Vitelli
Encyclopedia
The Vitelli, among other families so named, were a prominent family of Umbria
, rulers of Città di Castello
and lesser rocche
. In spite of ambitious genealogies, there is no demonstrable connection with the ancient Roman Vitellius (gens)
. The Vitelli 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 Guelf faction of the Brancaleone, and henceforward wielded political and military influence disproportionate to their small territory, as supporters of the Papacy.
There is a Palazzo Vitelli in many towns of Central Italy, notably the three in Città di Castello
, where in addition to Palazzo Vitelli a Sant'Egidio, Palazzo Vitelli a San Giacomo (Palazzo Vitelli in Piazza), stands at the heart of the city. The 16th-century Palazzo Vitelli alla Cannoniera now houses an art gallery.
In other comuni and cities:
Umbria
Umbria is a region of modern central Italy. It is one of the smallest Italian regions and the only peninsular region that is landlocked.Its capital is Perugia.Assisi and Norcia are historical towns associated with St. Francis of Assisi, and St...
, rulers of Città di Castello
Città di Castello
Città di Castello is a city and comune in the province of Perugia, in the northern part of the Umbria region of Italy. It is situated on a slope of the Apennines, on the flood plain of the river Tiber. The city is north of Perugia and south of Cesena on the S3bis. It is connected to the A1...
and lesser rocche
Rocca (architecture)
Rocca is an Italian term meaning a high, fortifiable stronghold, usually located in smaller towns, beneath or on which the village or town clustered, within which its inhabitants might take refuge at times of trouble; under its owners' patronage the settlement might hope to find prosperity in...
. In spite of ambitious genealogies, there is no demonstrable connection with the ancient Roman Vitellius (gens)
Vitellius (gens)
The Gens Vitellia or Vitelii were a gens in ancient Rome. It is also spelled Vitullius in inscriptions.In the time of Suetonius it was controversial between Aulus Vitellius and his enemies whether it was old and noble or recent and obscure, even plebeian. It would have originated as a diminutive...
. The Vitelli 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 Guelf faction of the Brancaleone, and henceforward wielded political and military influence disproportionate to their small territory, as supporters of the Papacy.
Members of the historic family
- Giovan Luigi "Chiappino" VitelliChiappino VitelliGiovan Luigi "Chiappino" Vitelli was an Italian marquis and military leader, son of Niccolò Vitelli.Vitelli served as captain under Cosimo I de' Medici in his wars to gain Florence, Siena and Montalcino, and was appointed governor of Piombino .He was also a general in the Spanish Army of...
(1519 - 1575), soldier. - Francesco VitelliFrancesco VitelliFrancesco Vitelli was a Roman Catholic ecclesiastic in the papal service, made titular archbishop of Thessalonica , then successively transferred to Terni and to Urbino and appointed papal nuncio to the Republic of Venice...
(1586 — 1646), Roman Catholic ecclesiastic. - Niccolò VitelliNiccolò VitelliNiccolò Vitelli was an Italian condottiero of the Vitelli family from Città di Castello.The son of Giovanni Vitelli and Maddalena dei Marchesi di Petriolo, he was orphaned and grew under the tutelage of his uncle Vitellozzo who introduced him into the political life of the area...
(1414 - 1486), condottiero. - Vitellozzo VitelliVitellozzo VitelliVitellozzo Vitelli was an Italian condottiero. He was lord of Montone, Città di Castello, Monterchi and Anghiari.-Biography:...
(c. 1458 – 1502), condottiero.
There is a Palazzo Vitelli in many towns of Central Italy, notably the three in Città di Castello
Città di Castello
Città di Castello is a city and comune in the province of Perugia, in the northern part of the Umbria region of Italy. It is situated on a slope of the Apennines, on the flood plain of the river Tiber. The city is north of Perugia and south of Cesena on the S3bis. It is connected to the A1...
, where in addition to Palazzo Vitelli a Sant'Egidio, Palazzo Vitelli a San Giacomo (Palazzo Vitelli in Piazza), stands at the heart of the city. The 16th-century Palazzo Vitelli alla Cannoniera now houses an art gallery.
In other comuni and cities:
- CetonaCetonaCetona is a town and comune in the southern part province of Siena, Tuscany, in an area where Umbria and Lazio meet.The geographical elevation is between 250 metres and the 1,148 metres of Monte Cetona itself, at the base of which the town is situated at around 350 metres.-History:Some of the...
: Palazzo Vitelli, built for Marchese Giovan Luigi "Chiappino" VitelliChiappino VitelliGiovan Luigi "Chiappino" Vitelli was an Italian marquis and military leader, son of Niccolò Vitelli.Vitelli served as captain under Cosimo I de' Medici in his wars to gain Florence, Siena and Montalcino, and was appointed governor of Piombino .He was also a general in the Spanish Army of... - PisaPisaPisa is a city in Tuscany, Central Italy, on the right bank of the mouth of the River Arno on the Tyrrhenian Sea. It is the capital city of the Province of Pisa...
- RomeRomeRome is the capital of Italy and the country's largest and most populated city and comune, with over 2.7 million residents in . The city is located in the central-western portion of the Italian Peninsula, on the Tiber River within the Lazio region of Italy.Rome's history spans two and a half...
: Palazzo Vitelli in Campo MarzioCampo MarzioCampo Marzio, is the IV rione of Rome, which covers a smaller section of the area of the ancient Campus Martius. The logo of today's rione is a silver crescent on a blue background.-External links:*...
Modern people named Vitelli
- Joe VitelliJoe VitelliAntonio Joseph Vitelli was a Major League Baseball pitcher who played for the Pittsburgh Pirates in 1944 and 1945. The 6'1", 195 lb. right-hander was a native of McKees Rocks, Pennsylvania....
(1908 - 1967), American Major League Baseball pitcher - Paolo VitelliPaolo VitelliPaolo Vitelli is an Italian entrepreneur, the owner of the motor yacht makers Azimut-Benetti. Up to September 2007, the company built yachts worth a total 800 million euros....
, yacht manufacturer (Azimut-Benetti)
In fiction
- Apollonia Vitelli-CorleoneApollonia Vitelli-CorleoneApollonia Corleone is a fictional character in Mario Puzo's novel The Godfather. She is portrayed by Simonetta Stefanelli in Francis Ford Coppola's film adaptation.-In the novel:...
is a fictional character in Mario Puzo 's novel The GodfatherThe Godfather (novel)The Godfather is a crime novel written by Italian American author Mario Puzo, originally published in 1969 by G. P. Putnam's Sons. It details the story of a fictitious Sicilian Mafia family based in New York City and headed by Don Vito Corleone, who became synonymous with the Italian Mafia...
.