Francesco Vitelli

Francesco Vitelli (Città di Castello, 1586 — 1646) was a Roman Catholic ecclesiastic in the papal service, made titular archbishop of Thessalonica (16 August 1632), then successively transferred to Terni (1634) [ [http://www.diocesi.terni.it/varie.asp?ID=183 Bishops of Terni] .] and to Urbino (1636) [ [http://www.arcidiocesiurbino.it/arcidiocesi/cennistorici.php Archidiocesi di Urbino...] ] and appointed papal nuncio to the Republic of Venice. In 1643 Pope Urban VIII Barberini appointed him Governor of Rome, an honorary position that his absence as bishop of Urbino disabled him from taking up. He was a correspondent of the papal diplomet Guido Bentivoglio, who addressed to him his "Relationi" concerning Flanders, 1633. ["Relationi del cardinale Bentiuoglio all'ill [ustrissi] mo e r [everendissi] mo sig [no] r mio colendiss. monsig [nore] Francesco Vitelli arciuescouo di Thessalonica..." (Venice, Marco Ginammi) 1633]

Francesco Vitelli was of the line of Vitelli who had been rich merchants of Città di Castello, who made themselves masters of the town in the early fourteenth century, after civic confrontations with the rival Guelfucci of Brancaleone, and henceforward wielded political and military influence disproportionate to their small territory. [ [http://fr.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vitelli French Wikipedia, "s.v." "Vitelli"] ]

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