He was born in 1403 in Genoese
Sarzana (now in the region of
Liguria), a town located in ancient
Lunigiana, a key border region which Tuscans and Ligurians long struggled to control. His father was Tommaso Calandrini from a family originating from Lucca, his mother was the latter's second wife Andreola Tomeo dei Bosi, the widow of Bartolomeo Parentucelli, whose son Tommaso Parentucelli became pope Nicholas V. from 1447 until 1455. Filippo Calandrini's cousin Isabella Calandrini had married the later mayor of Sarzana and commissioner of the Lunigiana, Giovanni
Buonaparte in 1397, becoming direct ancestors of
Napoleon. 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. In 1448, he was named cardinal Priest of
Santa Susanna, his former titular church. Filippo also became cardinal of Bologna, cardinal Priest of
San Lorenzo in Lucina, cardinal
bishop of Albano (1468–1471), and finally on 30 August 1471, cardinal
bishop of Porto e Santa Rufina. Calandrini participated in the
conclaves of
1455,
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. In 1459, Filippo succeeded
Domenico Capranica as
Grand penitentiary, and he 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 (vainly) prohibiting removal of Roman remains from Luni. Filippo died at
Bagnoregio, at the age of 73 and was buried at
San Lorenzo in Lucina, Rome. ==References==