| Office: | Minister of Foreign Trade |
| Primeminister: | Giuliano Amato |
| Term Start: | June 1992 |
| Term End: | 29 July 1992 |
| Birth Date: | 7 July 1936 |
| Birth Place: | Reggio Calabria |
| Death Place: | Rome |
| Party: | Christian Democracy |
Claudio Vitalone (7 July 1936 - 28 December 2008) was an Italian judge and politician. In addition to serving as senator and cabinet minister, he is also known for being a close ally of the former Italian Prime Minister Giulio Andreotti.[1]
Vitalone was born in Reggio Calabria on 7 July 1936. He held a law degree.
Vitalone became a judge in 1961. He served in the Rome prosecutor's office and in the Italian senate.[2] [3] He was a member of the Christian Democrats (DC).[4] He was first elected to the senate in 1979 for the DC and served there three more terms. On 6 August 1992, he resigned from the senate.
In two cabinets headed by Giulio Andreotti Vitalone was the deputy minister of foreign affairs from 1989 to 1992.[5] He briefly served as foreign trade minister in the cabinet led by Prime Minister Giuliano Amato from June to 29 July 1992 when he resigned from office.[6] After leaving public office he returned to his judiciary post.
Vitalone along with Andreotti was charged with ordering Mino Pecorelli's killing in Rome in 1979.[7] [8] In 1999, a Perugia court acquitted Vitalone and Andreotti from the charges brought against them.
Vitalone died on 28 December 2008 in Rome.[9] [10]