Tello (died 24 September probably 765) was the

Bishop of Chur The Bishop of Chur (German: ''Bischof von Chur'') is the ordinary of the Diocese of Chur in Grisons, Switzerland (Latin: ''Dioecesis Curiensis'').Victorids to wield power in

Rhaetia Raetia or Rhaetia ( , ) was a Roman province, province of the Roman Empire named after the Rhaetian people. It bordered on the west with the country of the Helvetii, on the east with Noricum, on the north with Vindelicia, on the south-west wit ...

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 Strab ...

under the year 759 or 760. In 762 he participated in the Council of Attigny on the

Aisne Aisne ( , ; ; ) is a French departments of France, department in the Hauts-de-France region of northern France. It is named after the river Aisne (river), Aisne. In 2020, it had a population of 529,374. Geography The department borders No ...

as a suffragan of the

Archdiocese of Mainz The Electorate of Mainz ( or '; ), 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 hierarchy of the Catholic Church, the Archbishop-Elec ...

. His signature appears on the conciliar documents. Tello is elsewhere documented in the '' Verbrüderungsbuch'' (fraternity book) of the

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

. 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 that was predominant in the 11th and 12th centuries. The style eventually developed into the Gothic style with the shape of the arches providing a simple distinction: the Ro ...

. 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 Surselva Region is one of the eleven administrative districts in the canton of Graubünden in Switzerland. It was created on 1 January 2017 as part of a reorganization of the canton.Flims Flims () 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 Flims D ...

and Trun, to

Disentis Abbey Disentis Abbey () is a Benedictine monastery in the Grisons, Canton of Grisons in eastern Switzerland, around which the present town of Disentis () grew up. Early history Formerly the date of the foundation of this abbey, attributed to the local s ...

, 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 writers in Latin 8th-century Frankish writers