Vitali was born in Bellano, on Lago of Como, to a family of fishermen. He began to paint when he was fifteen years old, after a period at the Institute of Graphical Arts of Bergamo. He was exposed to the work of the Angelicum of Milan in 1947 at the Biennale d’Arte Sacra. In 1949 he participated in the Biennale himself with two works, Visitazione and Cena in Emmaus. His work was praised by the painter, Carlo Carrà.

He began the activity of engraving in 1981 after being encouraged by Velasco's son, the painter. He became a friend of Giovanni Testori, the dramatist and literture critic, in 1983.