Francesco Maria Brancaccio (15 April 1592, in Canneto,[1] near Bari – 9 January 1675) was an Italian Catholic cardinal.

[4] When the disagreement was elevated to armed conflict, a castrato in Brancaccio's employ killed the captain of the guard.

The Vice-King[5] ordered the bishop to stand trial and he obeyed; making arrangements to travel to Naples to give his account.

But rather than travel to Naples he fled in a felucca towards Rome and upon arrival sought an audience with Pope Urban VIII to explain his side of the story.

Urban agreed to defend the bishop and a furious Kingdom of Naples took custody of all the wealth and assets of Brancaccio's bishopric.