Filippo Calandrini

Who was Filippo Calandrini?

Filippo Calandrini was a half-brother of Pope Nicholas V. Born in Sarzana in 1403, he was named a canon and archdeacon of Lucca in 1440. Filippo was elected camerlengo of the cathedral chapter in 1442. Calandrini became a protonotary apostolic in 1447. When his brother became pope, he named Filippo bishop of Bologna in 1447 and Cardinal Priest of Santa Susanna, his former titular church, in 1448. Filippo was known thereafter as the Cardinal of Bologna. Later Filippo was Cardinal Priest of San Lorenzo in Lucina. He was next cardinal bishop of Albano and then cardinal bishop of Porto e Santa Rufina. Calandrini participated in the conclaves of 1449, 1458, 1464 and 1471. In his account of the 1458 conclave that elected him pope, Pius II describes himself as stiffening his friend's spine to resist electing Guillaume d'Estouteville, Cardinal bishop of Ostia.

Grand penitentiary from 1459 in succession to Domenico Capranica, Calandrini is credited with improving the procedures of the Apostolic Penitentiary, regularizing the registration of petitions. Filippo was camerlengo of the College of Cardinals in 1454-1455. Calandrini is credited with Pope Paul II's 1471 decree transferring the ancient see of Luni, a decayed Etruscan city, to his home city of Sarzana. Cardinal Calandrini also had Pope Pius issue a brief on 7 April 1461 prohibiting removal of Roman remains from Luni. Filippo died at Bagnoreggio, at the age of 73.