Tello (died 24 September probably 765) was the

Bishop of Chur The Bishop of Chur (German: ''Bischof von Chur'') is the ordinary of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Chur, Grisons, Switzerland (Latin: ''Dioecesis Curiensis'').Victorids to wield power in Rhaetia through his control of the bishopric. His will is one of the earliest surviving records from Graubünden and is an important source for the history of Rhaetia in the eighth century. According to his will, dated 15 December 765, and the ''Liber de feodis'' of 1388, he was a son of Victor, the ''

praeses ''Praeses'' (Latin ''praesides'') is a Latin word meaning "placed before" or "at the head". In antiquity, notably under the Roman Dominate, it was used to refer to Roman governors; it continues to see some use for various modern positions. ...

'' of Rhaetia, and his wife Teusenda. It is also mentioned in the will that he had brothers and sisters, though they are left unnamed. His episcopate can be demonstrated from 759 and he held, concurrently, the title of ''praeses'', which had been his father's. He thus held both the spiritual and the temporal authority in the province. He is mentioned in the ''Vita sancti Galli'' of

Walafrid Strabo Walafrid, alternatively spelt Walahfrid, nicknamed Strabo (or Strabus, i.e. " squint-eyed") (c. 80818 August 849), was an Alemannic Benedictine monk and theological writer who lived on Reichenau Island in southern Germany. Life Walafrid Strabo ...

under the year 759 or 760. In 762 he participated in the

Council of Attigny Attigny () is a commune in the Ardennes department in the Grand Est region of north-eastern France. The inhabitants of the commune are known as ''Attignatiens''. The commune has been awarded one flower by the ''National Council of Towns and ...

on the Aisne as a suffragan of the

Archdiocese of Mainz The Electorate of Mainz (german: Kurfürstentum Mainz or ', la, Electoratus Moguntinus), previously known in English as Mentz and by its French name Mayence, was one of the most prestigious and influential states of the Holy Roman Empire. In the ...

. His signature appears on the conciliar documents. Tello is elsewhere documented in the ''

Verbrüderungsbuch A confraternity book (german: Verbrüderungsbuch, la, liber confraternitatum or ''confraternitatis''), also called a ''liber memorialis'' (memorial book) or ''liber vitae'' (book of life), is a medieval register of the names of people who had ente ...

'' (fraternity book) of the

Abbey of Reichenau Reichenau Abbey was a Benedictine monastery on Reichenau Island (known in Latin as Augia Dives). It was founded in 724 by the itinerant Saint Pirmin, who is said to have fled Spain ahead of the Moorish invaders, with patronage that included Charl ...

. He began the construction of the cathedral, which has an unusual crypt and was renovated in the

Romanesque style Romanesque architecture is an architectural style of medieval Europe characterized by semi-circular arches. There is no consensus for the beginning date of the Romanesque style, with proposals ranging from the 6th to the 11th century, this later ...

. His death date is secured as 24 September, but the year is unknown, probably the same year as that of his will, which was dated to December. He bequeathed his extensive landed and movable wealth, which was concentrated in the lower Surselva between

Flims Flims ( rm, Flem) is a municipality in the Imboden Region in the Swiss canton of Graubünden. The town of Flims is dominated by the Flimserstein which one can see from almost anywhere in the area. Flims consists of the village of Flims (called ...

and Trun, to

Disentis Abbey Disentis Abbey (german: Reichskloster Disentis) is a Benedictine monastery in the Canton of Graubünden in eastern Switzerland, around which the present town of Disentis ( rm, Mustér) grew up. Early history Formerly the date of the foundation of ...

, with which he had had close ties.

Sources

* {{authority control 765 deaths 8th-century Frankish bishops Bishops of Chur Year of birth unknown 8th-century Latin writers 8th-century Frankish writers