Giovanni Vitelleschi

Giovanni Maria Vitelleschi (* 1390 in Corneto (now Tarquinia ); † 1 / 2 April 1440 in Rome) was the Italian condottieri, who was made ​​a cardinal by Pope Eugene IV.

He was Bishop of Recanati and commander of the papal armies, as the Group Colonna in Rome, who feared for their income than their Eugene IV Pope Martin V was followed, in Rome a revolt fomented in the city at times been a republic since 1431 built and Eugen forced into exile on June 4, 1434 to Florence. Of direst cruelty the city of Giovanni Vitelleschi was subjected to the following October. He picked up all rights of the Romans, and instructed the Senate to name him pater patriae post Romulum tertius (third father of the nation since Romulus ). He commanded the papal troops against René of Anjou, who claimed the throne of Naples for himself, besieged and captured in 1439 Foligno.

Vitelleschi had received his military training of young people in the banda Tartaglia and his education under the guardianship of Pope Martin V. completes that made him apostolic prothonotary. His success in suppressing the Republican Rome earned him the honorary title of Patriarch of Alexandria and the Archbishop of Florence. On August 9, 1437 he was appointed by Pope Eugene I. cardinal charged ( titular church of San Lorenzo in Panisperna ), called " Cardinal of Florence " where you met him with the deepest suspicion.

The Florentine spies kept a close eye on his mail and soon began letters of the Patriarch of Niccolo Niccolo off the Tuscany just devastated with his people. The correspondence was encrypted and full descriptions, but was interpreted as dangerous even for the Pope. Eugene decided to imprison the Patriarch. The way how he was captured at the Castel Sant'Angelo Castel Sant'Angelo in Rome, by the Castellan Antonio Rido of Padua, is reported by Machiavelli.

The Vitelleschi family retained considerable weight in Central Italy. Vitelleschis nephew, Bartolomeo Vitelleschi († December 13, 1463 ), Bishop of Corneto and Montefiascone, was appointed on April 6, 1444 cardinal.