Francesco Melzi d'Eril

Francesco Melzi d'Eril Duke of Lodi
Portrait Melzi by Andrea Appiani.
Vice President of the Italian Republic
In office 26 January 1802 – 17 March 1805
President	Napoleon Bonaparte
Preceded by	Office Created
Succeeded by	Eugène de Beauharnais (as Viceroy of the Kingdom of Italy)
Grand Chancellor of the Kingdom of Italy
In office 1805–1814
Preceded by	Office Created
Succeeded by	Office Abolished
Personal details
Born	6 March 1753 Milan, Duchy of Milan, Austrian Empire
Died	16 January 1816 Villa Melzi d'Eril, Bellagio, Kingdom of Lombardy–Venetia, Austrian Empire

Francesco Melzi d'Eril, Duke of Lodi, Count of Magenta, (Milan, 6 March 1753 - Bellagio, 16 January 1816) was an Italian politician and patriot, serving as vice-president of the Napoleonic Italian Republic (1802–1805). He was a consistent supporter of the Italian unification ideals that would lead to the Italian Risorgimento shortly after his death.

Francesco Melzi d'Eril was born to Gaspare and Marianna Teresa d'Eril in 1753. Despite the House of Melzi d'Eril being one of the prominent families in the Milanese aristocracy, their wealth had been compromised. This was mostly due to Francesco's grandfather Francesco Saverio Melzi, who had fought in the War of the Austrian Succession along with the Spanish, thus falling in disgrace when Empress Maria Theresa had re-established her control over her possessions in Lombardy. As a consequence of this situation, Francesco Melzi d'Eril was raised by his uncle.

Francesco's uncle had him educated by the Jesuits, first at the "Collegio dei Nobili" in Brera and then at the "Scuole Palatine", both in Milan. In the latter institute, Francesco met scientist Ruggero Giuseppe Boscovich, who would thereafter be one of his best friends. In 1773, as a consequence of Emperor Joseph II's Enlightenment-influenced reforms, religious schools lost the right to confer degrees, so Francesco never graduated.

Despite his family's situation, Melzi d'Eril had the opportunity to frequent exclusive Milanese circles, where he met prominent Lombard Enlightenment thinkers such as Pietro Verri, Cesare Beccaria, Giuseppe Parini, and Ippolito Pindemonte. He also had the opportunity to travel abroad and become knowledgeable about the emerging, Enlightenment-influenced European political systems as well as the English parliamentary system. In this context, he developed a liberalist view and sympathized for the French Revolution, although this was later mitigated by his disapproval of the radical, anti-religious developments the Revolution would bring about. He also thoroughly embraced the cause of the Italian unification.