Francesco Paolo Michetti (1851–1929) was born in 1851 in Tocco da Casauria. His father was the music teacher Crispino Michetti and his mother was the organist Aurelia Terzini.

With his artistic talent, in 1867 he received a scholarship from the province of Chieti, which allowed him to study at the Academy of Fine Arts in Naples under the direction of Domenico Morelli. At that time, Michetti was under the wing of Filippo Palizzi, Giuseppe De Nittis and Marco De Gregorio, known for their work at the Scuola di Resìna, an informal artistic association of the 19th century. The preferred motifs for his work were the untouched landscapes of Abruzzo and religious subjects.

In 1872, Michetti showed his work abroad for the first time, at the Salon in Paris. Three years later, De Nittis helped him organize a second Paris exhibition. In 1872, he presented the canvases “Pumpkin Picking” and “The Dream of Innocence”; in 1875, the exhibition included “Return to the Pasture”, “The Dream of Innocence” and “Olive Picking”. He also participated in the exhibitions of 1875 and 1876. In 1874, in Naples, he became friends with the Spanish artist Maria Fortuny, who later had a significant influence on his work.

In 1877, Michetti presented “Procession in Honor of Corpus Christi”, a vivid depiction of a solemn procession, at the National Art Exhibition in Naples. In 1880, “The Dead”, “Impressions of the Adriatic” and “Shellfish Gathering” were shown in Turin. A year later, in Milan, he exhibited 34 paintings, mainly portraits, landscapes and seascapes.

After moving to Francavilla al Mare in 1883, he continued painting. He created scenes from everyday life and the countryside, historical paintings and religious works. His new works, “Freaks” and “Snakes”, were shown at the World Exhibition in Paris in 1900.

Francesco Paolo Michetti died in 1929 in Francavilla al Mare, a victim of pneumonia.