Niccolò Ridolfi (Dominican)

Not to be confused with Cardinal Niccolò Ridolfi (1501-53).

Niccolò Ridolfi was the Master of the Order of Preachers from 1629 to 1642.

Early biography

Niccolò Ridolfi was born into a Florentine noble family.^[1] He was a penitent of Philip Neri.^[1]

Formation

Ridolfi joined the Dominican Order.^[1] Ridolfi was a student at the College of St. Thomas,^[2] and became rector there in 1630.^[3]

Under Pope Urban VIII, he was Master of the Sacred Palace.^[1]

At a chapter held in 1629, he was elected master of his order.^[1] He created a fund for the Master by sending out collectors to take funds from the provinces; he used this money to aid poorer houses, novitiates, publications, and building and ornamenting churches.^[1] He completed a visitation of northern Italy and part of the Kingdom of France.^[1]

In 1630 Ridolfi became rector of the College of St. Thomas, the future Pontifical University of Saint Thomas Aquinas, Angelicum,^[3] where he had been an alumnus.

Initially a supporter of Ridolfi, Pope Urban VIII grew disillusioned with Ridolfi because Ridolfi opposed plans to further advance Urban's family, the Barberinis.^[1] As such, the pope had Ridolfi deposed at a chapter held in Genoa in 1642.^[1] He was subsequently imprisoned in San Sisto Vecchio.^[1]

Ridolfi is author of the Apologia perfectionis vitae spiritualis (1632)

References