishopric.^[1] Following the death of Maffei's brother Achille, Maffei was given his canonry in St. Peter's Basilica on 29 July 1568.^[1] He became a Domestic Chaplain of His Holiness in October 1569.^[1]

Pope Pius V made him a cardinal priest in the consistory of 17 May 1570.^[1] He received the red hat and the titular church of San Callisto.^[1]

He attended the papal conclave of 1572 that elected Pope Gregory XIII.^[1] Under the new pope he was the Prefect of the Chancery of Apostolic Briefs.^[1]

He died in Rome on 22 August 1583.^[1] He was buried in Santa Maria sopra Minerva.^[1]

While bishop, he was the principal consecrator of:^[2]

• Angelo Cattani da Diacceto, Bishop of Fiesole (1566);
• Paolo Oberti, Bishop of Venosa (1567);
• Girolamo Cardinal Rusticucci, Bishop of Senigallia (1570);
• Ludovico de Torres, Archbishop of Monreale (1573);

and the principal co-consecrator of:^[2]

• Giovanni Oliva, Archbishop of Chieti (1568);
• Annibal de Ruccellai, Bishop of Carcassonne (1569); and
• Girolamo di Corregio, Archbishop of Taranto (1570).