The son of a poor wool merchant, his talent with the
lyre at a young age drew the attention of many patrons and led indirectly to his career in the Church. Cardinal
Otto Truchsess von Waldburg funded his education at a young age.
Pope Julius III provided Antoniani with room and board at the
Apostolic Palace. He met
Ercole II d'Este,
Duke of Ferrara, who sponsored his studies at the
University of Ferrara, where Antoniani earned a
doctorate in civil and canon law in 1556, and was professor of
classical literature. After the death of the Duke of Ferrara, he returned to Rome. In 1563 Pope
Pius IV appointed him to the chair of belles-lettres in
Sapienza University, a position in which he worked with St
Charles Borromeo, who made him his personal secretary. In 1566 he resigned the chair, and took up the study of theology under the direction of St
Philip Neri and was ordained
priest on 12 June 1568.
Pope Pius V named him Secretary of the
College of Cardinals, a position he held for twenty-four years.
Pope Sixtus V named him secretary of the
Congregation of Bishops and Regulars.
Clement VIII appointed him
Secretary of Papal Briefs in 1593. Antoniano was also
Master of the Papal Chamber and a
Canon of the
Basilica of Saint Peter. Pope Clement created him
Cardinal Priest of
San Salvatore in Lauro on 3 March 1599. He was present at the acceptance of the
Union of Brest, and two of his writings are inscribed on the north and south faces of the pedestal supporting the
Vatican obelisk in
Saint Peter's Square. He died in Rome in 1603, and is interred in
Santa Maria in Vallicella. ==Works==