Girolamo Dandini

Who was Girolamo Dandini?

In the Papal curia the first man to fill the position of cardinal-secretary of state was the newly created Cardinal, Girolamo Dandini. By the time of Pope Innocent X the Secretary of State was always himself a Cardinal, and Pope Innocent XII abolished the office of Cardinal Nephew in 1692.

Dandini was born in Cesena to a patrician family, the son of Anselmo Dandini and Giovanna Muratini. He graduated from the University of Bologna with a degree utroque iuris in both canon and civil law. He went to Rome and became secretary to Pope Paul III, who appointed him Protonotary apostolic.

He was sent as nuncio to the court of François I to negotiate peace and to agree on the celebration of a general council, June 1543 to May 1544. He was appointed bishop of Caserta, then bishop of Imola, where he was abbot in commendam of San Firmino.